DTN 033: NASA wants to destigmatize UFO research

NASA report says more science and less stigma are needed to understand UFOs

“NASA said Thursday that the study of UFOs will require new scientific techniques, including advanced satellites as well as a shift in how unidentified flying objects are perceived. The space agency released the findings after a yearlong study into UFOs. In its 33-page report, an independent team commissioned by NASA cautioned that the negative perception surrounding UFOs poses an obstacle to collecting data. But officials said NASA’s involvement should help reduce the stigma around what it calls UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena. “We want to shift the conversation about UAPs from sensationalism to science,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. He promised an open and transparent approach.” (Associated Press)

U.S. cancels or curtails half of its Antarctic research projects due to housing shortage

“This summer NSF decided to cancel or curtail 67—more than half—of the 131 projects and activities funded for the 2023–24 austral summer after concluding it couldn’t provide them with the necessary logistical support. The housing shortage is part of a triad of factors generating a perfect storm that is battering the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), long regarded as the best in the world. One element, the COVID-19 pandemic, shut down most research for 2 years and then, when cases spiked, severely disrupted the 2022–23 season. The pandemic, in turn, has stretched out a $500M renovation project at McMurdo, reducing the number of available beds for both scientists and those who provide them with essential logistical support. Simultaneously, the rising cost of providing that support has forced NSF, which operates the research program for the U.S. government, to curtail the scope and duration of projects its program managers have already approved. The resulting dysfunction poses a significant risk to the endeavors of hundreds of Antarctic scientists.” (Science)

China Poised To Surpass The U.S. As The World’s Top Nuclear Power Producer

“The U.S. still leads the world in nuclear power production with a 30.3% global share, but U.S. nuclear power production growth has been almost zero over the past decade. That will finally change this year, as Southern Company’s Vogtle Unit 3 successfully achieved commercial operation earlier this year, with Unit 4 on track for late 2023/early 2024 completion. These are the first nuclear reactors built from scratch in the U.S. in more than thirty years. However, China is the fastest-growing major nuclear energy producer, more than tripling its nuclear power generation over the past decade. At the current growth rate, China will surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest nuclear power producer within a decade.” (Forbes)