Issue 18 - Duncan Lunan Interview - Part Two

[the paperboy]

http://www.winterwind-productions.com/i ... _lunan.htm

Part Two of our interview is finally up. It's an excellent, in-depth read covering a wide range of subjects, from alien life to hauntings to folk music.

[Joseph]

The one part of this interview that really sticks out for me is when Mr. Lunan states that as an atheist, he's embarrassed to admit to having been haunted. To me, they're two separate things. I'm an atheist but that doesn't automatically preclude a belief in the paranormal, which I see as simply something currently unexplained by our current level of scientific knowledge.

[D. Sauzi]

great read again.

Its sad there's so few interest in space in this century, i'm still interested in it as ever, and have been on the lookout for good documentaries about it that are recent the past year. I find myself looking at the same images from Voyager again and again however, everything that has been made seems to be from the 90's and earlier when apparently there was still interest and funding.
I have seen even Sojourner only once or twice on televised documentaries, let alone Cassini-Huygens, which penetrated Titans atmosphere a few years back, that one i've seen once. I've never seen a documentary where Charon gets the same amount of acknowledgement as Pluto.
Maybe its that new knowledge about space is too specific for the masses, many stuff that is found out now handles extra-solar system things, like knowledge about milky ways and neutron stars. I've found a few BBC doc's about those, but those too stem from the late nineties.
All i could find from this century is 'Wonders of the Universe' in which Brian Cox explains about more physics related phenomena and how they relate to space. It was good, but its all there is. Well, yes, there is an american series called 'The Universe' which shows, indeed, Voyager images.

I've been a fan of popular space science for about two decades now, i even buy atlases and would love to see new stuff, we know so much more about Europa or Titan by now, but its always the same, Voyager images from Jupiter, that span two pages, four max. By now we should be able to make a whole map of Europa, let alone Mars, fill a whole atlas with just one moon or planet, but instead its the same stuff from the seventies as if nothing has been found out in between.

Ah well, i'm starting to rant i see, its a sad thing though, same goes for cutting funds of building another Stonehenge for no apparent reason, it seemed already half finished, a great symbol/monument for the past and future that could inspire a lot of people and advance at least history, if not science as well.
If we were abolishing hunger, poverty and war, i might be willing to wait, but instead we're just drilling for oil and using up those precious supernova remnants to make a fourth or fifth mobile phone for every rich guy.



I can see the shock of seeing/feeling ghosts as an atheist btw. I too am very close to being it, just calling myself an agnost because i have no proof for that train of thought just like the other half of the argument. It just seems so much more likely. What entails that belief for me though, is denying the existence of souls, just as much as higher beings. As such i can get into, and am interested in, (though sceptical) paranormal phenomena. Telepathics, Teleportation, Mind-Reading, Precognition, might all have a base somewhere, but souls aren't there in my logic, which would make ghosts the weirdest of all to experience.


[edit] Just thought of it, last week the second-ever Dutch astronaut went for the ISS to carry out experiments the coming half year. 1.5m people watched the live lift off of the Sojoez. They didnt watch it on TV however, as it was only broadcasted via the Internet. Says enough in my book.. Its very odd and bad assessment, and i hope it opens up a few eyes about how much people, (maybe young people even more so) care for this sort of thing.

[Jez]

A really engaging interview and a splendid read.

I was particularly taken with Mr Lunan's comments re: the Green Children of Woolpit, which I had not heard of before. I had, however, come across the alleged case of the Green Children of Banjos from the late 1800s. Given the similarity in the accounts, is it possible that the latter is a variation on the former? And, if so, could the Woolpit case in turn be an echo of an even earlier encounter? Intriguing, to say the least.

[Jan]

I didn't read it all too closely. I am saving some for later. That's how nice it is. Nice work.. Right thread.

[Joseph]

Well, I guess the question here Jan is do you actually believe in extra-terrestrial life?

[Jan]

I am absolutely certain that there is life elsewhere in space billions of lightyears away, because what happened here can happen anywhere under the same conditions, but it's higly unlikely that we will ever meet them.. We don't have the society, technology nor the resources to be able to fuel any kind of real space exploration. Not ever. And maybe the closest 'live' one is on the same evolutionary path as earth millions of years ago.. It seems quite logical to me that there can be an infinite number of variations in infinite space. I am sure that any intelligent sentient life would be looking like us and be made of flesh and blood.. But don't tell that to Hollywood.

[Joseph]

I disagree with "Not ever". Look at how we've advanced in 200 years. We were technologically stagnant for 1000s and then, since the Industrial Revolution we've got phones, computers, cars, planes, rockets, etc, etc, etc. Things that we take for granted that would have made us gods in the eyes of our ancestors. So I don't say "Not ever". Mind you, that's also assuming we have the maturity as a species not to destroy ourselves and that is what I doubt. The people in power... they are not our best and brightest intellectually or ethically.

If we survive, I do believe we will eventually find a way to travel beyond our solar system and make contact. I also believe that we've been visited in the past by extra-terrestrials. Too much of our ancient literature and myths and visible records speak to gods descending from the skies in their flying machines, too many artifacts and cave paintings, etc, depict what can only be visually interpreted as space craft and space suits.

[Jan]

Kinda reminds me of a quote from Monsters vs. Aliens: America - The only country where aliens ever seem to land..

[Joseph]

I've no clue what you mean by that. Especially considering the number of reported contacts all over the world. I think you're simply getting confused by America's far reaching media and how that overshadows others.

[Jan]

Joseph, snap out it, stop talking to the mirror when you write!! I understand that you hate yourself, because I hate you too..

I have been waiting for you to edit this nonsense above, but apparently you are clueless.

No more Star Trek for you - You are grounded.

In the mean time please post the links to the overwhelming proof of evidence (of your delusion), which should be a small feat for you as you seem to believe there is so much of it.

[Joseph]

What's funny is when you think you're funny. Is it anyone wonder I love you as much as I do. And I can't be arsed to do your homework for you. If you can't do a little research... Remain in your shell of dogma induced bubble.

[Jan]

Troll tactics, interesting, but not surprising. You are the one making insane claims so therefore the burden of proof is on you and since you are so certain of your folly it should be so easy for you to dish out a few links to your proof, right?

Don't worry I am not one of those Men in Black that protect earth from the scum of the universe.. You can show me what you've got without fear of neuralyzation. Promise.

[Michael S Collins]

If I can just distract from the small argument for one second...

A really engaging interview and a splendid read.

I was particularly taken with Mr Lunan's comments re: the Green Children of Woolpit, which I had not heard of before. I had, however, come across the alleged case of the Green Children of Banjos from the late 1800s. Given the similarity in the accounts, is it possible that the latter is a variation on the former? And, if so, could the Woolpit case in turn be an echo of an even earlier encounter? Intriguing, to say the least.

I tried to register, to post a reply to the query about Banjos, but there was no Confirmation Code to enter.

Maybe you could put this up for me:

In reply to ‘Contributor’s’ query about Banjos, that alternative version of the Green Children story is spurious. The details have been taken from the Rolls edition of William of Newburgh’s chronicle, text and footnotes, and apparently the hoax was created by H.T. Wilkins, the 1950s UFO writer – apparently he was also responsible for a supposed UFO sighting by William himself, but set in the wrong century!

Cheers,
Duncan.

[Joseph]

Hehe. It's no argument, Michael. Jan just thinks that because he makes Paypal donations and because the forums are so slow that rules regarding flaming and trolling don't apply to him. He's been pulling this for years but he's all done now.

And damn! Duncan tried to register and didn't get the confirmation code? I swear WW is cursed sometimes!

EDIT: Found out why Duncan never got the code. We have three CAPTCHA settings for preventing bots from registering. Unfortunately, the setting we were using, which did indeed prevent bots from registering did so by... not displaying the code at all!