Michael Rosenthal

(8/2019) The observation of strange objects in the sky has always held a fascination for people, and it is always tempting to believe that the UFOs, as we call them, are visitors from other places in the universe. My wife and I had a striking UFO experience when we lived in the Hudson Valley of New York, seeing lights moving in the sky near the Hudson River that were unlike anything we had seen before or since.

In 2014 and 2015 strange objects were spotted moving against the wind, high in the skies over the east coast of the United States. Navy pilots spotted these objects on a regular basis and said that they had no visible engine or infrared exhaust plumes, and that they reached 30,000 feet in altitude and at hypersonic speeds.

These reports came from highly experienced Navy pilots in such reliable aircraft as an F/A-18 Super Hornet. In late 2014, a Super Hornet pilot had a near collision with one of these objects, and an official "mishap report" was filed. There are even videotapes of such encounters, and the objects bear no resemblance to known aircraft.

No one yet in the government is claiming these sightings are extraterrestrial in origin, but no logical explanations have been forthcoming about the nature of the objects. The Navy has gotten so interested that they have sent out classified guidance to pilots on how to report what they call aerial phenomena, what we usually label as UFOs.

The Pentagon actually created the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, begun in 2007 and officially shut down for lack of funds in 2012, which routinely analyzed the video footage and personal reports from such encounters as these. The retired officer who ran the program calls the reported sightings "a striking series of incidents." In spite of the program’s closing, the Navy recently said that it still investigates reports of UFOs.

Professional astrophysicists are skeptical of the existence of objects with an extraterrestrial origin, but logical explanations of the sightings are scarce. Earlier this year the History Channel ran a six-part series which featured interviews with key participants in the sightings and analyses of the incidents. UFO sightings continue to be reported. A Google search will reveal many specific cases extending into 2019. However, there has been no absolutely positive evidence that these sightings are caused by alien spacecraft, and thus the mystery continues to evolve.

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We’ve written in the past about acupuncture, and the fact that medical facilities as respected as Johns Hopkins Medicine now provide it to patients. Medicare is now exploring whether to authorize payment for acupuncture treatment for chronic low back pain. Part of their interest is the hope to discourage opioid use for such maladies. Acupuncture is continuing to gain legitimacy as a treatment for pain in the United States. It has been reported that more than 10 million treatments are being administered each year! The Department of Veterans Affairs has trained some 2400 acupuncture providers. The Mayo Clinic is a strong supporter of acupuncture, and it supports Medicare payment for it.

The controversy goes on as to whether acupuncture is scientifically effective or it simply promotes the Placebo Effect. There is no evidence yet that the points in the body linked to the so called "energy channels" that acupuncture claims to be stimulated to offer pain relief even exist. Many doctors and scientists believe acupuncture is a placebo only. Their concern is that acupuncture is a psychological treatment, not a physiological treatment.

Vaccine issues continue to fill the news. People oppose vaccines use for a variety of reasons, but there is absolutely no scientific basis for doing so. A decade-long study involving more than 650,000 children confirmed that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine absolutely does not increase the risk of autism. You’ll recall that the start of this misbelief was a flawed 1998 study, which has been thoroughly proven to be nonsense. The new study is based in Denmark, which has a free and voluntary vaccination program. The study found that the children who received the vaccination were no more likely to develop autism than those who did not receive the vaccine.

Nine states and the District of Columbia are making commitments to increasing the use of renewable energy. A bill becoming law in Maryland without Governor Hogan’s signature is one of obtaining 50% of its electricity from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, by 2030. Governor Hogan’s mixed feelings on the bill are reflected in his statement, "This bill is not clean enough, not smart enough, nor does it create the intended jobs within Maryland." State Senator Brian Feldman, the sponsor of the bill, says it is projected that the new law will create 20,000 solar jobs and 5,000 wind jobs by 2028.

On an international level, about 80 countries want to increase their climate pledges ahead of the schedule in the Paris climate accord. Under the Paris Agreement, countries set their own targets to control their greenhouse gas emissions. The first formal deadline in the agreement to make a commitment is 2020. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Gutterres, has emphasized climate change as a major issue, and he has encouraged world leaders to tax carbon usage and to quickly phase out use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel in terms of atmospheric pollution. The current administration here in the United States continues to support use of coal. One of the world’s countries that can really make a difference is China, whom we hope will make commitments at the September summit conference.

There is some positive climate awareness movement outside the federal government here in the United States. A group of chief executives in the business world have declared that "climate change is a major threat to the U.S. economy," aligning themselves with environmental groups to call on President Trump and Congress to develop a federal policy to combat climate change. The group calls itself the CEO Climate Dialogue, and they have endorsed a goal to cut the U.S. planet warming greenhouse-gas emissions by 80 percent or more by 2050. The United Nations actually wants to reach net-zero emissions by 2050! The participation of the mainstream business world in seeking healthier climate initiatives is a very significant factor in my mind toward making real progress in climate stabilization. The undeniability of the scientific presentations in this area has brought along much of the business community, and that is a very good trend. We can hope that these businesses will also use their lobbying power to move Congress to high-level action. Will the executive branch of the federal government be persuaded to change its views and support clean energy to combat global warming?

Thanks to my chemistry colleague from my days at Bard College, here are a few points I missed with the Noble Gases. The structure of Xenon Hexachloroplatinate is probably more complex than its title suggests. It still however is a noble gas compound. Fluoride complexes of Radon, Krypton, and Argon have been synthesized. And most recently there has been evidence of the synthesis of a compound of Helium, formed under high temperatures and pressures. These gases are not quite as noble as we originally thought!

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