UFOs. Aliens. Strange crop circles. Giant figures scratched in the desert surface along the coast of Peru. The amazing alignment of the pyramids. Strange lines of clouds in the sky. The paranormal is alive and well in the American cultural landscape. In UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens, Donald R. Prothero and Tim Callahan explore why such demonstrably false beliefs thrive despite decades of education and scientific debunking. Employing the ground rules of science and the standards of scientific evidence, Prothero and Callahan discuss a wide range of topics including the reliability of eyewitness testimony, psychological research into why people want to believe in aliens and UFOs, and the role conspiratorial thinking plays in UFO culture. They examine a variety of UFO sightings and describe the standards of evidence used to determine whether UFOs are actual alien spacecraft. Finally, they consider our views of aliens and the strong cultural signals that provide the shapes and behaviors of these beings. While their approach is firmly based in science, Prothero and Callahan also share their personal experiences of Area 51, Roswell, and other legendary sites, creating a narrative that is sure to engross both skeptics and believers.

A wide-ranging survey offers “entertainment as well as wisdom for everyone who’s ever wondered what’s behind so many conspiracy theories and paranormal phenomena” (Publishers Weekly). UFOs. Aliens. Strange crop circles. Giant figures scratched in the desert surface along the coast of Peru. The amazing alignment of the pyramids. Strange lines of clouds in the sky. The paranormal is alive and well in the American cultural landscape. In UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens, Donald R. Prothero and Tim Callahan explore why such demonstrably false beliefs thrive despite decades of education and scientific debunking. Employing the ground rules of science and the standards of scientific evidence, Prothero and Callahan discuss a wide range of topics including the reliability of eyewitness testimony, psychological research into why people want to believe in aliens and UFOs, and the role conspiratorial thinking plays in UFO culture. They examine a variety of UFO sightings and describe the standards of evidence used to determine whether UFOs are actual alien spacecraft. Finally, they consider our views of aliens and the strong cultural signals that provide the shapes and behaviors of these beings. While their approach is firmly based in science, Prothero and Callahan also share their personal experiences of Area 51, Roswell, and other legendary sites, creating a narrative that is sure to engross both skeptics and believers.

“A breath of intellectual fresh air . . . [an] amusing look at how to dispel endemic pseudoscience and conspiracy theories through rational thinking.” —Publishers Weekly Aliens. Ley lines. Water dowsing. Conspiracies and myths captivate imaginations and promise mystery and magic. Whether it’s arguing about the moon landing hoax or a Frisbee-like Earth drifting through space, when held up to science and critical thinking, these ideas fall flat. In Weird Earth: Debunking Strange Ideas About Our Planet, Donald R. Prothero demystifies these conspiracies and offers answers to some of humanity’s most outlandish questions. Applying his extensive scientific knowledge, Prothero corrects misinformation that con artists and quacks use to hoodwink others about geology—hollow earth, expanding earth, and bizarre earthquakes—and mystical and paranormal happenings—healing crystals, alien landings, and the gates of hell. By deconstructing wild claims such as prophesies of imminent natural disasters, Prothero provides a way for everyone to recognize dubious assertions. Prothero answers these claims with facts, offering historical and scientific context in a light-hearted manner that is accessible to everyone, no matter their background. With a careful layering of evidence in geology, archaeology, and biblical and historical records, Prothero’s Weird Earth examines each conspiracy and myth and leaves no question unanswered. Weird Earth is about the facts and the people who don’t believe them. Don Prothero describes the process of science—and the process of not accepting it. If you’re wondering if humans walked on the Moon, if you’ve wondered where the lost City of Atlantis went, or if you’re wondering what your cat will do before an earthquake, check out Weird Earth.” —Bill Nye

This book, the first of its kind, delves into the many leaked documents that describe research into alien biology and virology. Dr. Robert Wood's forensic analysis of the documents themselves argues strongly for their authenticity. And their implications are startling. Alien viruses are not only deadly, but are of key importance to biological warfare on Earth. Wood examines the mysterious deaths of key microbiologists and virologists, offers insight into the huge government secret expenditures, and provides an incredible revelation from an Area 51 insider on autopsies of bodies of unknown origin. With assistance from seasoned researcher Nick Redfern, extensively footnoted, and with a comprehensive Index, this is the authoritative treatment of the subject.

"Absolutely perfect for the current moment." --Buzzfeed America's favorite cultural historian and author of Ghostland takes a tour of the country's most persistent "unexplained" phenomena In a world where rational, scientific explanations are more available than ever, belief in the unprovable and irrational--in fringe--is on the rise: from Atlantis to aliens, from Flat Earth to the Loch Ness monster, the list goes on. It seems the more our maps of the known world get filled in, the more we crave mysterious locations full of strange creatures. Enter Colin Dickey, Cultural Historian and Tour Guide of the Weird. With the same curiosity and insight that made Ghostland a hit with readers and critics, Colin looks at what all fringe beliefs have in common, explaining that today's Illuminati is yesterday's Flat Earth: the attempt to find meaning in a world stripped of wonder. Dickey visits the wacky sites of America's wildest fringe beliefs--from the famed Mount Shasta where the ancient race (or extra-terrestrials, or possibly both, depending on who you ask) called Lemurians are said to roam, to the museum containing the last remaining "evidence" of the great Kentucky Meat Shower--investigating how these theories come about, why they take hold, and why as Americans we keep inventing and re-inventing them decade after decade. The Unidentified is Colin Dickey at his best: curious, wry, brilliant in his analysis, yet eminently readable.

**** A reprint of the 1974 Indiana edition with a new foreword by Douglas R. Hofstadter. It is a non-mathematical book, engagingly written, and intended to lead the lay reader to an understanding of quantum theory. Also available in paper binding at $7.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Unmasking the mysteries of alien life on earth! Make mention of the word “alien” and it conjures images of black-eyed, large-headed, dwarfish beings that have come to be known as the Greys. Indeed, Greys have become a staple part of pop-culture, never mind just the field of UFO research. They’ve appeared in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1977 movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. They regularly popped up in The X-Files. And, of course, there are numerous people – all across the world – who claim to have been abducted by the Greys and subjected to intrusive medical experiments. Yet, before the 1950s, the Greys were nowhere in sight. The Alien Book: A Guide to Extraterrestrial Beings on Earth shows that extraterrestrial life comes in all kinds, appearances, sizes, and bodies. They all have one thing in common, however: the human race has encountered them, and we continue to do so today. Not just dozens, or even hundreds, but thousands of eyewitness experiences have been reported. Covering hundreds of extraterrestrial life forms in more than 40 thematic chapters, this absorbing look at the mysteries of aliens on earth includes ... the Space Brothers: long-haired, very human-looking ETs the fiendish Reptilians: seven-to-eight-foot-tall predatory shapeshifters Men in Black beings: extremely pale-skinned, tall, and with huge eyes Black-eyed Children: anemic-looking kids with solid black eyes that might be ET-human hybrids Bigfoot the werewolf-like Dogmen jellyfish-style aliens that soar around the skies of our world the Shadow People: dangerous humanoids that terrorize people legendary Nephilim space-vampires: insect-like aliens that resemble a giant praying mantis and many, many more! The Alien Book investigates the full range of sentient, alien life forms. Some are benign and others downright deadly. Some are small, like a germ or virus that has NASA, creating guidelines to deal with an outbreak of an extraterrestrial germ. Some are big like a giant praying mantis or the biblical Goliath. They all lurk on Earth and in this chilling book! With more than 120 photos and graphics, this tome is richly illustrated. Its helpful bibliography and extensive index add to its usefulness.

The first official companion book to HISTORY® network’s hit series Ancient Aliens®: a powerful journey through human history that explores fascinating unanswered questions about the origins of our civilizations. With a foreword by Series Creator, Kevin Burns. Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? And if so, what if there were clues left behind? Each week, hundreds of thousands of viewers tune in to the wildly popular Ancient Aliens® television series to seek insight into those very questions—and to become part of a thrilling, probing exploration of the mysteries at the heart of world civilizations. The first official companion book to the hit show, Ancient Aliens® takes readers even deeper into the mysteries that have made the show a pop culture phenomenon. Filled with exciting insights and behind-the scenes stories from the show’s creators and leading experts in ancient alien theory, the book explores the key questions at the heart of the series: Who were they? Why did they come? What did they leave behind? Where did they go? Will they return? Transporting readers around the globe, Ancient Aliens® explores the fascinating enigmas and mysterious artifacts our ancestors left behind, from incredible objects to amazingly accurate ancient maps; from the Great Pyramid of Giza and stone megaliths at Gobekli Tepe to the Nazca Plains and mysterious structures of Puma Punku. Accompanied by lavish 4-color photography throughout, the book allows armchair archaeologists to examine the evidence up close for the first time. Both the ultimate-fan book and the perfect gift for readers new to the show, Ancient Aliens® is a compelling journey through the mysteries of our ancient civilizations and the possibility of alien influence on our cultures.

Get a buzz out of science with a collection of fun facts and explanations of the world around us from the author of How Can You Tell if a Spider Is Dead? What can you learn about your world in just a moment? Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue? Or whether dogs can read our facial expressions? Don Glass and experts in their fields answer these questions and many more. Written for readers of all ages with no background in science required, How the World Looks to a Bee is the perfect armchair companion for curious people who want to know more about the science of everyday life but have only a moment to spare. With intriguing everyday phenomena as a starting point, this entertaining collectionuses short tutorials and quick and simple experiments to invite readers to test the science for themselves. These fascinating and topical science stories are sure to delight the curious child in all of us.

A collection of the most stunning topics found on AboveTopSecret.com investigated by the renowned conspiracy theorist and author of Crossfire. Jim Marrs can justifiably be considered the world’s leading conspiracy author, with multimillion bestsellers like Alien Agenda, Rule by Secrecy, and the book that Oliver Stone used as a basis for his JFK movie, Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy. Now Marrs has allied with the web’s most popular conspiracy forum to investigate everything from chemtrails to the Nazis’ Antarctic base, moon landing hoaxes to UFOs, God as an alien to the end of the world in 2012. AboveTopSecret.com is the Internet’s largest and most popular discussion board community, with more than twelve million page views per month. It is dedicated to the intelligent exchange of ideas and debate on a wide range of “alternative topics” such as conspiracies, UFOs, paranormal, secret societies, political scandals, new world order, terrorism, and dozens of related topics. AboveTopSecret’s popular podcast is downloaded tens of millions of times per month. Marrs brings his rigorous journalist’s credentials to bear on these topics and more, asking (and often answering) the essential who, what, when, where, why, and how questions in compelling, page-turning fashion.