History Channel Releases Official "Ancient Aliens" Guide for Children, Teaches Kids Aliens Are Behind Everything

11/20/2015

I don’t always get outraged by the terrible choices that cable TV makes. Cable channels have always done terrible things in the name of profit, but yesterday I learned of a horrible new product that flew under the radar when it was released a few months ago. Just seeing it made my blood boil, and I hope you’ll agree that it symbolizes pretty much everything wrong with American education and popular history in the twenty-first century.

That product? The Young Investigator’s Guide to Ancient Aliens: Based on the Hit Television Series, a book tie-in to the Ancient Aliens TV series, which carries the History Channel’s official endorsement and authorship and was released by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Macmillan, one of America’s largest book publishers. The volume is aimed at readers aged 8 to 12, though after skimming the book I’d think it’s perhaps a bit too ambitious for an 8 year old. (I wonder if grades 8-12 was what was meant instead.)

Although the book was released in July, it received no reviews on Amazon as of this writing and no mainstream media coverage that I could find. That is perhaps a good thing because the book itself is more horrifying than you’d imagine. As the book description explains:

Spanning history, from the earliest of human civilizations to the modern period, this book exposes evidence of the presence of extraterrestrials in some of our most triumphant and devastating moments.

And lest you think the existence of this book is an idle danger: According to the Toronto Public Library’s website, they purchased an astonishing 31 copies of the book to ensure that 23 branches of the library had one or more copies on hand. WorldCat reports that 97 libraries currently stock the book in their children’s sections. Indeed, the Youth Services Book Review blog, run by librarians in Massachusetts, gave the book a five star review and recommended it for all libraries serving children and teenagers. I would like to posit this question: If the History Channel promoted a book of “Creationism for Kids” or “Why Vaccines Will Kill You,” would anyone consider it a trusted resource or stock it alongside serious nonfiction for educating kids?

I’ll give the Youth Services librarian Katrina Yurenka one small bit of credit, though: She recommended the book be placed in the Dewey decimal system’s 000 section for general nonfiction rather than in the science section.

The bright, colorful, and well-designed volume opens with an explanation of the ancient astronaut theory that claims it is a legitimate field of study, explaining “ancient astronaut theorist” as a job description, and canonizing Chariots of the Gods as “a major text in the field of Ancient Astronaut theory.” The volume suggests that children can aspire to grow up to be ancient astronaut theorists, and it makes use of bastardized popular anthropology to do so, referring to ancient and non-Western peoples as “primitive cultures.”

The volume, credited online to author Don Steinberg, an author of disposable nonfiction of no great seriousness, informs young readers that NASA is engaged in a conspiracy to hide the truth about aliens from the public and that Neil Armstrong helped to cover up evidence of aliens on the moon. And for a book that pretends to be a science text, it’s unusual that it stops to note that “many of us are taught to believe that God is everywhere,” just like a creationist text might. However, this book does so in order to suggest that humans associate heaven and God with the sky due to memories of ancient spaceships. The book informs readers that “it’s important to remember that myths come from somewhere, often from events that witnessed by people who invent stories to explain what they don’t completely understand.” This gross oversimplification is wrong even as an explanation for the preteen audience the book targets.

I could go on all day about the faulty claims that the History Channel foists onto children, but all of them are recycled from the Ancient Aliens TV series, with extensive quotations from Giorgio Tsoukalos but precious few references to primary sources or any way for children to learn the real story behind ancient astronaut claims. Oh, and Tsoukalos is selling autographed copies at a 100% markup.

What angers me is that the book is clearly the product of significant financial outlay. It is handsomely illustrated with gorgeous photography, which does not come cheap. It is laid out beautifully, and the pages are carefully designed to be visually attractive. Again, this kind of care doesn’t come cheap. What’s infuriating is that this is the History Channel’s only book of ancient history for children, according to an Amazon listing of their (very few) official books. This is how History employs resources that a decade ago it used to “provide teacher training sessions, grants/scholarships, public service announcements and classroom materials for New York City public secondary school teachers and students” as part of an effort to improve history education, and two decades ago used to take educating children seriously as part of its mission statement?

When the History Channel started a college course at the University of Oklahoma last year, professors objected at the pop network invading academia, but the head of the American Historical Association, James Grossman, said this spring that there was no cause for concern.

Different venues, whether they be television, commercial tourist attractions, children's books, national parks or classrooms, offer people different kinds of history. I am pleased that Americans are so eager to engage history, and fully recognize that they will engage different kinds of history in different ways. The AHA maintains standards for professional historical work. But we don't license. History Channel and other purveyors of popular histories play a vital role in stimulating and nourishing American's interest in the past. This is a good thing.

(Grossman’s organization, as he is the first to note, takes money from the History Channel, which sponsors an event at the AHA annual conference.)

Would he therefore argue that Ancient Aliens on TV and in educational books for children are simply “different kinds of history” and ultimately good? I asked him yesterday via email, but as of this writing I haven’t heard back yet.

77 Comments

Time Machine

11/20/2015 08:04:14 am

The late Philip J. Klass (1919-2005) wrote sceptical books about flying saucers for children.

Not only a skeptic

11/20/2015 07:23:06 pm

PHILLIP J. KLASS IS DEAD????

only a skeptic

11/22/2015 05:13:15 am

i think he fell into a cryo tube about 16 years ago, with a beer in his hand, if you can believe it

DaveR

11/20/2015 08:32:05 am

Just a way to grab younger viewers who in a few years will be in the target demographic so History Chanel can continue raking in from the cash cow that is Ancient Aliens. Georgio proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's only in this for the money because he's charging a 100% mark-up for his signed copies.

Pacal

11/20/2015 08:52:56 am

The History channel continues it's descent into the slime. And all for the sake of raking in the dough. Of course if they were honest whores they would admit they are doing all sorts of depraved crap to get a buck. But of course they won't admit any such thing.

The History channel is now seriously boring with fake "reality" crap like Pawn Stars and now it is engaged in what can only be described has child abuse with misleading lying crap about Ancient Aliens dressed up with ribbons etc., like a stranger giving candy to children.

And it is clear that this is not the lowest the History Channel can go it will certainly go lower.

Colin Hunt

11/20/2015 10:10:32 am

I think, by any recent study, the USA standard of education has, by international standards, deteriorated, and continues to do so. The trend is likely to continue, into unfathomed depths, if the USA education authorities and institutions are allowed to teach outlandish, minority generated, historical theories and myths to the youth of the USA. The future of the USA, and any country, is based on the knowledge of facts such as math’s and the basic sciences. Knowledge and understanding of our past is important to the values of a culture, but does not necessarily contribute to its future. Infiltrating the education system, and diverting so much of children’s attention to the likes of the History Channels programs, such as Ancient Aliens, et. al., can only be considered irresponsible and irrelevant. Is there no way of eradicating or preventing irresponsible intervention into susceptible children’s minds? Where is the education standards system, and what does it do? Where is the authority and approval for such radical education, and where does it stop? In some radical Middle Eastern communities, children are taught to be suicide bombers, that's their education standard! What is the USA's? Rather than fantastic myths and aliens, perhaps it should teach more recent, proven, history, such as Flower Power, free love, drug culture!! If that's ridiculous, how much more so is aliens controlling us? Through such media as History Channel (not all programs, I hasten to add) and charlatan money grabbing radical attention grabbers it encourages, where will the USA youths beliefs and motives be in fifty years? Why is the central government allowing its' youth to be led in such obscure, irrelevant, directions? It is a national concern that needs national attention.

Just a (maybe controversial) byline to all contributing USA citizens, please stop using the term Americans to refer to the USA. The USA is a third of America, with a third of the Americas population, and the other 32 sovereign countries in AMERICA deserve respect as also being 'Americans'.

11/20/2015 01:45:09 pm

I think that you are completely full of bull, sir, and that current events indicate just how a lack of knowledge of history can drive seriously shitty future decisions. Furthermore, how can you learn math or science without learning history, since science is LITERALLY built on the backs of previous scientists, and math is what describes what scientists discover? We need to be teaching more history, not less, and more about the methods of understanding history, archeology, and evaluating dubious claims such as those made in Ancient Aliens and WHY they're wrong. "Do your times tables, Johnny" isn't going to provide that, ever.

Also, I will stop using the term "Americans" to refer to citizens of the United States when people start being called "United Kingdomers" or "United Arab Emiraties." For fuck's sake, the other 32 sovereign countries on the American continents have their own goddamn names, too. They can stop being so damned judgmental, learn how English works, and shut up. Every American knows that "America" strictly refers to the COUNTRY, not the CONTINENT, and the vast majority of us don't think the continent ends at our nation's borders, either. "Estados Unidense" rolls off the tongue readily; "United Statesian" doesn't, and why should we take some really awkward crap name just to spare the ridiculous sensibilities of a bunch of uber nationalists in other countries? Stop worrying about what your continent is named and be proud to be Canadian, Mexican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Costa Rican, Panamanian, Colombian, Venezuelan, Guyanan, Ecuadoran, Surinamian, Guianan, Peruvian, Bolivian, Brazilian, Chilean, Paraguyan, Argentinian, Bahemian, Puerto Rican, Antiguan/Barbudan, Belizian, Barbadan, Cuban, Dominican, Salvadorian, Grenadan, Haitian, Jamaican, Sant Kittsian/Levisian, St Lucian, Trinidadan/Tobagan, Sainf Vincentian/Grenadiner, or Uruguyan! Pardon me for assuming that you actually have a cultural identity that isn't the same as mine, I'll be sure to erase that in your future.

Pam

11/20/2015 02:49:49 pm

Thank you, V. I work with immigrants and they are happy to use the term "American ".

David Bradbury

11/20/2015 03:41:55 pm

The problem with the name is that the demonym dilemma was recognised at the time of the Revolution (hence alternative proposals like Columbia). It seems likely that the decision to stick with United States of America (for which the only reasonable demonym is indeed "American"), rather than United States of Freedonia, was made deliberately as a statement of long-term expansionist intent.

11/20/2015 07:01:48 pm

People from the United Kingdom are called brits or irish, depending on which country from the United Kindom they come from.

Looking outside in, America is a continent.
USA is a country of that continent.
Americans are people inhabiting the continent America, just like europeans live in Europe.

It's only the americans themselves who think that only USA inhabitants are called americans.
Just like most of their national events are called world events.

In my opinion, this is a direct consequense of a narrow horizon, something a good education can solve.
And that's why i love coming here. Reason leads emotion, not the other way around.

Only Me

11/20/2015 07:17:10 pm

Ph, reread V's comment. It's pretty self-explanatory.Also, the continent is called North America, not America.

By your logic, Canadians should stop referring to themselves as Canadians (even though Canada is a recognized sovereign nation)because it too lies within the continent. That means the Brits and Irish should only refer to themselves as European, in accordance with your logic.

11/20/2015 08:40:24 pm

You misunderstand me 'Only me'
I have no problem with canadians being canadians(nation) while being americans(continent) at the same time.

As example:

I am Dutch, living in the Holland part of the Netherlands in Europe.
So i am 'Hollander'(for the province, old nation part)
I am 'Nederlander'(nation)
I am Dutch (because of a never corrected translation/mixup with our neighbours)
I am European(continent)

But i still think it's silly bordering to arrogant to think that only people from USA are americans.

And the entire contient is called America, sometimes Americas.
Yes, it has a north and south part, but so do all other continents (some even have west and east parts too)

oh, and i forgot the scots and welsh above in my first post, my apologies.

11/20/2015 09:29:02 pm

"But i still think it's silly bordering to arrogant to think that only people from USA are americans."

Not if you're allowing people to identify themselves with their countries, i.e., Canadians, Irish, etc. This is why citizens of the United States are referred to as Americans even by people from the other countries in North, Central and South America. So, when you say, "It's only the americans themselves who think that only USA inhabitants are called americans" that may be true in a generalized sense, but traditionally, citizens identify themselves by their country anyway. Hence, the examples both you and V gave above.

By the way, "America" (or Americas), is applied to the total landmass of both North and South America, two conjoined continents.

11/20/2015 09:59:15 pm

Let's call it a cultural or continental bias.
As it seems we agree on a broad spectrum.

When you are living in the USA (or heavily influenced by), you associate "America" with the USA as that is the primary usage there.

People in other continents are more used to the dual meaning of the word, and they gather what is meant from the rest of the conversation, or they ask if unclear.

This reminds me an american telling me that i spelled colour wrong, i still have the head sized hole in my wall from that :)

11/20/2015 10:18:21 pm

Actually, dual spellings tend to throw everyone off. Some great examples have been the spellings of ship names from Star Trek: The Next Generation (USS Brittain, instead of Brattain).

11/20/2015 10:47:01 pm

I was actually taught that you have English and some dialects.
We were forbidden to use the american dialect in our english class, whether verbal or written.
If i used "color' in one of my essays, it was counted as a spelling mistake.

But that was a quarter century ago, not sure how it is now.

But sure i am happy as can be knowing both and having the choice.

Which brings me back to education, the steady decline of education and thus the decline of understanding and choices.

well, erm, nevermind, i can rant on about that for some days, but i never feel better afterwards ;)
time for some silly sitcom and let my brain cool down

Duke of URL VFM #391

11/21/2015 11:15:04 am

"People from the United Kingdom are called brits or irish, depending on which country from the United Kindom they come from."
==
So the Scots, Welsh, and Jersey Islanders don't exist?
BIGOT!

11/21/2015 04:25:13 pm

I rectified this already yesterday

"oh, and i forgot the scots and welsh above in my first post, my apologies."

Quickdraw on the insults there.
Not sure how to feel about you calling me a bigot when you base your information on a small part, ignoring the correction.

You must be an avid AA ans SW fan, as this is exactly their MO.
Cherry pick a fragment, and ignore the total just to make an exaggerated point.

Jerky

11/21/2015 08:44:25 pm

"It's only the americans themselves who think that only USA inhabitants are called americans."

Not entirely true there, its only a minority of Latin Americans who proposed that the term American be broadened to include all people of both the American continents who have them selves admitted there argument is from an uncommon use of the term "American".

11/21/2015 09:59:28 pm

And there it is where language gets funny and proves it is alive.

When you are talking about 1776 and the revolution, that is a fact that is hard to change.

But if a continent is called America after Vespucci, long before any conception of the USA, then that is just a temporary name.
If enough people (critical mass) start using the word for a different meaning, centuries after the initial creation of that word, then we get new meanings for that word.

When i said:
"It's only the americans themselves who think that only USA inhabitants are called americans.",
it was a direct response to V stating:
"Every American knows that "America" strictly refers to the COUNTRY, not the CONTINENT, and the vast majority of us don't think the continent ends at our nation's borders, either."

Billy Bear

11/22/2015 11:06:30 am

Anger therapy V. These are little things. Take a breath. Go outside and watch a squirrel or something. In the end the citizens of "America", or "USA" or "the U.S." Or my fav "New Rome" will continue call their country by what ever name they wish. You literally cannot stop them, nor make them care about your opinion on the matter. I just doesn't matter in the end V. shut off your computer, detach from the prattling nonsense that are most blogs and find a tree to sit under. Get some sun.

11/22/2015 02:08:02 pm

"When i said:
"It's only the americans themselves who think that only USA inhabitants are called americans.",
it was a direct response to V stating:
"Every American knows that "America" strictly refers to the COUNTRY, not the CONTINENT, and the vast majority of us don't think the continent ends at our nation's borders, either." "

Still doesn't change that it's a use of the term used only by a very very small minority of people in a part of two continents who already admitted there use of the term is very uncommon.

For that matter, you thin said this:

"I have no problem with canadians being canadians(nation) while being americans(continent) at the same time.

As example:

I am Dutch, living in the Holland part of the Netherlands in Europe.
So i am 'Hollander'(for the province, old nation part)
I am 'Nederlander'(nation)
I am Dutch (because of a never corrected translation/mixup with our neighbours)
I am European(continent)"

As others have pointed out, its called North America, not America. The common use of the name America refers to that country whose name is "The United States of America". The continent being North America, there fore the correct term for the people from that continent is "North American" as in they are from the North American continent. For those on the South American continent, the term is "South American", and yes they are two completely separate continents, this is basic geography.

So basically what you propose is this: The people of the United States of America change there name from American to something else, so we can thin drop off North and South and call the people of both continents as "American".

"But i still think it's silly bordering to arrogant to think that only people from USA are americans."

It's rather lazy to call two people from two different continents by the same name, and it generalizes that the two continents are one in the same, when there no more the same thin Europe and Asia are.

This line of thinking only works if you ignore the fact that North America and South America are one large continent. You are thinking of them like countries on a continent. Examples would be East and West Germany, both people are still Germans, but we are talking of continents. You also said "And the entire contient is called America, sometimes Americas.
Yes, it has a north and south part, but so do all other continents (some even have west and east parts too)" There are 7 continents: Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. North and South America are the 6th and 7th continents.

I'm not saying your argument is wrong, just that you made key mistakes that should be corrected.

11/22/2015 10:13:41 pm

"So basically what you propose is this: The people of the United States of America change there name from American to something else, so we can thin drop off North and South and call the people of both continents as "American".

Not even close.

Not even near to being just far away from close.

It's actually the opposite of what i am saying.

Try some rereading, particulary the part where i say someone can be many things based on a small, or medium, or even bigger regional part.
No need to change stuff, just a need for understanding multiple facets.

My main gripe was (again) with V stating " Every American knows that "America" strictly refers to the COUNTRY, not the CONTINENT"

11/27/2015 10:21:09 am

"America strictly refers to the COUNTRY, not the CONTINENT...". I can't work out if that is pure ignorance or USA arrogance. It is certainly not true, and goes back to my original comments and confirms the inadequate education standards in the USA if such citizens are raised with that misguided belief. America is a CONTINENT - go back to geography class.

Shane Sullivan

11/20/2015 02:32:39 pm

Incidentally, there are 34 other sovereign nations in the Americas, and the US isn't one third of America by either population or area.

11/20/2015 02:42:34 pm

Whoops, my mistake on the population; I was remembering an older estimate.

11/22/2015 11:39:48 am

It's absolutely crucial that you get those numbers correct! The fate of America, let alone the entire planet depends on it. And the outcome of this riveting discussion.

Aren't we supposed to be talking about intellectually lazy snake juice peddlers making wads of cash on books and TV shows designed to spread unashamedly racist simplifications about archaeology in here?

PaulN. link

11/20/2015 10:32:42 pm

As a historical point of order, up until WW1, most citizens of the U.S.A., did not refer to themselves as ?Americans". For the most part they referred to themselves by the name of the state they hailed from, such as Virginians, Ohioans, New Yorkers, Floridians, and so on. It was the British and other European nations that called us "Americans".
Also, the name "American" was originally a term of derision. Anybody who was an "American" was the equivalent of a country bumpkin or a rube, an unsophisticated person to be delt with cautiously.

John Moore

11/21/2015 09:39:51 am

In many cases this is still true -- especially within the boundaries of the US -- people from Texas identify as Texans. If I'm asked where I am from by a New Yorker I might say I'm a Coloradan or I am from Colorado. If I was visiting another country I would identify as an American just for simplicity.

Tony

11/20/2015 10:25:18 am

"Johnny, explain to me how you got an F in Extraterrestrial Biology."

"How was I to know that they were going to do the alien autopsy on the one day I played hooky?"

Martin Blaise

11/20/2015 11:20:44 am

" Neil Armstrong helped to cover up evidence of aliens on the moon."

Burn the fucking thing.

11/20/2015 11:23:59 am

Unfortunately there's the example of ex-astronaut Edgar Dean Mitchell.

11/20/2015 12:34:00 pm

False example -- Mitchell has never said there is evidence of aliens on the Moon. James Oberg has discredited the Armstrong myth rather thoroughly.
http://dorkmission.blogspot.com/2015/09/ken-johnston-life-times.html

11/20/2015 12:52:09 pm

Mitchell believes he communicated telepathically with people on Earth from the Moon.

Jason Colavito link

11/20/2015 12:54:29 pm

Just to clarify: I give that only as an example; the author asserts that all of the NASA astronauts were busy hiding alien things by turning the cameras away from them and conducting ancient astronaut research off camera on each mission.

Mike

11/22/2015 02:45:59 am

So, since the whole moon landing thing was done in a NASA studio, you're telling me there were aliens here on earth in the studio? I'm so confused. I just don't know what to believe anyone. Science is so confusing.

11/20/2015 07:25:45 pm

One giant conspiracy for mankind.

Joe Scales

11/20/2015 11:43:05 am

Just in time for the holidays. And speaking of which... have they exposed Santa Claus as an alien yet? Or will that be a special holiday episode of AA?

11/20/2015 02:54:01 pm

I'm sure they will. He is, after all, portrayed as a white guy with magical powers. :)

11/20/2015 03:25:18 pm

"a white guy with magical powers"

Wait...

Santa is....JESUS?! ;)

(Religious humor, gotta love it)

Residents Fan

11/20/2015 06:48:34 pm

"a white guy with magical powers."

Santa is Gandalf /Dumbledore/ Doctor Strange!

11/20/2015 10:37:29 pm

Don't forget The Krampus, or Black Peter

11/20/2015 11:04:50 pm

No, guys. How soon you forget the lessons of AA.

Since Santa "flew through the air with eight tiny reindeer " it must mean he was a benevolent alien who gave the "gifts " of knowledge and culture to the poor primative bumpkins.

His space ship was described as reindeer because the natives lacked the vocabulary needed to give a proper description.

Those other guys, Dumbledore et al? They were human/alien hybrids like the Nephilim except for Krampus -he was one of the bad, evil aliens trying to thwart the good Santa - alien and his plans to uplift humankind.

Gee, you guys need to open your minds to all the hidden knowledge around you. :)

11/20/2015 11:55:00 pm

Pam, if what you just said makes it into an episode of AA...I'm blaming you.

11/21/2015 12:55:24 am

"Santa is....JESUS?! ;)"

No, of course not. He's a mushroom.

11/21/2015 05:32:49 pm

"Santa is ...JESUS?!:)"
NO,no,no, he's Santa Christ.
Don't you guys know Science.

Kal

11/20/2015 12:09:29 pm

They should put that book in the 'science fantasy' section of the libraries. It is not history and is not non fiction.

11/20/2015 01:14:20 pm

I think I read in a previous post how SW said that the alternative crowd needed to focus on the younger generation in order to break the monopoly of traditional academics in education.

Seems he got his wish. Now I'm waiting for an AU version targeting children.

11/20/2015 03:34:03 pm

It's delayed. They're working on a kid -friendly design for the Hooked X® that won't violate Wolter's copyright.

11/21/2015 12:14:11 am

Oh, I heard from Giorgio, while pitching my Santa idea, that SW has agreed to sell his rights to History Channel for an undisclosed sum.

This is all contigent on the hooked x being the new logo for network, of course.

In the near future, Columbus Day will be dropped in favor for Templar Tuesday to be observed in October, naturally.

I look forward to rosy cheeked children reenacting the events surrounding the Kensington Runestone ' s creation, dressed as Nordic /Templar men, waving their miniature swords in the air.

Goddess bless America!

11/21/2015 12:27:11 am

Pam, I salute you. ;)

11/20/2015 01:20:44 pm

Hate to tell you, Jason, but in my local library system, there are 4 different books on Creationism for kids in the nonfiction section, though thankfully there are no anti-vaxxer books for kids in the collection. That is probably from a lack of one being written rather than discrimination, because there are anti-vax books in the adult non-fiction sections.

My best friend is a librarian, though, and she has informed me that there are many, many books in any given library that the librarians for that library may not agree with or believe should be on the shelves, but it's not a librarian's job to determine whether people should or shouldn't be reading something, it's their job to get on the shelves as broad a range of books as possible. And they don't get much choice in how to classify them, either; that job is done by the Library of Congress.

Besides, I want to get my hands on a copy of this book now. It sounds like a perfect book to use as an example to teach children how to think critically, evaluate claims, and continue research from a given source. "This is why you can't trust it just because it's in a book; you have to read it, think about it, and find other books and things that talk about it rather than just believe it." It's an important skill!

11/20/2015 02:05:24 pm

I know that they don't discriminate. My point was that the History Channel couldn't get away with publishing books for kids on other pseudoscientific topics. Somehow aliens are silly enough to get a pass.

edoardo

11/20/2015 03:00:25 pm

USA in closer to third World than a Western country
I m writing from Italy and Im not surprised about this Book
It ' s business guys!
In your country ethic does not exist has been replaced from money
I spent 5 years working in NY and believe you live in a poor nation

An Over-Educated Grunt

11/20/2015 03:09:40 pm

Coming from an Italian, in a country where professional promotion is driven by seniority rather than qualification, that's especially rich. Claiming also that Americans lack ethics and are driven by greed is equally rich coming from a country that gave us the Vatican banking scandal and Silvio Berlusconi.

11/20/2015 04:42:42 pm

And P2 - back to Freemasonry in high places.

11/20/2015 04:59:05 pm

I liked the way reference to P2 was avoided

11/20/2015 05:35:45 pm

People at the top are absolutely crazy and this has been reported by journalist and author Jon Ronson.

Joseph McMoneagle claimed he was sent on a secret spy mission to China by the defense department, through the technique of remote viewing, He went out of his body to go to a specific location, walked across the lab, looked at the weapon sitting on that lab table, and pressed his face down to the weapon casing, and looked at the weapon trigger-mechanism, sized it up, and came back to sit at his desk to draw it to scale,

All here on this youtube documentary, directed and presented by Jon Ronson

Crazy Rulers of the World - Episode 3 - The Psychic Footsoldiers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY7BWo1Q4c

skathes

11/20/2015 07:06:48 pm

Mr. AOEG, I have enjoyed your posts. But I'm not sure the point about ethics is really relevant. Yes 'edoardo' may be understood as blanketing ethical judgement, but I see his limited point and your response only diverts the argument. These 'ethical' issues points you make are valid but largely moots the topic. The point is, if it makes money it has some merit in America. And frankly, these divergences of real science and fact are not promoted in Italy on equal footing even if eat are available for perusal. I both lived and went to school there (at a prestigious university) where plagiarism was argued as a valid recours for so,e very intelligent students (shocking!) but no one would deny the simple facts that counter any 'ancient alien' episode. In fact much humor was made of the Americans who chos to place such tripe on equal footing with real science. Of course I studied anthropology and archaeology so my instructors we're not find of the AA types who suggested their entire culture and national history was based on alien technology. Romans are pretty proud of the Empire plumbing. Jus' sayin'.

In any event, his point about capitalist values over academic ethics is appropriate, even if not we'll said.

11/20/2015 07:09:55 pm

Sorry for the typos. Working on an iPhone. Thank you, for your patience.

11/20/2015 11:50:56 pm

"The point is, if it makes money it has some merit in America."

Lot's of questionable enterprises in America make money but that does not make them meritorious or respected by the whole 300 plus millions who live here (the Kardashian family comes to mind ).

Some of our most prestigious universities are home to young people who feel entitled to whatever they wish because of who they are /how much wealth their family has.

This is a failing of the parents mostly as well as culture, but this problem is not just an American thing. It happens in England, China, etc.

Cronyism is a problem in most, if not all nations, and it is very much a problem in Italy (I'm married to an Italian so nothing against the people as individuals ).

11/23/2015 09:23:01 am

Skathes - Thank you for the civility of your reply. I shouldn't have to say that; it should be the default, but "should" and "is" are two different breeds.

My reply wasn't regarding the "equal footing" given to Ancient Aliens or the like. They aren't given equal footing in the US, though I can understand why, from the outside looking in, it would seem that way. It's sort of like British TV - the good stuff gets exported, and Americans think the British have some sort of lock on entertainment. The image we allow to be presented of us is of loud idiots. Sometimes, that's useful - my mom spent several years living in Paris growing up, and she found it entertaining to let people rant about ugly Americans, then switch from American English to fluent French. Sometimes it's flat-out counterproductive, but that's beyond the scope of this discussion.

However, "edoardo" doesn't mention Ancient Aliens or anything similar in his post. Instead, he discusses how the US is closer to a third-world country than a "Western" country and is degenerate and greedy. My point in turn is that as a high horse on that particular subject, Italy's a Shetland pony.

ANON

11/27/2015 05:19:59 pm

Whoa, who really ordered the hit on Aldo Moro ? European countries aren't just allowed to go and run themselves you know !

11/20/2015 10:10:50 pm

"The point is, if it makes money it has some merit in America."

That statement is an especially ridiculous generalization as posted on an American blog that regularly criticizes charlatans for making money off the naive.

If you or anyone else couldn't find ethical people in the United States you were looking for friends in the wrong places.

11/20/2015 11:33:18 pm

Coming from such a lovely, enlightened country as Italy, I'm surprised that you judge an entire nation from five years in New York (one city in a vast country ).

How very parochial of you.

11/20/2015 07:32:45 pm

I just gave a very negative Amazon review of this book in question. Hopefully it will actually be published.

The Curator

11/20/2015 10:07:12 pm

Jason, the WorldCat count is now, sadly, up to 145 when you include a bad pre-pub record with the title given as "Ancient Aliens: The Young Investigator's Guide to the Universe." And the LC classification for it is BF2040: Psychology--Occult sciences--Human alien encounters. It should have been classified in PZ (fiction).

11/21/2015 10:07:41 am

Occult sciences is a reasonable classification.

Clete

11/21/2015 11:42:56 am

It hardly surprises me that the "History" channel endorses and has published a book for eight to twelve year olds on Ancient Aliens. It seems they will do anything and everything to put a few more dollars in the coffers. They cater not to the few in modern society interested in learning and critical thinking, but to the mass who do not. Unless guided by informed teachers and parents the eight to twelve year old age group lack the critical skills to identify the leaps and gaps in logic made by fringe writers.

11/22/2015 11:54:24 am

What in the hell actually happened to the History Channel anyway. I haven't watched TV in years and I've never had cable but I used to watch some of their stuff on Netflix back when they had "Channel" in the name. Not bad stuff. Not as good as NOVA or some other PBS material but not bad.

Then. All of a sudden, The Descent into their new-found slime.

What happened? New ownership?

Anon

11/21/2015 12:28:52 pm

So I'm reading about disagreements over the timing of the first American populations

"Time and again sites have been offered and they just don't pass muster," says Meltzer. Thus, he claims - "in spite of the suggestion that New World archeologists are unable to look at an earlier date because of some congenital reason" - the skepticism has been justified.

Over the years, New World archeologists have generally divided into Clovis and pre-Clovis camps. The dispute between the two has become so emotionally charged that one scientist likens it to "arguing with creationists; it's that kind of an entrenched position." Notes another, "It goes beyond science. It's just being human."

Is there something about archaeology that makes people stubborn, acerbic and cliquey ?

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/10848/title/Monte-Verde-Archeologist-Prevails-In-Dispute-Over-Settlement-s-Age/

Not the Comte de Saint Germain

11/21/2015 07:00:28 pm

That article is from 1990; a lot has changed since then, including the discovery of other sites as old as Monte Verde. The Clovis-first position is pretty much dead now.

11/22/2015 11:34:02 am

I noticed that he says he has stuff that could be from 33,000 BCE but not confident in the dating.

Looking at a map, it's a long way down the left hand of the Americas, and lot shorter by boat across the pacific from Asia.

I also notice that quickest coastal route from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego is probably all underwater now. I don't see how an accurate picture of migration can be assumed without knowing what's lying offshore.

11/22/2015 11:59:19 am

Indeed it is. Seems like there's a multiple migration model in place now as well. We're working too far north to have any early Paleoindian sites in the region were I work so I haven't kept up on the "Pleistocene Wars" until recently. Meltzer's got a more recent tome out that's a little more up to date too.

11/22/2015 12:05:43 pm

Science is that way in general. It's controlled skepticism. Makes people hot-headed. Most of my colleagues aren't assholes like that. We're respectful of each other. You're finding out how the rockstars tend to be. Book deals and academic prestige will do that to you. Science is a controlled argument. Some are shitheads about it others aren't.

11/27/2015 05:27:19 pm

"Indeed it is. Seems like there's a multiple migration model in place now as well. We're working too far north to have any early Paleoindian sites in the region were I work so I haven't kept up on the "Pleistocene Wars" until recently. Meltzer's got a more recent tome out that's a little more up to date too. "

Now Meltzer, I notice, is one of the guys offering criticism of the comet hypothesis

Re: migration - is there any evidence of chinese migration to America - they had navies long before Columbus turned up, and isn't it a straight forward journey to Alaska just keeping the land on your left ?