Hi #Treksters, I know it's been a quite awhile since I last wrote a blog post...and we've released our next episode. Before I go any further I just want to explain all the Real Life reasons why this has happened.
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| Granddad 'Sarge' Eric |
Another reason why this has happened is that collectively as a group we've got two Weddings coming up...one of which is Phil's Wedding.
Which has taken up a large proportion of Phil's life due to it's subsequent planning.
Along those lines we've also had Phil's Stag Do down in Somerset, all in all giving us little or no time to record any podcasts lately.
So in order to give you your much needed The Engage Podcast Fix I have decided to write a post about a set of topics which both interests me and intrigues me....Conspiracy Theories, Myths and Legends!
In this blog post I will be explaining the Conspiracy Theories surrounding famous events, which may or may not have been staged!
With each event I will be giving my opinion on it's accompanying Conspiracy Theory, Myth or Legend whilst trying to ascertain how plausible they are.
If they are (in my opinion) implausible...then I will rule that they have been debunked.
The Loch Ness Monster
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| Colonel R. K. Wilson's original picture taken in 1934 |
The Loch Ness Monster is one of the most famous Myths the world has forever been spellbound by."Nessie" as it is more commonly known (since 1940's) is said to be the last of the plesiosaurs, living in the depths of Loch Ness up in Scotland.
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| A CGI graphic of a Plesiosaur |
So much interest has been created in finding "Nessie" that in 1961 the Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau was set up in order to catch glimpses of the Loch Ness Monster. The Myth of "Nessie" has also been responsible for creating a tourist attraction out of just another 'everyday Scottish loch'...giving a welcome boost to the local (and Scottish) economy!
The Myth of a Loch Ness Monster has done a great deal for Scotland, drawing tourists in yearly with the chance to catch of the famous Loch dwelling monster...but I think it is all in vein.
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| Diagram of the Wilson family hoax model |
Unfortunately a prime example of this, is most famous picture of them all the 'Wilson picture'...as it turns out that the Wilson family had modified a toy submarine with a model head and rigged it to appear to be a monster (from a distance).
With technology improving all the time, it is getting easier to 'create pictures featuring "Nessie". Giving no believers an argument not to believe in "Nessie's" existence.
The "Nessie" devotees will see it as an advantage because it will give them an opportunity to monitor for "Nessie" around the clock.
Although... 'if' we ever get a 'real' picture of "Nessie" we won't believe due to the cynical and suspicious world we live in. The other issue people will have is the number of fakes surrounding The Loch Ness Monster Myth.
For me, this is a Myth I would love to believe in but...nothing adds up, as the whole Myth sounds like a Fairy Tale!
- Firstly, how on earth is a Plesiosaur meant to survive for so long without being seen, it's for the better word...impossible!
- Secondly, A Myth of a prehistoric dinosaur living in a Scottish Loch is too good to be true, making me speculate that the Myth was orchestrated by a cunning Scottish businessman trying to draw up business for the local area through publicity.
- Thirdly, shouldn't we (Humans) have killed "Nessie" through Global Warming, or by another indirect way?!
The Bermuda Triangle
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| Bermuda Triangle location map |
The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the Atlantic Ocean which is famous for planes and ships vanishing in thin air...eerily never to be seen again!
Although the area of the pheromone varies between 1,300,000 to 3,900,000 km2 (500,000 to 1,510,000 square miles) depending on what source you use.
That being said it is widely accepted that it lies between Bermuda (in the North), Miami (in the West) and Puerto Rico (in the South).
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| Four TBF/TBM Avengers flying in formation |
In the air, The Bermuda Triangle is most famous for the loss of Flight 19. A training flight of five TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers that disappeared on the 5th of December 1945. After losing radio contact with Fort Lauderdale (their base).
Whilst on the ocean, The Bermuda Triangle is well known for the disappearance of the USS Cyclops (AC-4). Which caused the loss of 309 passengers and crew.
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| USS Cyclops (AC-4) |
Both examples give's you a small impression of just how many countless lives have been lost in one way or another due to The Bermuda Triangle.
There are many different theories for what causes the disappearances in The Bermuda Triangle, ranging from magnetic anomalies to devastating power crystals lying on the seabed.
Many 'solve' either a air disappearance or a sea disappearance...but in my mind (at least) the cause for both air and sea disappearances has to be some overwhelming cause. Which is currently undetectable through current technology.
In my opinion, until we attain the right level of technological development we will never be able to solve the mystery of The Bermuda Triangle.
RMS Titanic
The RMS Titanic was a 19th Century passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean (south-east of Newfoundland).
On the morning of April 15th 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton (United Kingdom) to New York City (United States) via Cherbourg (France) and Queenstown (Ireland).
It laid undiscovered until a Franco-American expedition led by the noted oceanographer Robert Ballard found the wreck in 1985.
Although Conspiracy Theorists believe that the wreck lying at the bottom of the Atlantic isn't that of the Titanic...but is instead it's (older) sister ship RMS Olympic.
They believe that the ships "swapped identities" after the Olympic collided with a naval vessel (HMS Hawke) on it's fifth voyage (on the 20th September 1911) and had to be taken back to Belfast for repairs. During the same time the Titanic is nearing completion (being outfitted) close to the RMS Olympic.
Giving White Star Line the prefect opportunity to do the worlds largest sleight of hand trick. The only reason they would do this, is because the White Star Line were in financial difficulties at the time.
Leaving White Star Line only one way to survive...insurance fraud.
By switching ships, and by tricking everyone into believing that the damaged Olympic was in fact the Titanic. Meant that they could get a full insurance pay-out for the 'new ships' loss. Solving White Star Line's money woes.
For me I think there's points you can believe on both sides. The Conspiracy Theorists have some interesting idea's about what happened...but I think there's no way they (White Star Line) could have kept it secret! Making me think it's a work of fiction.
Although this fiction fits some of the pieces together making it a plausible Conspiracy Theory. Which is why I would recommend watching the documentary above to make up your own mind up about it all!
So it's my opinion that it is the RMS Titanic that sunk on the 15th of April 1912. Meaning that I have to debunk this very plausible Conspiracy Theory.
I also think that the story and legacy are more important than the facts and figures behind the events on the Titanic.
Because of this event, worldwide legislation came in making it customary for ships to have enough lifeboats for everyone on board through the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) passed in 1914.
The Titanic (and later SOLAS) lead to the formation of the International Ice Patrol, responsible for monitoring icebergs in the Artic and Oceans and the Atlantic Ocean. After reporting that information onto ships 'for safety purposes'. Which reading between the lines...means minimising the chances of an sinking occurring!
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| Belfast City Hall RMS Titanic Memorial |
That being said, I think that the name of the ship is irrelevant...because whatever the truth is, through either that of design or by an accident.
A White Star Line Olympic class ocean liner is sitting at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean after causing the deaths of 1,500 people. So we need to make sure that we preserve the memory of all the people on board.
Who we should never forget!
The Moon Landings
The last Conspiracy Theory I'm going to discuss is the big one...the Moon Landings from 1969-1972.
On the 20th July 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon....a day later astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (along with Michael Collins up in the Command Module) were the first humans to walk on the Moon.
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| U.S. President John F. Kennedy giving his speech to the U.S. Congress in 1961 |
Eight years after U.S. President John F. Kennedy vowed in a U.S. Congress speech that "before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth".
Not only did the United States achieve his goal once...but on six separate occasions in a three year period.
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| Apollo 11 Astronauts (Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong) in a NASA training mock-up of the Moon and Luna Module |
Although there are a lot of people out there that believe that man has never stepped on the Moon, as they think it was all staged.
The main points of contention for Conspiracy Theorists are:
- The lack of stars visible in the Lunar sky.
- Visible "camera crosshairs".
- Aberrant shadows.
- The Stars and Stripes flag "ruffled" by air currents.
All of the points of contention have logical sound explanations.
- There is a lack of stars visible in the Lunar sky, because all the Moon landing occurred during the Lunar daytime...making it impossible to see the stars due to the immense power of the sun.
Which meant that their camera's couldn't pick up the stars either, as they were set to a daylight exposure. - Visible "camera crosshairs" are a typical sight on the Apollo missions, as the cameras they used had a reseau plate (a clear glass plate with crosshairs etched on).
Which made it impossible for any photographed object to appear "in front" of the grid. The only way an object would appear "behind" of the grid is in post production. So that it would appear that the Moon landing have been faked.
This would was quite normal, as people wanted images of the great achievement...but didn't want the "camera crosshairs" spoiling their image. After sometime these 'edited' copies circulated, and became the preferred images of the Apollo missions. - Shadows on the Moon are complicated by reflected light, uneven ground, wide-angle lens distortion, and lunar dust.
Light appears from several different sources: the Sun, sunlight reflected from the Earth, sunlight reflected from the Moon's surface, and sunlight reflected from the astronauts and the Lunar Module.
Light from these sources is scattered by the lunar dust in many directions...which includes shadows.
Shadows falling into craters and hills may appear longer, shorter and distorted. Causing shadows to display properties of a vanishing point perspective, making them converge to a point on the horizon.
This theory (and many others) were famously debunked by MythBusters episode "NASA Moon Landing". 
The flag was fastened to a Г-shaped rod (called the Lunar Flag Assembly) so that it didn't hang down.
The flag only seemed to "ruffle" when the astronauts were moving it into position.
Without air drag, these movements caused the free corner of the flag to swing like a pendulum for some time.
The flag was rippled because it had been folded during storage, so the ripples could be mistaken for movement in a still photo. Video's have shown that when the astronauts let go of the flagpole vibrated briefly...but then remains still.
This theory was also debunked on the MythBusters episode "NASA Moon Landing".
Moon landing conspiracy theories- The hoax claims
I believe that we have (without a doubt) landed on the Moon between 1969-1972. For another few reasons.
Including, the fact that I don't personally believe that U.S. President John F. Kennedy would condone 'staging' the entire Apollo missions.
Due to the massive undertaking (and loss) in getting humans to our nearest neighbour. You don't build all that infrastructure (including six Saturn V rockets) just for the sake of a conspiracy!
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| A picture taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of the Apollo 17 landing site |
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| Apollo 11's retroreflector (with it's protective cover) |
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| The United Kingdom's Goodwill Moon rock given in 1970 by U.S. President Richard Nixon |
If we are to believe the Conspiracy Theorists that the Apollo missions were faked...then the same would be true with Goodwill Moon rocks.
I know I'm going to exaggerate it here...but do they really want us to believe that they are rocks found at the bottom of the White House garden?!
I put this to you Conspiracy Theorists directly, isn't it for once nice to believe that those 185 Goodwill Moon rock samples have come the 476,527 miles (766,895.8683km) from the Moon...with the help of human beings?!
I hope you've enjoyed reading it, and I hope that I've given you something to think about.
This is Simon from The Engage Podcast signing out!
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