Unidentified and Highly Mysterious

  UAPs—unidentified aerial phenomena—formerly known as UFOs, have garnered much publicity the past few weeks. The Chinese “spy” ballon which first appeared over the Aleutian Island Chain, then crossed mainland Alaska and dipped down over many continental US states was shot down by the military off the coast of South Carolina. The Chinese government stated it was launched to carry out meteorological research. This explanation fell short of satisfying US authorities in view of its advanced spying capabilities over our country’s mainland.

The term UFO calls to mind extra-terrestrial beings or aliens from outer space. The more novel and modern term—UAP—reminds readers of unusual events in our skies. It is a more inclusive and general term, but it could also refer to mysterious unidentified objects or conscious beings sailing in the skies above us. Our challenge is to identify the origin and purpose of these phenomena. Living with uncertainty on a subject of such import is unsettling in our present day.

In the last few weeks government officials and scientists have discussed possible explanations for these unidentified and mysterious phenomena. Their explanations generally fall within several possibilities: (1) they are produced by foreign intelligence gathering authorities, or (2) are airborne trash, clutter, or drones, or (3) they are produced by extraterrestrial visitors. Our government officials have generally discounted category (3), but citizens still search for answers. Many people feel the government knows more than they tell. If this is true, our citizens have good reason for concern. Why are foreign entities spying on our country? What is the purpose of the plentiful drones? Will they use the intelligence they collect for nefarious purposes? 

Beliefs have changed concerning alien creatures or spacecraft. The possibility that aliens exist from distant locations in outer space is frightening, especially if the aliens may be focused on conquering or subjugating Planet Earth’s human population. A recent Gallup poll finds that in 2021, 41% of our citizens believe UAPs involve alien spacecraft—up from just 33% in 2019. This is a startling short-term change. 

Heightened uncertainty pervades the topic of UAPs since late January 2023. The Chinese “meteorological research balloon” incident has been followed by three additional objects over northern Alaska, the Canadian Yukon, and Lake Huron. These were possibly privately owned balloons shot down by the US military.

There has been a recent uptick in UAP sightings ever since the official government hearings in 2021 and 2022. This may have occurred because of the diminished stigma surrounding UAP reporting. It is certain that the reports of the Chinese spy balloon and the recent shoot-downs of smaller balloons have piqued public interest in the captivating reality of UAPs.

There is no scientific explanation for unidentified objects and their unique behavior. No credible physical explanations have been forthcoming for a large number of unexplained sightings. Their origin and purpose is hidden in mystery. 

Perhaps government authorities are misdirected in searching for an ordinary cause and effect physical explanation for UAPs. Government scientists have mostly ruled out extraterrestrial visitors as a viable possibility for UAP phenomena, but scientists may also rule out the occult or the supernatural as an option. It may be a mistake to rule out the occult, the paranormal, or even a Satanic dimension of the UAP phenomenon. Their aversion to citing any spiritual entities to explain either positive or negative events in our physical sphere is a possible reason.

We cite excerpts from our previous 12-28-2019 post: Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe, stated, “…Believers in extra dimensions stand on firm scientific ground…a scientifically credible possibility exists that Residual UFOs (RUFOs) come from beyond the four familiar dimensions of our present universe…If one takes the extra dimensional hypothesis to mean that entities could come into the universe from a spiritual realm one can see a remarkable correspondence between science and scripture. The Bible describes a Creator who is beyond matter, energy, and the space-time dimensions of the universe. It also describes spirit beings who are able to enter the universe and exhibit physical effects…A close examination of RUFOs shows that they are consistent with the Bible’s description of demons. The RUFOs appear to be alive and acting in an intelligent way with malevolent intentions.”

Our citation of demons in connection with UAPs may be surprising. The topic should not come as a surprise as we contemplate today’s world. If we acknowledge the dire condition of our present world—political turmoil, war, rumors of war, and moral degradation—we may identify both causes and effects. Scripture provides reasons for our present condition. The UAP phenomena may not possess an ordinary physical dimension; rather, we must search for a spiritual/theological dimension.

Scripture refers to the “ruler of this world” in reference to Satan. The Gospel of John (John 12:31) states the ruler of this world will be cast out in the future. Two chapters later (John 14:30) Jesus says the ruler of this world “is coming.” In John 16:11 the ruler of this world “is judged.” In I Peter 5:8 the devil is personified as a roaring lion prowling about, seeking whom he may devour. This is a commentary on malevolent activities of demonic beings. Satan is described as the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. Christians should take comfort that God is more powerful than Satan. We need not fear our spiritual adversary.

From 11/2019 to 1/2020 we published ten posts on the topic of UAPs. The posts are archived. We invite readers to search this topic in greater depth.

 

  

   

          

           UAPs—unidentified aerial phenomena—formerly known as UFOs, have garnered much publicity the past few weeks. The Chinese “spy” ballon which first appeared over the Aleutian Island Chain, then crossed mainland Alaska and dipped down over many continental US states was shot down by the military off the coast of South Carolina. The Chinese government stated it was launched to carry out meteorological research. This explanation fell short of satisfying US authorities in view of its advanced spying capabilities over our country’s mainland.

The term UFO calls to mind extra-terrestrial beings or aliens from outer space. The more novel and modern term—UAP—reminds readers of unusual events in our skies. It is a more inclusive and general term, but it could also refer to mysterious unidentified objects or conscious beings sailing in the skies above us. Our challenge is to identify the origin and purpose of these phenomena. Living with uncertainty on a subject of such import is unsettling in our present day.

In the last few weeks government officials and scientists have discussed possible explanations for these unidentified and mysterious phenomena. Their explanations generally fall within several possibilities: (1) they are produced by foreign intelligence gathering authorities, or (2) are airborne trash, clutter, or drones, or (3) they are produced by extraterrestrial visitors. Our government officials have generally discounted category (3), but citizens still search for answers. Many people feel the government knows more than they tell. If this is true, our citizens have good reason for concern. Why are foreign entities spying on our country? What is the purpose of the plentiful drones? Will they use the intelligence they collect for nefarious purposes? 

Beliefs have changed concerning alien creatures or spacecraft. The possibility that aliens exist from distant locations in outer space is frightening, especially if the aliens may be focused on conquering or subjugating Planet Earth’s human population. A recent Gallup poll finds that in 2021, 41% of our citizens believe UAPs involve alien spacecraft—up from just 33% in 2019. This is a startling short-term change. 

Heightened uncertainty pervades the topic of UAPs since late January 2023. The Chinese “meteorological research balloon” incident has been followed by three additional objects over northern Alaska, the Canadian Yukon, and Lake Huron. These were possibly privately owned balloons shot down by the US military.

There has been a recent uptick in UAP sightings ever since the official government hearings in 2021 and 2022. This may have occurred because of the diminished stigma surrounding UAP reporting. It is certain that the reports of the Chinese spy balloon and the recent shoot-downs of smaller balloons have piqued public interest in the captivating reality of UAPs.

There is no scientific explanation for unidentified objects and their unique behavior. No credible physical explanations have been forthcoming for a large number of unexplained sightings. Their origin and purpose is hidden in mystery. 

Perhaps government authorities are misdirected in searching for an ordinary cause and effect physical explanation for UAPs. Government scientists have mostly ruled out extraterrestrial visitors as a viable possibility for UAP phenomena, but scientists may also rule out the occult or the supernatural as an option. It may be a mistake to rule out the occult, the paranormal, or even a Satanic dimension of the UAP phenomenon. Their aversion to citing any spiritual entities to explain either positive or negative events in our physical sphere is a possible reason.

We cite excerpts from our previous 12-28-2019 post: Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe, stated, “…Believers in extra dimensions stand on firm scientific ground…a scientifically credible possibility exists that Residual UFOs (RUFOs) come from beyond the four familiar dimensions of our present universe…If one takes the extra dimensional hypothesis to mean that entities could come into the universe from a spiritual realm one can see a remarkable correspondence between science and scripture. The Bible describes a Creator who is beyond matter, energy, and the space-time dimensions of the universe. It also describes spirit beings who are able to enter the universe and exhibit physical effects…A close examination of RUFOs shows that they are consistent with the Bible’s description of demons. The RUFOs appear to be alive and acting in an intelligent way with malevolent intentions.”

Our citation of demons in connection with UAPs may be surprising. The topic should not come as a surprise as we contemplate today’s world. If we acknowledge the dire condition of our present world—political turmoil, war, rumors of war, and moral degradation—we may identify both causes and effects. Scripture provides reasons for our present condition. The UAP phenomena may not possess an ordinary physical dimension; rather, we must search for a spiritual/theological dimension.

Scripture refers to the “ruler of this world” in reference to Satan. The Gospel of John (John 12:31) states the ruler of this world will be cast out in the future. Two chapters later (John 14:30) Jesus says the ruler of this world “is coming.” In John 16:11 the ruler of this world “is judged.” In I Peter 5:8 the devil is personified as a roaring lion prowling about, seeking whom he may devour. This is a commentary on malevolent activities of demonic beings. Satan is described as the “prince of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. Christians should take comfort that God is more powerful than Satan. We need not fear our spiritual adversary.

From 11/2019 to 1/2020 we published ten posts on the topic of UAPs. The posts are archived. We invite readers to search this topic in greater depth.

 

  

   

          

          

Artificial Intelligence or Human Intelligence---AI or HI?

 One of the most important concepts discussed in our day is intelligence. Dictionaries offer several definitions of intelligence, including mental acuity and the skilled use of reason. When humans reason, they think. Early in life, children become aware of their own thinking skills. I was fond of pointing to the foreheads of my young grandchildren and reminding them, “That’s where we think.” Interesting discussions of human intelligence sometimes followed. Artificial intelligence first became known in the 1950s. AI is an exceedingly young discipline.  

Cognitive thinking skills have been commonly researched. In the last 60 years artificial intelligence (AI) has risen from a young discipline to a mature topic of frightening proportions. The term AI was first coined in 1956 in a conference at Dartmouth College. Computer technology drives virtually all artificial intelligence phenomena. A study of the history of computer technology reveals that many of today’s senior citizens’ earliest and fondest memories of electronic communications relate to primitive telephones—certainly not the more advanced computer technology powering the current craze for AI. Currently we hear so much about AI we may feel that the phenomenon has been a feature of modern technology for many years. This is not true. The time frame of 1974 to 1980 became known as the “AI Winter.” From 1987 to 1993 there was another “AI Winter.” Artificial Intelligence was not yet a topic of major concern.

We have studied several significant AI phenomena giving us cause for concern. We start with a humorous story concerning Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, defeated by the AI “machine” Deep Blue in 1997. He claimed it was a bad day for him, but the problem, according to Kasparov, was that the computer was not too fast, but too slow.

AI aims to imitate the cognitive abilities of a human being such as the capability for decision-making. Its capabilities are intimately linked to startling advances in computer technology and have led computers to perform increasingly complex tasks which previously could only be delegated to a human. Rapid technological change will transform the classroom for the next generation of learners. Educators must now cope with the possibility that student research papers could be generated by an AI machine.

Some Technologies relate to “self-driving cars.” The term sentient—the ability to receive and feel things is an outcome of machines that are somehow “aware of” their own existence. We wonder if AI is “sentient,” able to perceive and feel things. Has AI achieved consciousness? The issue of “human consciousness” has been dubbed “the hard problem” by research experts.

AI—artificial intelligence—simulates HI—human intelligence. Non-iiving machines are able to process language, recognize barcodes and group and sort materials according to what the barcodes tell them. They are also capable of driving our automobiles with human hands displaced from the steering wheel. 

The subject of AI produces abundant human responses and emotions. Anything artificial is often viewed with suspicion in our day while the adjective genuine is highly valued as a descriptor of quality and desirability. AI may generate scorn when compared with genuine human intelligence (HI). Many phenomena are described under the broad category artificial. In many cases our technologists have substituted non-genuine or artificial products for genuine ones. We wonder how our readers react to the massive tradeoff of the genuine for the artificial. Are we living in unprecedented times? Is our society transitioning to something sinister and disturbing? Or could we attribute the changes to “progress” and assign a positive spin to the changes?

Another term currently in use which may be confused with AI and HI is Machine learning (ML). Technologists who first originated concepts of ML designed their machines to duplicate human thinking. Their machines were supplied with unlimited data. The machines could categorize data in the same way human minds do.

We close with a personal incident from decades ago. I was selected to deliver a short speech at my high school graduation. My assigned speech topic was “Industry” (not my own first choice). My Class Adviser offered a suggestion. A new buzzword was circulating at the time: Automation. This term may have been a reference to early ML (machine learning). Many decades later we are aware, more than ever before, of human intelligence, artificial intelligence, and related topics such as machine learning. Society treads on fascinating, sometimes dangerous ground.

Mankind has been created in God’s Image. The theological and philosophical truth of this statement is apparent when we look at the mind and realize the human mind originates in the creativity of God himself. GNT translates Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, “And now we will make human beings: they will be like us and resemble us…So God created human beings, making them to be like himself.” The thought of modifying the body to be different from the way God created him or her is profoundly troubling.   

The consequences of creating AI, a new sort of intelligence, from God’s original created work, the human mind, are sobering. But we must reconcile such concepts with God’s mandate to “Subdue the Earth” a subject of many challenging courses in theological seminaries. We search for divine wisdom to correctly interpret such theological mandates.