 |
| Benjamin Radford, Editor of the Skeptical Inquirer |
You may recall him from before posts such as, Top 10 Reasons Bigfoot is Bunk, Bigfoot Cousins Claimed inwards Many Countries, together with most recently, If You Spot Bigfoot, Should You Shoot Him? He is a skeptic, together with i of the to a greater extent than fair-minded ones. As most of yous know the term skeptic, does non hateful "non-believer," Some skeptics would fifty-fifty seat themselves inwards the "Bigfoot Hopeful" category.
Last Sabbatum Radford reminds us that, although the Oxford University Study is making news, trying to retrieve deoxyribonucleic acid testify is goose egg new.
Read his reminder below amongst a vote of hopefulness in the end.
Read his reminder below amongst a vote of hopefulness in the end.
BIGFOOT: BEYOND FOOTPRINTS AND DNA
Analysis past times Benjamin Radford
Sat May 26, 2012 08:46 AM ET
Last calendar week researchers from Oxford University together with the Lausanne Museum of Zoology announced that they are seeking genetic materials (such every bit hair, skin, together with blood samples) claimed to live on of unknown animals such every bit Bigfoot. The destination of the Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project is to catalogue together with seat novel species, including those long believed to live on mythical.
Despite the publicity that the novel projection is garnering, this is far from the start fourth dimension that alleged Bigfoot samples induce got been subjected to scientific testing.
NEWS: New Bigfoot Sightings: Proof Still Lacking
In 2008, for example, the TV exhibit "Destination Truth" recovered what was claimed to live on a pilus of a Yeti (formerly known every bit the Abominable Snowman). An analysis reportedly came dorsum indicating that the sample contained "an unknown deoxyribonucleic acid sequence," though the total study was non made world together with the results were never published inwards a magazine -- every bit would live on expected amongst a legitimate scientific discovery.
Then at that topographic point was the foreign instance of a finger long claimed to live on from a Yeti, in i trial held inwards a monastery inwards Nepal which was examined past times researchers at the Edinburgh Zoo in conclusion year. deoxyribonucleic acid testing solved the decades-old mystery together with debunked the Yeti finger; it was truly human, in all probability from a monk.
For over a twelvemonth Bigfoot buffs induce got followed the saga of Dr. Melba Ketchum, a veterinary who claims to induce got definitive testify of Bigfoot DNA. Ketchum says that her inquiry volition live on published inwards a peer-reviewed scientific magazine whatever fourth dimension now, together with has released virtually no information nigh her allegedly world-shaking findings, reminding those who inquiry her that "until it is published, I cannot hash out our information at all."
Last calendar week inwards a May xviii Facebook post, Ketchum in i trial over again promised that definitive Bigfoot deoxyribonucleic acid results would live on published soon, together with "that all is good together with things are happening every bit expected."
'Unknown' together with 'Unidentified'
The most compelling testify for Bigfoot would live on deoxyribonucleic acid analyses, since they are scientific together with theoretically definitive. However answers are non ever possible; "unknown" or "unidentified" results produce non hateful "Bigfoot."
There are many reasons why a given pilus or deoxyribonucleic acid sample powerfulness come upward dorsum unknown, including that it was contaminated or likewise degraded past times environmental conditions. Or it could only hateful that the creature it came from was non amid the reference samples that the laboratory used for comparison. We induce got no reference sample of Bigfoot deoxyribonucleic acid to compare it to, hence past times Definition at that topographic point cannot live on a "conclusive match."
NEWS: Bigfoot together with Yeti deoxyribonucleic acid Study Gets Serious
In his mass Big Footprints (Johnson Books, 1992), veteran researcher Grover Krantz discussed alleged Bigfoot hair, feces, pare scrapings, together with blood: "The commons fate of these items is that they either have no scientific study, or else the documentation of that study is either lost or unobtainable. In most cases where competent analyses induce got been made, the fabric turned out to live on bogus or else no decision could live on made."
Indeed, 20 years later, the province of affairs remains the same. When a definite conclusion has been reached through scientific analysis, the samples induce got invariably turned out to induce got prosaic sources -- "Bigfoot hair" turns out to live on elk, bear, or moo-cow hair, for example, or "Bigfoot blood" is revealed to live on a car's transmission fluid.
Krantz gave i typical example: "A large amount of what looks similar pilus has been recovered from several places inwards the Blue Mountains since 1987. Samples of this were examined past times many supposed experts ranging from the FBI to barbers. Most of these called it human, the Redkin Company flora pregnant differences from human hair, but the Nippon Hair Medical Science Lab declared it a synthetic fiber.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 scientist at [Washington State] University start called it synthetic, hence looked to a greater extent than closely together with decided it was existent pilus of an unknown type... However in conclusion confirmation came when E.B. Winn, a pharmaceutical human being of affairs from Switzerland had a sample tested inwards Europe. The fiber was positively identified every bit artificial together with its exact composition was determined: it is a production known commercially every bit Dynel, which is oft used every bit imitation hair."
The lesson? Even many of the world's operate past times experts got it wrong; it was non human nor "unknown" but instead a synthetic fiber. Hair testing is far less of an exact scientific discipline than genetics testing, together with the fact that to a greater extent than or less alleged Bigfoot hairs stay “unidentified” is hardly surprising—and surely non mysterious.
For decades Bigfoot inquiry has been plagued past times imitation promises of definitive, earthshaking proof of Bigfoot -- most of it creates enough of publicity together with hype but no existent results. Hopefully efforts past times researchers similar the Oxford-Lausanne Collateral Hominid Project together with Melba Ketchum volition live on successful. However they are entirely the latest inwards a long trouble of claimants -- all of whom induce got all failed hence far. Can they dorsum upward their claims amongst solid scientific evidence, or volition they bring together the ignominious legions of hoaxers together with sincere-but-deluded researchers?
Time volition tell.
0 comments:
Post a Comment