Page 38 - 201212 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - December 2012

Strangest Non-Stories of 2012 Total Hooey: The Strangest Non-Stories of 2012 Benjamin Radford A lot of things happened in 2012, including scientific breakthroughs, a presidential re-election, and a tragic school shooting. But a lot of things didn't happen this past year. We realize it's a little strange to discuss things that never occurred — after all, countless things didn't happen in 2012, from an asteroid hitting Earth, to Justin Bieber marrying a supermodel, to Abraham Lincoln climbing out of his grave to praise Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" as being more historically accurate than "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter." But there were a handful of stories that made the news, often with a splash, promising big news, and turned out to be non-stories, non- events. Here are a few. Eagle Snatches Baby in Canadian Park It was a bizarre, terrifying sight seen by millions of people: A large bird videotaped in the skies above a Canadian park suddenly swooping down and snatching a baby. The bird drops the child a few seconds later, flying away and leaving shocked bystanders. A day after the This was also to be the year that genetic testing moved a lot like insects flying in the air, and that video went viral, students at an animation confirmed the existence of Bigfoot. According the cameraman probably simply recorded bugs. school, Centre NAD, admitted that they had to a press release issued by a company called With no further evidence of aliens, the buzz created the hoaxed video. A statement issued by DNA Diagnostics detailing research by a Texas about the Denver UFO finally faded away. the school credited (or blamed) three of its veterinarian, "A team of scientists ... confirms [UFO Quiz: What's Really Out There] students and explained, "both the eagle and the the existence of a novel hominin hybrid species, Denver wasn't the only city to have its kid were created in 3D animation and integrated commonly called 'Bigfoot' or 'Sasquatch,' living skies lit up with alleged UFOs. A single week in in to the film afterwards." As interesting — and in North America," the release reads. December saw strange illuminated objects scary — as the event was, it turned out to be a Not only that, but Bigfoot is a half- hovering in the sky above San Francisco and non-story. human hybrid that had sex with human women Brooklyn, N.Y. The dancing lights, it seems, approximately 15,000 years ago — or so the were likely the usual UFO fare: some sort of Mayan Apocalypse theory goes. If it all sounds a little dubious, it floating object with a light. "It looks to me like should: there was no evidence offered at all. The it could have been balloons, carrying lights," According to many, Dec. 21, 2012, was to be evidence, which has allegedly taken five years Bing Quock, assistant director of the Morrison the end of times. Or the beginning of the best of to collect and analyze, has yet to be published in Planetarium at the California Academy of times, depending on who you talked to. 2012- any peer-reviewed scientific journal. Until and Sciences, told CBS San Francisco, of the San inspired folks tended to fall into one of two unless scientists are allowed to examine the Francisco lights. Another idea: Chinese floating categories: The gloom-and-doomers expected evidence, Bigfoot DNA will remain a non-story. lanterns, which have spurred at least one other, global cataclysm involving death, fire, now-debunked, UFO sighting. planetary collapse, pole shifting, and other UFOs Invade Denver A foursome of lights above Lebanon, unspecified natural (or even supernatural) Mo., in May, shown in a shaky night-vision disasters. The second kind were more In November, an unusual video of mysterious video, also sparked a UFO report. While the optimistic, expecting Dec. 21 to usher in a new dark objects moving very quickly and videographer Jim Barnhill was sure the sight age of cosmic peace, harmony, and global erratically over the skies of Denver, Colo., was of extraterrestrial origin, it seemed to have enlightenment. Scholars patiently explained that caused a national stir. An anonymous UFO buff all the makings of an Earthly aircraft: blinking despite dramatic claims to the contrary, the showed KDVR Fox News reporter Heidi strobe lights characteristic of known aircraft; Mayans didn't actually hold much significance Hemmat home videos he had taken from an and a flight altitude, pattern and speed for the date, and they certainly didn't think the open field during the past summer of "strange characteristic of known aircraft. world would end on that date. Their calendar objects ... nobody can explain." It would have been nice if Bigfoot had did not, as many assumed, "end" on that day; it The UFOs, it was claimed, seemed to be been proven or aliens had made their presence was simply the end of one cycle and the taking off and flying over the Mile High City at known (and not nice if an eagle had snatched a beginning of another. around Noon on many different occasions. The baby or the world ended). But there's always Much of the hype and concern over the TV report featured an aviation expert named next year... date originated not from ancient nor modern Steve Cowell who stated categorically that in Mayas, but instead New Agers. Neither his opinion the objects he saw in the video were doomsday nor world peace broke out, leaving not airplanes, helicopters, nor birds. Many Benjamin Radford is deputy editor of "Skeptical some people relieved, others confused, and people favored the flying saucer theory, though Inquirer" science magazine and author of six many amused. [Oops! 11 Failed Doomsday none were able to explain why no one in Denver books including Scientific Paranormal Predictions] had noticed the extraterrestrial spacecraft that Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained repeatedly flew over their city at midday. Mysteries. His Web site is Bigfoot Proven Through DNA Skeptics noted that the objects caught on film www.BenjaminRadford.com.