Asking Questions to Investigate Extraordinary Evidence
by Cowboy Bob Sorensen
Unusual concepts require unusual discussions. A reader of The Question Evolution Project on Fazebook sent us a link to a TEDx Talk about orbiting the earth and the ancient past. Seemed like an interesting subject and it was only about twenty minutes, so I gave it a listen. Then I watched it more closely.
The Talk was given by Roger G. Gilbertson uploaded to YouTube on February 3, 2020. This was in the written introduction of the post:
While I am not endorsing this video, it does merit examination. It also prompts pondering.
At the first minute, Mr. Gilbertson pointed out one simple fact: science changes. For example, plate tectonics was rejected until comparatively recently, and now it has been accepted by most geologists. (He might like to know about the scientific "fact" of phlogiston — nah, he probably knows that.) Shortly after this, he mentioned visiting a website on the fringes of scientific content. It calls into question some of the established beliefs of scientists. Well, sure, get inspiration from outside the mainstream. I'm using something outside of my own usual fare right here, and have even drawn inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft, Star Trek:TNG, and others, so this child can't be one to fault him.
Around the 2 minute 20 second mark, Roger began to wonder, "Can a satellite orbit the earth in such a way that it travels over a single, circular ground path on the earth below?" He asked and was told that it could be done over the equator. Of the various kinds of satellite orbits, Mr. Gilbertson most interested in two: geostationary (at 5:12, it stays locked in the same place over the planet's surface), and the Molniya (at 6:02, elongated and highly inclined, taking half a day). Then he got an idea.
As we move to the 6:38 mark, Roger was wondering if he wanted a longer orbit. He checked his calculations and verified them with a friend who does aerospace work. Yes, a certain 2-day orbit would put the object in the same position over the earth after that amount of time. Checking with the STK analytical graphics site, he saw that a circular ground-path orbit could work. Another friend in the aerospace industry verified his results.
Now we're at 8:25, and he was excited about what he called the 2DO, the two-day orbit. Fine tuning it for a thirty-one degree orbit and making other adjustments (include the time needed), he found that the satellite or person could be outside the Van Allen radiation belt and also outside Earth's magnetic field. Nor would it ever be in Earth's shadow. This would have potential for useful applications
At 10:05, Gilbertson goes back to the site that got his wheels turning. It was about the alignment of many of the ancient wonders of the world in an almost circular path. Not all ancient wonders, but they were not scattered all over the face of the globe. (We are at 12:20 if you're keeping score at home.) Many of these many had noteworthy features, including their tremendous size, precise stone cuts, unusual knobs in the stone, and more.
At 14:45, we wonder along with him: what kind of people did this? People might expect R.G. to bring up "ancient astronauts" and UFOs, but that is not the case. He wants to know about how and when ancient peoples did these things. 15:20, he says there was a more advanced form of human civilization way back when. Some catastrophe must have happened. Ancient coast lines were much lower long ago, but oceans rose and temperatures dropped. Did a comet hit North America, does that explain some of the geological features?
We need more data (now we've reached 17:18). People need to think in terms of science fiction, get ideas and engineering involved to make these ideas into science fact. Use some imagination to investigate. He modified the Carl Sagan remark about extraordinary claims needing extraordinary evidence and said, "Extraordinary evidence deserves extraordinary investigation". We have a passel of such evidence to investigate.
The part about orbits at the beginning was somewhat interesting, but as he went on with the presentation, I began to wonder if Roger would be willing to seriously, honestly investigate biblical creation science. The Genesis Flood explains geological features better than the established secularist methods and paradigms, and this includes the post-Flood Ice Age and changes affected by the tremendous volcanic activity involved. People ask where the water went after the Flood — it's right here.
We believe and teach that humans were created in the image of God and are not the products of purposeless Darwinism. While creationists believe that there would be no remnants of the pre-Flood world after the global cataclysm, intelligent descendants of Adam and Eve got off the Ark and began to rebuild. After the dispersal at Babel, civilizations were built in many parts of the world. History and archaeology show us that the ancients were indeed very intelligent.
Creation scientists dare to question evolution and deep time assertions. Secular scientists have made many assumptions that have been harmful to medical science, were extremely reluctant to submit dinosaur bones to radiocarbon dating, are puzzled when fossils are found in places where they are not expected, and more. If science was an actual being, people like this would be an embarrassment to it.
Evidence for statements in the previous three paragraphs are all over this site, and most of those link to other sites for further information. I hope Mr. Gilbertson is led to investigate in the biblical creation science direction. After all, he is willing to question proclamations of the secular science industry. In my opinion, he's not far from the truth right now.
One last thought about the whole shootin' match. There was a disclaimer in the text that it was flagged, and included the statements, "...because it appears to fall outside the TEDx content guidelines. Claims made in this talk only represent the speaker’s personal views which are not corroborated by scientific evidence."
My suspicion is that he was dry gulched because he dared to question established evolutionary dogma, even though it was implicit at best. It is interesting to see that the TEDx Talk by Ben Mezrich titled, "Why I believe in UFOs, and you should too..." was full of assertions (including that the sighting at Roswell was indeed a UFO), opinions, and not corroborated by scientific evidence. Double standard? I found the UFO Talk to be a waste of time, but linked to it anyway if you take a notion to watch it. I would like to give one of these Talks, but we know that such a thing could not happen.
Unusual concepts require unusual discussions. A reader of The Question Evolution Project on Fazebook sent us a link to a TEDx Talk about orbiting the earth and the ancient past. Seemed like an interesting subject and it was only about twenty minutes, so I gave it a listen. Then I watched it more closely.
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| Proposed Mars Molniya orbit image credit: NASA (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) |
In my years as a writer, inventor, researcher, filmmaker, skeptic, story teller and explainer, I have always tried to keep an open mind about what we do not yet know. I seek the truth wherever it resides, and try to follow wherever it may lead, for the greatest mysteries are often the ones that we are the closest to solving next.You don't believe everything that "scientists say" or obediently run with the herd? You want to think outside established norms (as well as established Brians, Carls, and Toms)? I like it when people want to think instead of following established science dogma.
While I am not endorsing this video, it does merit examination. It also prompts pondering.
At the first minute, Mr. Gilbertson pointed out one simple fact: science changes. For example, plate tectonics was rejected until comparatively recently, and now it has been accepted by most geologists. (He might like to know about the scientific "fact" of phlogiston — nah, he probably knows that.) Shortly after this, he mentioned visiting a website on the fringes of scientific content. It calls into question some of the established beliefs of scientists. Well, sure, get inspiration from outside the mainstream. I'm using something outside of my own usual fare right here, and have even drawn inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft, Star Trek:TNG, and others, so this child can't be one to fault him.
Around the 2 minute 20 second mark, Roger began to wonder, "Can a satellite orbit the earth in such a way that it travels over a single, circular ground path on the earth below?" He asked and was told that it could be done over the equator. Of the various kinds of satellite orbits, Mr. Gilbertson most interested in two: geostationary (at 5:12, it stays locked in the same place over the planet's surface), and the Molniya (at 6:02, elongated and highly inclined, taking half a day). Then he got an idea.
As we move to the 6:38 mark, Roger was wondering if he wanted a longer orbit. He checked his calculations and verified them with a friend who does aerospace work. Yes, a certain 2-day orbit would put the object in the same position over the earth after that amount of time. Checking with the STK analytical graphics site, he saw that a circular ground-path orbit could work. Another friend in the aerospace industry verified his results.
Now we're at 8:25, and he was excited about what he called the 2DO, the two-day orbit. Fine tuning it for a thirty-one degree orbit and making other adjustments (include the time needed), he found that the satellite or person could be outside the Van Allen radiation belt and also outside Earth's magnetic field. Nor would it ever be in Earth's shadow. This would have potential for useful applications
At 10:05, Gilbertson goes back to the site that got his wheels turning. It was about the alignment of many of the ancient wonders of the world in an almost circular path. Not all ancient wonders, but they were not scattered all over the face of the globe. (We are at 12:20 if you're keeping score at home.) Many of these many had noteworthy features, including their tremendous size, precise stone cuts, unusual knobs in the stone, and more.
At 14:45, we wonder along with him: what kind of people did this? People might expect R.G. to bring up "ancient astronauts" and UFOs, but that is not the case. He wants to know about how and when ancient peoples did these things. 15:20, he says there was a more advanced form of human civilization way back when. Some catastrophe must have happened. Ancient coast lines were much lower long ago, but oceans rose and temperatures dropped. Did a comet hit North America, does that explain some of the geological features?
We need more data (now we've reached 17:18). People need to think in terms of science fiction, get ideas and engineering involved to make these ideas into science fact. Use some imagination to investigate. He modified the Carl Sagan remark about extraordinary claims needing extraordinary evidence and said, "Extraordinary evidence deserves extraordinary investigation". We have a passel of such evidence to investigate.
The part about orbits at the beginning was somewhat interesting, but as he went on with the presentation, I began to wonder if Roger would be willing to seriously, honestly investigate biblical creation science. The Genesis Flood explains geological features better than the established secularist methods and paradigms, and this includes the post-Flood Ice Age and changes affected by the tremendous volcanic activity involved. People ask where the water went after the Flood — it's right here.
We believe and teach that humans were created in the image of God and are not the products of purposeless Darwinism. While creationists believe that there would be no remnants of the pre-Flood world after the global cataclysm, intelligent descendants of Adam and Eve got off the Ark and began to rebuild. After the dispersal at Babel, civilizations were built in many parts of the world. History and archaeology show us that the ancients were indeed very intelligent.
Creation scientists dare to question evolution and deep time assertions. Secular scientists have made many assumptions that have been harmful to medical science, were extremely reluctant to submit dinosaur bones to radiocarbon dating, are puzzled when fossils are found in places where they are not expected, and more. If science was an actual being, people like this would be an embarrassment to it.
Evidence for statements in the previous three paragraphs are all over this site, and most of those link to other sites for further information. I hope Mr. Gilbertson is led to investigate in the biblical creation science direction. After all, he is willing to question proclamations of the secular science industry. In my opinion, he's not far from the truth right now.
One last thought about the whole shootin' match. There was a disclaimer in the text that it was flagged, and included the statements, "...because it appears to fall outside the TEDx content guidelines. Claims made in this talk only represent the speaker’s personal views which are not corroborated by scientific evidence."
My suspicion is that he was dry gulched because he dared to question established evolutionary dogma, even though it was implicit at best. It is interesting to see that the TEDx Talk by Ben Mezrich titled, "Why I believe in UFOs, and you should too..." was full of assertions (including that the sighting at Roswell was indeed a UFO), opinions, and not corroborated by scientific evidence. Double standard? I found the UFO Talk to be a waste of time, but linked to it anyway if you take a notion to watch it. I would like to give one of these Talks, but we know that such a thing could not happen.