The Agents of F.L.A.S.K.

[Zombie_61]

I have heard of Koko. Did Koko and Michael have anything interesting to say? Or was it basic survival communication (“I’m hungry”, “I’m cold”, etc.)?

I've read a few articles that stated Koko, in particular, enjoyed having guests and would ask questions about their clothing or other personal effects they had with them. One of her favorite humans was Robin Williams, and whenever he visited she would reveal a sense of humor by, say, teasing him about his shirt (or something) if she didn't like it. So if, for example, she was hungry she could communicate that, or if she didn't particularly care for whatever food they gave her, but she would also ask questions about things she saw in the world around her so it was more than just, "Me Koko, you feed."

 

[Tiki Tom]

^^^ Based on your comments (thanks), I looked up a few articles on Koko. It seems that she had the vocabulary of a three year old, was self-aware, and could discuss abstract topics. Some critics cautioned that perhaps too much was being read into her actions and the scientists working with her developed a bias as they grew more attached to her. It is certainly a fascinating subject. I would guess that, with primates at least, there might be varying degrees of what we would call “consciousness”. Some species being more intelligent and more conscious than others. The topic is an edgy one… eventually crossing into moral issues. One article mentioned that, when he was captured, Michael saw his mother killed for bush meat and, years later, was still able to convey his trauma. Which brings us back to the subject of whales. I guess some whales have very complex patterns of sounds that they make to each other. To me, it seems plausible that AI might be able to eventually “translate” it. Given the completely other/strange world that they live in, whales might (presumably) have a completely different way of structuring their thoughts. I’ll be curious to see what comes out of the project. Especially if it turns out that humans might need to adjust their view of the world.

 

[Fifty150]

In the 2011 Planet of the Apes, the intelligent ape character, Caesar, knew sign language.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Want to win a half million dollars? Write an essay that details “the best evidence for an after life.”

Wow! Remarkable. Here is the essay that won the $500,000 prize.

https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/docs/1st.pdf

It was written by Jeffrey Mishlove Ph.D.
Doctor Mishlove was pursuing a degree in Criminology when he had an experience in which a relative visited in a dream and dramatically communicated with him… he later learned that his relative had died at just about the time he had the dream. The event was so vivid and out-of-the-ordinary that Mishlove changed his life plan by deciding to become an expert on life after death. He has a decades long track record of note in this area.

In the above-linked essay, Mishlove lays out nine areas where he says there is sufficient proof to prove the continuance of consciousness after the death of the physical body. (Go to page 21 of the doc, if you want to cut to the chase.) Some of these 9 areas I had never heard of before. The 9 areas are: [with my comments]
1. Near Death Experiences [including out of body experiences];
2. After Death Communications;
3. Reincarnation evidence;
4. Peak in Darien Experiences [in which people who are near death report being able to see into the next life, see deceased family etc. “Terminal lucidity”, in which mentally debilitated patients suddenly become lucid at the end are also mentioned in the essay.]
5. Possession [in this case meaning rare cases in which a recently dead personality briefly takes over a living persons body];
6. Instrumental trans communication [in which dead people communicate with a radio, telephone, or even a text message!];
7. Xenoglossy [in which someone is suddenly speaking a language that they don’t know and have no connection with];
8. Mental mediumship;
9. Physical mediumship [think levitating tables, ectoplasm, etc.]

Mishlove tries to focus on well-documented cases regarding each of the above. On the one hand, it does make you think “if this is true…!” His basic approach is to argue that there is so much cumulative evidence, that it suggests that something must truly be going on.

On the other hand, in many cases I am not familiar with his sources. Additionally, for the most part, it still boils down to anecdotal stories. Even if some of them are darned good stories. No doubt holes can be poked in any story.

Still, congratulations to Jeffrey Mishlove for winning the half million dollar prize. I’m sure that made his day!

All the contest winners, plus runners up, can be found at:

https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/contest_winners3.php

The titles are fascinating. I will be reading some of them with great interest.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Strange phenomenon of the week: “time slip”.

A time slip normally occurs (there are dozens of stories on the internet) when someone is going about their normal business —say, walking down the street— and they suddenly find themselves at the same location, but in a previous decade or century. The weirdness lasts for a minute or two. Then they suddenly return to normal time. People often report seeing a building or business that is no longer there, but with a little research it is confirmed that, yes, it once was there. It is as if the person accidentally stumbled into a thin spot in the fabric of time.
What I like is that these stories tend to be about mundane places and events; people rarely say they saw history being made or anything like that.

I think an acquaintance in high school claimed to have had such an experience, but I can’t recall the details.

And apparently there are locations where Time Slips occur repeatedly. One such location is Bold Street in Liverpool, where people seem to experience time slips on a regular basis:

https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2019/11/mysterious-time-slips-on-a-liverpool-street/

Devon (again!) seems also to have its share. Time slips have enough history and frequency to have been picked up by the press…

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-9565865/Have-experienced-time-slip.html

Anyway. Right up there with consciousness, time is a complicated topic that is hard to nail down. Any perplexing time slip stories out there?

 

[Tiki Tom]

True? Or bull sh$t?

part 1

Part 2

 

[Tiki Tom]

Hint:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derren_Brown

He claims that he does not use actors or “stooges”.

 

[Zombie_61]

True? Or bull sh$t?

part 1

Part 2

Strange. As I was watching part 1 and he was describing the task, in my mind I kept thinking of exactly what the young lady painted. Then they start talking about the number of "audience participation" drawings they collected that featured that in some way, and I thought that was odd. Then as I went to click on part 2 I saw they planted that seed in my mind by giving it away before you even watch the video (damn You Tube!!!). That being the case, I can't say if it's true or fake. *shrug*

 

[Tiki Tom]

Is this (A) an example of something mysterious that we have all experienced in every day life? Or (B) an example of confirmation bias? (ie, we only remember those times when we turned around and somebody actually was looking at us, but we forget the many times when we looked but no one was there.) If this is indeed a real phenomenon, does it support arguments for ESP? Or is it just coincidence? How is your mental radar in this area?

 

[Harp]

Much ado....

Long ago back in the Army I once raised my rifle and heard my deceased father's voice speak restraint.
I can still see this kid stare terrified. Haunts me and triggers memories I try to forget. Other times.
When the other dimension intrudes the effect burns branding.

 

[Zombie_61]

Is this (A) an example of something mysterious that we have all experienced in every day life? Or (B) an example of confirmation bias? (ie, we only remember those times when we turned around and somebody actually was looking at us, but we forget the many times when we looked but no one was there.) If this is indeed a real phenomenon, does it support arguments for ESP? Or is it just coincidence? How is your mental radar in this area?

Hell man, I don't even turn around when someone is standing right behind me shouting my name in an attempt to get my attention.

 

[Tiki Tom]

On the one hand, it seems likely that evolution would favor those who can sense when rivals are studying them. On the other hand, the evidence supporting the reality of such a psychic skill seems to be controversial. But, then again, evolution seems to find a way to support those with weird adaptations that increase their chances of survival.

What I find interesting is that all these psychic abilities, when tested across a broad sampling, seem to show a more-or-less constant result that is about 7% above the result that would be expected from random chance. It is not a big result (in fact it is rather small), but it is still “statistically significant “. Scientists have been looking for ways to “turn up the volume”, but so far without success. So, for the time being, it is all rather ambiguous. As noted elsewhere, some individuals seem to be “gifted” with these skills, but many others are tone deaf. Who knows?

 

[Fifty150]

On to the next mystery. A person was killed at Tesla. Was it The Boss?

 

[Zombie_61]

On to the next mystery. A person was killed at Tesla...

Shocking.

 

[Tiki Tom]

On to the next mystery. A person was killed at Tesla. Was it The Boss?

Not enough to go on yet. Exactly who is the victim? Were there any “men in black” at the scene? Was the KGB involved? Or is this a case of “Nothiing to see here, folks. Please move along” ?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...cious-death-man-dead-outside-Tesla-plant.html

 

[GHT]

'At this point, we have a dead body in the parking lot and homicide investigators are taking over the investigation,' Police Captain Fred Bobbitt told FOX News.

Twenty nine years ago, "John Bobbitt" was not a household name. But all that changed in an instant one fateful summer night in 1993 when his wife Lorena Bobbitt cut his penis off with a kitchen knife.

Now the name Bobbitt has surfaced again. Police Captain Fred Bobbitt. Does the police officer talk with a high pitched voice?

 

[Harp]

'At this point, we have a dead body in the parking lot and homicide investigators are taking over the investigation,' Police Captain Fred Bobbitt told FOX News.

Twenty nine years ago, "John Bobbitt" was not a household name. But all that changed in an instant one fateful summer night in 1993 when his wife Lorena Bobbitt cut his penis off with a kitchen knife.

Now the name Bobbitt has surfaced again. Police Captain Fred Bobbitt. Does the police officer talk with a high pitched voice?

^Seems a natural death.
================

Bobbitt suffered the cruelist spousal abuse that feminists quickly dismissed as somehow deserved.
Penile surgical attachment and psychiatric hopefully led to a constructive life.
Bobbitt was not castrated, so his voice remained soprano/baritone. Seemed a nice guy, ex-Marine.

 

[Fifty150]

 

[Fifty150]

 

[Tiki Tom]

New previously classified documents on the JFK assassination released. The article states that a majority of Americans do not believe the Warren Commission’s finding that Kennedy was killed by a lone gunman, acting alone.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/15/politics/biden-administration-jfk-documents/index.html

Some of you will laugh, but I really am not a conspiracy theorist. I just get bored with the normal news cycle and am always on the lookout for quirky stories. But in this case I might be willing to make an exception. Several things about the official Lee Harvey Oswald story (not least of which the manner of his death) strike me as unlikely. Do I have an alternate theory that I endorse? Not really. There are plenty of plausible suspects and I am not a scholar regarding the case. Be that as it may, it seems that a majority don’t buy the official verdict. But it has been long enough that most people just shrug and say “oh well.” Still, it is a mystery.