TGR 12.04.17. Heretical History and The Extinction Game

This week on The Gralien Report, we kick things off with the latest news in the world of paleontology, which includes the realization that science had been wrong about Archaeopteryx, the earliest birdlike dinosaur, for more than 160 years. Elsewhere, we look at the discussion — and dismissal — pertaining to the 2017 Super Moon, and how astrology, pseudoscience, and ancient celestial mysteries relate to this subject. Finally, are humans all descended from deep-sea sponges?

Elsewhere, we feature a segment on “Heretical History,” which includes the rediscovery of an ancient Roman “party town,” as well as a new discovery by a pair of Texas professors that relates to the “lost teachings” of Jesus Christ. Elsewhere, an archaeological discovery looks at physical evidence for the existence of Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor famously mentioned in the New Testament. And in keeping with the idea of “heretical history,” one North Carolina sociologist argued back in 2015 that Graham Hancock, purveyor of fringe archaeological theories about “lost civilizations,” is, in fact, the devil. Fortunately, the argument was entirely tongue in cheek, and the points it raises in relation to modern archaeology, pseudoscience, and the spirit of debate and inquiry are extraordinarily on-point.

Finally, why is the United Nations concerned about a recent discovery via Freedom of Information Act requests, which sheds light on secretive genetic experiments that would use “extinction technologies” to aid in wiping out diseases malaria? Maybe there is cause for concern over why this could backfire, and in more ways than one. This and more are among the topics discussed in this week’s edition of The Gralien Report.