Did We Evolve From Aliens ?

[Candyman]

Humans Had Sex Regularly With Mysterious Extinct Relatives in AfricaLiveScience.comBy lt | LiveScience.com – Mon, Sep 5, 2011Our species may have bred with a now extinct lineage of humanity before leaving Africa, scientists say.Although we modern humans are now the only surviving lineage of humanity, others once roamed the Earth, making their way out of Africa before our species did, including the familiar Neanderthals in West Asia and Europe and the newfound Denisovans in East Asia. Genetic analysis of fossils of these extinct lineages has revealed they once interbred with modern humans, unions that may have endowed our lineage with mutations that protected them as we began expanding across the world about 65,000 yeas ago.Now researchers analyzing the human genome find evidence that our species hybridized with a hitherto unknown human lineage even before leaving Africa, with approximately 2 percent of contemporary African DNA perhaps coming from this lineage. In comparison, recent estimates suggest that Neanderthal DNA makes up 1 percent to 4 percent of modern Eurasian genomes and Denisovan DNA makes up 4 percent to 6 percent of modern Melanesian genomes. [Neanderthals Had Sex With Humans]"We need to modify the standard model of human origins in which a single population transitioned to the anatomically modern state in isolation — a garden of Eden somewhere in Africa — and replaced all other archaic forms both within Africa and outside Africa without interbreeding," researcher Michael Hammer, a population geneticist at the University of Arizona in Tucson, told LiveScience. "We now need to consider models in which gene flow occurred over time."Haplotype hintsHammer and his colleagues gathered DNA samples from the Center for the Study of Human Polymorphisms in Paris and sequenced about 60 regions of the human genome that apparently have no function. These genes are less subject than functional DNA to change as a result of recent evolutionary pressures driving the survival of the fittest; in such a way, they can give a clearer view of how populations might have mixed or not in the past.The investigators focused on three populations that presented a good sample of the geographic and cultural diversity of sub-Saharan Africa — Mandenka farmers in western Africa, Biaka Pygmies in west-central Africa, and San Bushmen of southern Africa — looking for unusual patterns that suggested ancient interbreeding with other lineages. This included a hunt for long haplotypes, or sets of DNA sequences, not seen in other modern human groups, the idea being that while short haplotypes could potentially be explained by a few chance mutations within these modern human populations, comparatively long haplotypes were instead likely inherited from a significantly different lineage."If interbreeding occurs, it's going to bring in a whole chromosome," Hammer explained. Although this genetic contribution would have dwindled over time, remnants would still exist as shorter, unusual fragments, and "by looking at how long they are, we can get an estimate of how far back the interbreeding event happened." (The longer these odd haplotypes are, the more recently they occurred, having less time to get diminished by other genetic inputs.)The researchers discovered especially strong evidence for such genetic mixing in the Biaka and San, in the form of a trio of unusual haplotypes. By comparing these sets of genes with those from comparable modern human ones, the investigators estimated the unusual genes may have come from a lineage that first diverged from the ancestors of modern humans about 700,000 years ago. For context, the Neanderthal lineage diverged from ours within the past 500,000 years, while the first signs of anatomically modern human features appeared only about 200,000 years ago."The populations that interbred in Africa were on a similar scale of divergence as the expanding modern population and Neanderthals were outside of Africa," Hammer said. "They were similar enough biologically so that they were able to produce fertile offspring, thus allowing genes to flow from one population to the other."The length of the exotic haplotypes from this extinct lineage suggests interbreeding might still have occurred until as recently as 35,000 years ago."We think there were probably thousands of interbreeding events," Hammer said. "It happened relatively extensively and regularly."Homeland of extinct lineageA broader survey of where this trio of exotic haplotypes from this extinct lineage might now be found revealed they could be seen in modern human groups across sub-Saharan Africa, but apparently just one central African population of Pygmies, the Mbuti, had all three. Since this group is relatively isolated from other modern human populations, including other Pygmies, the scientists conjecture that central Africa may have been the homeland of this extinct lineage.In the future, Hammer's team wants to look at the entire genome sequences of several modern human groups in Africa to get a better picture of how interbreeding might have occurred."Did it occur in a single burst in a single locale, or was admixture an ongoing process such that genes were flowing over large geographic distances and long periods of time?" Hammer asked. "This has many implications for how modern humans acquired the features that make them unique." [10 Things That Make Humans Special]The researchers also want to look for ancient DNA from this extinct lineage that might have conferred some evolutionary advantage to hybrids with modern humans. This process of modern humans interbreeding with other lineages as they expanded across the world "may have accelerated the evolutionary process by allowing genes that are beneficial in one locale to spread to a new population that has not yet had time to adapt to those new conditions," Hammer said. "This may be a major mode of acquiring novel characteristics and one of the ways that we became the species that we are today."So far no traces of the haplotypes from this newfound lineage have been seen in modern human groups outside of Africa. However, "we can't be sure until we do a better job of searching for them," Hammer said. "Another question for the future."The scientists detailed their findings online Sept. 5 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Full Story Here : http://news.yahoo.co...-025605344.html

[Candyman]

Well, I am keeping an open mind on all this ! After all, with all our modern technology, we still cannot create life artificially from a heap of chemicals ! True, there is test tube babies, but the sperm and ova they are created from, is already alive ! We have still not created life from inert substances !All around the world, in different locations, in different cultures, there has been evidence found of having been visited, sometime in the past from "Alien beings". In Northern Australia, for instance there are cave paintings dated in excess of 40,000 years, of beings, wearing space helmets ! The same sort of things have been found in India, of beings being painted, in what appears to be a space capsule, again, thousands of years old ! We also have the lines of Nazca (spelling ?) in Peru, which can only be seen by very high altitude, and look like landing strips. There are many, many such examples.Erik Von Daniken, made a series of documentaries years ago, Called "chariots of the Gods", and "Return to the Stars", among others, which strongly support the theory of being visited by aliens in the distant and not so distant past, and possible interbreeding among the natives. How else can we explain the sudden, and by sudden i mean in the past 2,000 years, has mankind, suddenly got a "spurt" on with technology, and in particular the past 200 years ? It seems man, has been around for hundreds of thousands of years and done nothing except live in caves, and be hunter/gatherers !If we are descended from apes, as what is popularly espoused, why then do we still have apes ? Why aren't all the apes as smart as us now, if it was natural progression ? Why is it if we share 98% of DNA with apes, what makes the other 2% so unique ? Why are our brains evolving at an exponential rate, when all the other members of the animal kingdom, seem to be staying the same ?I believe there is a very good case, for us all, (all of mankind), being descended from intelligent alien beings, sometime in our past history, and for all we know, could still be going on in some parts of the world !I also believe we are under surveilance from time to time by these alien beings, and perhaps they move amongst us now. How can we ever tell, if they all look identical to us ?All through history we have had reports of UFO's visiting somewhere in the world. Some of them could be hoax's or explained in some natural way, but there are other sightings that cannot be explained any other way ! In fact, more than 40 years ago now, I saw a UFO myself, which to this day, I still cannot explain.Why were the findings at Roswell in 1947 covered up for so many years ? The truth has still never totally came out, although there have been many documentaries, and speculation on the subject, around for so many years. What is the truth they are hiding ?I think Governments and departments of different world governments have top secret files on a lot of stuff, which is largely forgotten now, and hidden away in archives etc, which if the contents were made known to the general public, would cause, a major stir, and a shift of the way of thinking on the subject.

[Jake]

Wow, far out man......actually Candyman, this is one of my favorite topics. That 2% difference between us and thespecie of apes is very profound. I would like to take it in another direction. Let's suppose that other intelligent lifeforms do exist and they're more intelligent than us by only 2%. Can you imagine how they look down upon us? Another question to ponder is our goal to achieve interstellar travel. Even if we were able to achieve space travelat the speed of light, it would still be impractical. To travel to the nearest star system, Alfa Centauri will take over4 years at the speed of light. Achieving that level of space travel as one global endeavor means all our resources and energy must be used forresearch and development. I honestly don't believe we could achieve travel within our own solar system at the ratewe are killing ourselves and Mother Earth. This link written by a Russian astrophysicist in the mid 1960's propose that we are still an infant in a type 1 civilization: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale. And finally, here is another question to discuss over a couple pitchers of beer: If we ever achieve technologicaladvancement of type 3 civilization (harnessing the power of a whole galaxy), spaceships returning from the edgeof the universe made this announcement -- there are no other life forms exist anywhere. The question remains -- why only us?

[Dave Hounddriver]

There has been a whole series of pseuso documentaries about aliens and ufos on the TV lately (Discovery or History channel I think). I watched a few of them but found no compelling evidence. Everything is theory. The kind of proof they are offering is the same kind of 'proof' people used to decide the earth was flat. So while I would like to believe some of the stuff they speculate on I find no basis to do so. Theories are a dime a dozen. Eye witnesses even cheaper. My beliefs cannot be proven any more than the alien speculation but . . . why change my own beliefs? What is the purpose of having faith if you are going to change that faith every time a new theory comes out?

[Candyman]

Wow, far out man......actually Candyman, this is one of my favorite topics. That 2% difference between us and thespecie of apes is very profound. I would like to take it in another direction. Let's suppose that other intelligent lifeforms do exist and they're more intelligent than us by only 2%. Can you imagine how they look down upon us? Another question to ponder is our goal to achieve interstellar travel. Even if we were able to achieve space travelat the speed of light, it would still be impractical. To travel to the nearest star system, Alfa Centauri will take over4 years at the speed of light. Achieving that level of space travel as one global endeavor means all our resources and energy must be used forresearch and development. I honestly don't believe we could achieve travel within our own solar system at the ratewe are killing ourselves and Mother Earth. This link written by a Russian astrophysicist in the mid 1960's proposethat we are still an infant in a type 1 civilization: http://en.wikipedia....Kardashev_scale. And finally, here is another question to discuss over a couple pitchers of beer: If we ever achieve technologicaladvancement of type 3 civilization (harnessing the power of a whole galaxy), spaceships returning from the edgeof the universe made this announcement -- there are no other life forms exist anywhere. The question remains -- why only us?

Very good post Jake ! Thanks for the link too, that makes interesting reading, and yes, we are still only babies in cosmic terms ! We are not alone, that is for sure. The numbers of galaxies and stars in the universe are just too immense, for the chance of us just being the only life forms to evolve on a planet. I remember reading somewhere, that there is a form of life, recently discovered, that can live, and flourish in an environment of sulfuric acid and arsenic, in a combination that was once thought too high a concentration of these chemicals for anything to survive. This was only one instance. Who is to say that there are not more life forms existing under conditions that we just are not aware of at the moment ? There was also an interesting discovery the other day at the CERN particle accelerator in Switzerland, where they have discovered a particle (nuetrino), that is reportedly, FASTER, than the speed of light. Cern wanted independant verifisaction of this find, from another accelerator, but at the moment, there are only two in the world big enough to substantiate these experiments. One is in the USA, but it looks like it is folding due to financial restraints. The other is in Japan, and it is at present just treading water because of the earthquakes, Tsuamis, and the nuclear problems they have been having over the previous months. I will see if I can find the articles on these. As far as space travel goes, to distant stars and galaxies, the production of Anti Matter at Cern, if it can get enough of the stuff, then yes, this could be the power, to fuel inter star travel. If the Nuetrino affect, is indeed to be proven as a fact, then it too, could open up, inter star travel. However, I believe, that we will be able to travel to distant planets and stars, almost instantaneously sometime in the future, by means other than by spaceships. I believe there will be advance made in the next, 10, 100, or 200 years, that will discover (or rediscover), forces of energy that exist now, but have not been found YET ! One of these is the power of thought, (Telekinesis), reportedly faster than the speed of light, and also the unknown power and qualities of 'black holes" and dark energy. These are all in their infancy as far as research goes. Within the next millennium, we will see changes on planet earth, which we have not even thought of, or dreamed about today. The recent advances in 3D printers are a case in point of this ! Twelve months ago, this was unheard of ! Now, you can put an object into a scanner, (like a shifting spanner), hit the scan image, and it saves it to a computer, email the design to a remote computer anywhere on earth that has a 3d printer, press the print button, and presto ! An exact working duplicate of the spanner is produced at the other end ! They have recently printed out a fully functioning car at the other end ! We are on the brink of many exciting discoveries, it is just a shame that most of us will not be around to witness these changes first hand !

[Candyman]

Here is an example of the 3D Printer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw&feature=player_embedded

[Candyman]

Cosmic anti-matter enigma eyed in new CERN projectThe Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) tunnel, located at the CERN particle research centre near Geneva, is seen in this undated handout photograph.Credit: Reuters/CERN-INFS/HandoutBy Robert EvansGENEVA | Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:16pm EDTGENEVA (Reuters) - Unraveling one of the great enigmas of the visible universe, why it is made up largely of matter, will be the target of a ground-breaking research project kicked off on Wednesday at a meeting of leading physicists from eight countries.More precisely, the program will aim to find why there is so little left of the anti-matter believed to have been present in equal quantities at the "Big Bang" 13.7 billion years ago but which then mysteriously disappeared, or all but.The CERN particle physics research center said the program would be conducted with a new "Extra Low Energy Antiproton Ring," dubbed ELENA, which will begin delivering large numbers of tiny anti-proton particles by 2016.Attending this week's meeting at CERN, which is leading the project to begin in 2013 with the ring's installation, are scientists from Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the United States."This is a big step forward for anti-matter physics," said Walter Oelert, pioneer expert at CERN -- home to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) "Big Bang" machine -- which said last week researchers had tracked particles traveling faster than light.Anti-matter was discovered in 1932 after decades of theorizing, and was quickly absorbed into science fiction with its capacity to destroy any ordinary matter it touches.The matter is converted into instant energy, a fact that has led to speculation that such reactions could fuel ultra-fast spacecraft for inter-stellar travel or be adapted for military use as a trigger for nuclear weapons.Anti-matter -- matter with negative gravity -- has already been used in cancer treatments, some developed at CERN, but spokesman James Gillies said ELENA would focus on pure physics.MUTUAL DESTRUCTIONOne of the prime questions facing researchers is why matter and anti-matter did not destroy each other at the time of the Big Bang, making creation of the universe and the emergence of life impossible, and why matter came out on top.Gillies said ELENA was a low-cost project funded out of the 20-nation centre's regular budget but would provide researchers with far more anti-protons than had been possible with earlier installations.Project head Stephan Maury said ELENA, a small declerator ring to be housed alongside its existing but much less efficient anti-proton decelerator (AD), would deliver the anti-particles "at the lowest energies ever reached."From the AD, in operation since the early 1990s, the anti-protons must be slowed down by passing them through a series of foil filters, a process that leads to the loss of 99.9 percent before they reach the experiments.The new ring through which they will travel will slow them down to under one 50th of the energy of the AD, trapping up to 50 percent of the particles or more.Oelet said this would not only greatly enhance the research potential of current experiments at CERN but would also make it much easier to start a wider range of tests on the make-up and behavior of anti-matter.(Editing by Louise Ireland)Full Story Here : http://www.reuters.c...E78R4N620110928

[Jake]

Here is an example of the 3D Printer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZboxMsSz5Aw&feature=player_embedded

Amazing technology! Now with my dirty mind in over-drive, I wonder if they would approve my requestto order a functional 36-26-36 brunette?

[Candyman]

Amazing technology! Now with my dirty mind in over-drive, I wonder if they would approve my requestto order a functional 36-26-36 brunette?

I don't know about that yet, but what about a new sports car ? Rolling off the 3D printing press... the world's first 'printed' car - and it actually worksBy Daniel BatesLast updated at 10:54 PM on 23rd September 2011The world’s first 'printed' car has finally rolled off the printing press.The 'Urbee' was made using a special printer which built up layer upon layer of bodywork - almost as if the car was 'painted' into existence, except using layers of ultra-thin composite that are slowly 'fused' into a solid.But unlike most 'innovations' in cars, this one won't break down after 5 years - Urbee is built to last 30. Project leader Jim Kor, told MailOnline today: 'For us, this unveiling was quite a milestone.Built to last: The highly-durable material used in 'additive layer manufacturing' is said to last for 30 yearsUnderneath is a petrol and electric hybrid engine which helps make it one of the greenest cars in the world.Experts have said the car uses eight times less energy than a similar vehicle and can go can go 200mpg on the motorway.It also has a sleek, futuristic design which makes it look like a prop from a science fiction film like the Fifth Element.The ‘printing’ process, however, it what has attracted so much attention: it was completely different to the normal way car manufacturers build a car, which is to bolt chunks of bodywork on where they need to go.Engineers on the Urbee instead put layers of ultra thin composite material on top of each other so they become fused together to make it 3D in a process called ‘additive layer manufacturing’.Kor says, 'We are a small group of designers and engineers in Winnipeg trying to make a difference.'Making things this way could revolutionize how we produce things. It has certainly changed my way of thinking about manufacturing.'This process of 3-D printing turned into 'digital manufacturing' would change the way we replace parts within machines.'The 'printed' car has drawn a lot of attention due to its unique production methodThe Urbee, which took 15 years to make, has three wheels, two seats and a combustion engine in case of emergencies.It can be charged for a few pence from a normal plug socket or from a small solar panel array or wind turbine.The Urbee has a small single cylinder engine that generate a mere eight horsepower, yet it can go up to 70mph if necessary because it is so light and efficient.Even driving around the city it can do 100mpg and Canadian firm Kor EcoLogic, which designed it, insists that it could become a viable runaround for normal people.Project leader Jim Kor told the TEDxWinnipeg conference that the vehicle was amongst the greenest ever made.He said the way it was printed ‘only puts material where one needs it’.‘It is an additive process, building the part essentially one 'molecule' of material at a time, ultimately with no waste,’ he added.The small engine of the Urbee may only be able to produce 8 horsepower, but the vehicle can still reach 70mph‘This process can do many materials, and our goal would be to use fully-recycled materials.’Although the prototype has finally been completed it will be some time before the Urbee is available to buy in car showrooms.The team behind it still have to raise the money for a second prototype, which will be at least $1million (£610,000).Even then it will cost up to $50,00 (£32,000) to buy new, although the price should drop if it is mass produced.Other professions which have shown an interest in additive layer manufacturing including medicine with some suggestion that prosthetic body parts could eventually be ‘printed’ to the size and shape they are required.Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1YyarHztt

[Jake]

Unfortunately, perhaps none of us will be around to unlock the mystery of the universe and the secrets of life. Mother Earth's natural disasters (including undiscovered planet killer viruses), man made WMD's and otherkilling machines to kill us 10 times over, are reality checks for current and future generations. We are leavingbehind a deadly legacy for our children to cope with after we are long gone. Nevertheless, we are in the age of new discoveries. Just about every month, new earth like planets are beingdiscovered revolving around their own sun. Additionally, the search for the illusive sub-sub atomic particles likethe Boson particle (so called god's particle) is just around the corner. New and weird theories using bio/quantum mechanics is a two edge sword. Yeah, we are gifted with naturalhuman curiosity but what do we do if we found the secrets of life. That magical spark to start and reproduceorganic molecules to become a microscopic seeds of life for plants and animals. Do we become god ourselves? Or is it the final gift of knowledge that is only to be given upon our death? What about other intelligent life formsout there? Do they worship their own version of god? And if so, what would be the ramification of another godin the universe? Man, I need another pitcher of beer or take a long chit while I think this over.....he, he.

Edited October 9, 2011 by Jake
sentence structure