Q: Giorgio, you traveled to the remote corners of the planet in search of the mysterious. Did you find anything during those trips that has cleared out all your doubts about the existence of Extraterrestrials?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Yes. There is this one place in South America called PUMA PUNKU, in the Highlands of Bolivia. There, at an altitude of almost 14,000ft we have a field of ruins. The remnants we find there defy logic. Not only are the stone blocks humongous, but also the rock cutting techniques are beyond what we could achieve today with the help of modern technology. What we have there is granite and diorite. The only stone harder on the Mohs scale is DIAMOND. What does that mean? The ONLY conclusion how ANY of this could’ve been doe is if the tools they used were tipped with diamonds… fascinating, ey? Mainstream archaeology claims that this was accomplished by using copper tools, obsidian, and chicken bones. Uh-huh, suuuure. I’ve spoken to structural engineers and people involved with construction and they unanimously agree that NONE of this would’ve been possible without the use of sophisticated technology.
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Q: Bill, did you talk to the film crew about your work? What do Dwayne Johnson or Andy Fickman or others think about extraterrestrial life and UFOs?

Bill Birnes: Andy told me a very funny story. He said that at first, the case, and especially Dwayne and Carla interested in UFOs, but not especially passionate. It was a distant kind of interest. In fact, there was no immediacy to the presence of UFOs. So to give some background, Andy played for the cast the first season DVDs of UFO Hunters. As the reality of UFOs sunk in, Andy told me that Dwayne and the rest of the cast had become so enthusiastic that they said, “why isn’t everyone talking about this?” So the answer is that by the time Giorgio got to the set, cast and crew were very enthusiastic. Moreover, the UFO expo scene was so realistic that members of the crew and the cast of extras kept walking over to our table to tell us about their UFO experiences and browse through the magazines. After a few hours, we thought we really were at a UFO expo.
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Q: Bill or Giorgio, what are the parts of the Movie RACE TO WHITCH MOUNTAIN that you enjoyed the most – both in the making and in the cinema.

Bill Birnes: I happen to love Jack Bruno’s character. He’s brought into the world of ETs very much against his will. I think that the ET assassin and the Men in Black were also very well done because you can actually imagine how two different species can have the same tasks and approach them the same ways. It’s why I liked Jack Bruno because he had to take on both our bad guys and their bad guy. RACE is a movie about kids at odds with their culture. And perhaps how that cultural disconnect and reconnect is what I liked the most.
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Q: Giorgio, do you “believe” Extraterrestrials exist? If yes, how do you imagine how they look like? Are there any scientific facts that make you imagine them this way?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Here’s the thing: this entire topic is not a question about BELIEF. Personally, I do NOT “believe” in extraterrestrials, I KNOW they exist, I am convinced of it. You see, the term “belief” or “I believe in this or that” automatically infers a religious connotation. NONE of this has anything to do with religion. I do not worship ETs. I do not bow my head in front of an alien altar! On the contrary: I myself am a deeply spiritual man, convinced that an all-encompassing force permeates the entire Universe. This is commonly referred to as Pantheism. So anyone subscribing to the extraterrestrial idea, there is no need to loose your belief in God. Quite on the contrary, in fact.
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Q: Giorgio, can you describe your work on the set for us? What was the experience like?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Loooong hours, but you know what? It was an incredible experience because we were made feel very welcome on the set. I know it sounds cliché, but that’s how it was. Plus, I am endlessly fascinated by the whole movie-making process and it was a total treat for me to be able to check out the sets and observe the lighting guys setting up the lights and the camera people setting up for the next shot etc. I find the whole process infinitely fascinating and I was thrilled beyond belief that I had the opportunity to experience it. ONE thing I forgot to mention earlier: we were filming deep into the night and we were shooting Dr. Friedman’s lecture, and all of a sudden, Andy Fickman, the director yells: “Break! Let’s get some In-N-Out!” …and I was like “Where? How do we get to In-N-Out from here?” (Because we were in the middle of nowhere). As we walked outside, a HUGE In-N-Out TRUCK was waiting for us outside! In the middle of the night! I had a number 2! It was magnificent.
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Q: Giorgio, do you think the film can be taken seriously from a scientific point of view?

Bill Birnes: I’ll pick up for Giorgio, who can also answer this Answer is, yes. I think that absent some defense relationship between our defense establishment and ET, the radar NORAD scene is very realistic. Some of the powers that the ETs have are also realistic because many human beings have demonstrated similar powers of psycho kinesis and being able to vibrate so as to move through objects. Yogis claim to have demonstrated some of these powers. So in a humanistic way, this is very scientifically realistic.
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Q: Giorgio, in the movie, Dr Friedman is not taken seriously as a scientist; most people in her conference wanted sensationalism and to hear abduction stories. Is it hard being in this field, knowing you have to face a hefty amount of cynicism and speculation?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: It goes with the territory. I’m VERY aware of the fact that what Bill and I do for a living isn’t quite what people would consider “normal.” But then again, WHAT is normal? Look, it all depends how you present it. Besides Bill Birnes and me you’d be hard-pressed to find any “normal” LOOKING UFO experts in our field. It seems that many of our co-researchers have just stepped off the set of a LORD OF THE RINGS movie in which they played some type of troll. Their appearance does NOT help the cause as a whole. It doesn’t take much to put on a nice suit and wash up. In RACE, Dr. Friedman was quite presentable and thus, just by her appearance alone, she lent credence to the work she tried to accomplish. It is my firm belief that the same counts to the real-life UFOlogy / Alternative History fields. (Now any UFO researcher who reads this and gets upset, you KNOW I’m right, now go get a haircut!)
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Q: What are the similarities between the character Dr. Alex Friedman and real life UFO researchers?

Bill Birnes: In reality, UFO scientist-researchers are very unsensational. The best are actually quite dull because they are scientists first and UFO researchers second. The best are physicists, chemists, and biologists. These researchers are dedicated to their fields and do not want their reputations to suffer by being unacademic, unscientific, and sensational.
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Q: Bill and Giorgio — What do you think about crop circles?

Bill Birnes: As real as they get. The question is why and how. We know there have been many crop circle hoaxers. But hoaxers can’t modify the soil so make birds deviate their flight patterns around the crop circle. We know that the way the plant shoots are bent, not broken, and also heavily magnetized, is not the result of hoaxing. Then, ask yourself, how can a person on the ground create the complicated mathematical designs that can only be seen from hundred of feet in the air?
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Q: Have either of you been involved in the Blu-ray and DVD production of the movie? Perhaps a Special Feature on UFOs?

Bill Birnes: I think we are both in the special features section of the Blu-ray in an eight-minute combined segment. Can’t want to see the HD version of the movie.
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Q: Giorgio, is it true that you and your magazine Legendary Times actually had a booth at the fictitious UFO Space Expo in the film? Did you have fun with it? Was it really authentic?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Yes we did! And it was a blast! Truth be told, the fictitious UFO Conference in RACE is not what real-life UFO conferences are like. Personally, I think that the UFO field would be better off IF its conferences were a little more along the lines of what we see in RACE. As far as authenticity goes, real-life UFO conferences can be quite stale, dusty and boring. It would be nice to bring some excitement into it. Disney did a wonderful job and I feel very privileged and proud to have been given the opportunity to be a part of it.
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Q: Giorgio, you were one of the founders of the A.A.S. R.A. What were you motives?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: “Motives” sounds a bit sinister… 🙂 I’d have to say “Education”. We want to educate the world about the fact that not only are we not alone in the Universe but that our planet has been visited by extraterrestrials for thousands and thousands of years.
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Q: Bill, do you think that there is a conspiracy among politicians not to tell the truth about the existence of Extraterrestrials to the public?

Bill Birnes: Absolutely. I think that most politicians simply don’t know about it. And if they try to find out, they’re told in no uncertain terms to back off. Look at President Carter, who was kept out of the loop. Look at Clinton, who said they wouldn’t let him get close to it. JFK? The Marilyn Monroe memo makes you wonder. Other politicians, such as Bush 41, was probably at the center of the secret. Cheney was probably close to it because Bush 43 said he was. We know there is a UFO special access projects office in the Pentagon staffed by one of the Undersecretaries of State.
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Q: The series 4400 was a mind-bender! Would we inherit special powers like those – good and bad- that the government would monitor?

Bill Birnes: I think there is much truth to 4400. Abductees have told me that they did develop various abilities as a result of their contact experiences. Some have developed the abilities to see into the future. Some develop psychic powers. Some actually can move objects with their minds. But I don’t think that these are powers given to abductees by ETS. I think all of us have these powers that get developed by contact with ETs
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Q: How do you distinguish fake and legit sightings of UFOs when you receive the information? What are the first things you check on videos and reports?

Bill Birnes: On UFO Hunters, because we have the resources, we: Look for corroborating witnesses Try to find whatever video exists Search for trace evidence Analyze videos and stills with the appropriate software so as to answer the questions Has the film or video been doctored? Is this scene a set up? What do the negatives or originals show?
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Q: Dear Mr. Tsoukalos, the A.A.S. R.A. is determined to prove whether or not Extraterrestrials have visited Earth in the remote past. Could you explain which scientific research methods you are using?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: First of all, none of the work we do is from hearsay. We go out in the field, travel to the actual places, so we can photograph, measure and touch the objects we write about. Like this, we can verify the items ourselves. Also, we compare and contrast. If we have a legend or a story in one place and a similar story and legend somewhere else, we evaluate the possibility whether or not the story had a common origin. And if so, WHAT was the common origin? In a court of law, sometimes proof is deduced by indication, and evidence is selected and corroborated from various avenues. These are the techniques we use. And NO, the aliens did NOT build the pyramids: -P
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Q: Bill, when you hear “extraterrestrial life”, what is your first association with the term? Technically, microorganisms and bacteria are also single-cell life forms. Or do you mean thinking, feeling individuals just like human beings?

Bill Birnes: I do think of microbiological or microbial life. In fact, I think that ETs visit us every single day in microbe form I think that we are ETs, landing here from Mars when chunks were breaking off the planet and landing in our oceans to form the key element of the primordial soup that became us.
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Q: Many UFO sightings have proved to be hoaxes. Bill what of the proven hoaxes came the closest to fooling everyone?

Bill Birnes: I think that the Morristown Lights hoax in January 2009, fooled lots of people, including the media. The police knew that the hoaxers had launched flares, but an experienced pilot and a local township health officer could not tell that the lights were flares. I couldn’t tell, from the video, that these were flares.
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Q: Giorgio, do you think it’s possible that Extraterrestrials live among humans, like shown in the film “Race to Witch Mountain”?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Never say never… who knows?
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Q: Bill and Giorgio, with Monday’s 40th anniversary of the United State’s first moonwalk, speculation has re-emerged regarding the validity of this event. What are your thoughts on this, and what evidence from your own findings support your opinion?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: OF COURSE we went to the Moon. All I have to say is this: we MUST remember that the space race happened during the HEIGHT of the Cold War. We had many spies in the Soviet Union, they had many spies here in the US. You can bet your last dollar that had we never went to the Moon, and it was all a hoax, that would have been on the front page of PRAVDA immediately. The Soviets would have had a field day exposing and embarrassing us in front of the entire world. So, again, we DID go to the Moon, and any arguments to the contrary, in my personal opinion, are daft.
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Q: So… Is Dwayne Johnson an alien, or is he really just that big?

Bill Birnes: Really that big. Very, very big. But a genuinely nice guy, who went out of his way to welcome us to the set and told us that if we needed anything at all, to walk up and tell him. He made us all feel very welcome.
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Q: Bill, do you think that there is a place on earth where some secret agencies keep aliens for scientific purposes?

Bill Birnes: Yes. Area 51 in Nevada. Dugway in Utah, and possibly still at Wright-Patterson in Dayton
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Q: Bill, do you find it annoying when people generalize aliens into always being ‘little green men from Mars’? What’s with the ‘green’ and ‘Mars’ preoccupation? Even Dwayne’s character in the movie states the same.

Bill Birnes: Not annoying at all. In reality, the Roswell aliens were flesh-colored. Other ETs look just like us and are probably our relatives. But, because it’s not easy being green, and green is the color of reptiles, it is a popular depiction. Green is spookier than red or flesh or purple.
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Q: Giorgio, What do you think is the best way to convince skeptics of UFO existence? I mean, it’s logical that there has to be (intelligent) live somewhere in the vast universe but how can you convey this to someone who does not want to believe in it.

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Here’s the thing: this entire topic is not a question about BELIEF. Personally, I do NOT “believe” in extraterrestrials, I KNOW they exist, I am convinced of it. You see, the term “belief” or “I believe in this or that” automatically infers a religious connotation. NONE of this has anything to do with religion. I do not worship ETs. I do not bow my head in front of an alien altar! On the contrary: I myself am a deeply spiritual man, convinced that an all-encompassing force permeates the entire Universe. This is commonly referred to as Pantheism. So anyone subscribing to the extraterrestrial idea, there is no need to loose your belief in God. Quite on the contrary, in fact.
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Q: Bill, what is the greatest reason, that makes you believe in aliens?

Bill Birnes: My Uncle Sam, without realizing it, of course, told me all I needed to know. Our government is very forthcoming in special ways about letting out portions of the truth, laced with disinformation, but, nonetheless, the truth. Also lots of documents exist that bespeak the existence of UFOs. And Walter Haut’s deathbed affidavit about what he saw at Roswell blows the lid off the cover-up.
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Q: In most movies, the UFO conventions are packed to look like this week’s Comic-Con attendees. Is that an accurate representation of these conventions or are they much more serious?

Bill Birnes: Some UFO conventions are this packed and as crowded as Comic-con. However, Comic-con is certainly more costume and character oriented than UFO conventions
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Q: Race to Witch Mountain is coming out on Blu-ray in a few weeks. With the steady improvement of high-definition camera technology, how much have chances increased to catch a clear photo of a UFO?

Bill Birnes: I think we already have some clear photos of UFOs, and we didn’t need HD to get them. Back in the 1950s, one of the clearest photos ever taken was by Rex Hefflin. The government tried to debunk the photos, but our analysis on UFO Hunters proved that the government specialists trying to prove a hoax were themselves the hoaxers.
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Q: Do you think that – if aliens are on earth and are able to shape shift to look like humans – a story like the one in the movie is possible to become reality?

Bill Birnes: Some people say that ETs are in human form here and are in control of key parts of our government, financial industries, and other corporations.
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Q: Bill, if the government has information and proof of the existence of UFOs, why do you think choose to hide it?

Bill Birnes: Probably because, as I have been told, human beings are not ready for the real truth. It’s not just about the UFOs, it’s about us, who we are, where we’re from, why we’re here, what our future is? If you were the president and were told, upon taking office, that this is the truth, but if you reveal it, the ETs will turn very hostile and things will not go well for us. What would you do? You would keep the secret at all costs. Keep the secret and save the planet. I think the decision to hide it is probably obvious.
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Q: Giorgio, did you talk to the film crew about your work? What do Dwayne Johnson or Andy Fickman or others think about extraterrestrial life and UFOs?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Yes, I did talk to Dwayne at the after party on the night of the premiere and I told him that I was very pleased how the UFO question was being addressed in this movie to which Dwayne replied that he was very happy to hear this from a real-life UFO expert. And Andy is a self-professed UFO buff! I mean, did he have a choice? He grew up in Roswell! Also Andy told me that he was very happy that the UFO community embraced the movie quite positively.
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Q: Bill, would you call yourself an “alien-hunter”?

Bill Birnes: Yes. In fact, I am actively on the hunt for entities, probably in human form, who are living here and controlling parts of our planet. I don’t know what I would do if one actually confronted me, but I would try to get that entity on UFO Hunters.
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Q: Bill, Which, in your opinion, is the best sci-fi movie till date?

Bill Birnes: Obviously, my loyalty goes to Andy and Race to Witch Mountain. But, in addition, I think that 50 Million Miles to Earth, back from the 1960s, is one of the compelling movies. I think that the original Day the Earth Stood Still is based on a real event from the early 1950s and was based on a story the CIA privately released. Also, Close Encounters was probably based on a real landing story and human exchange during the Johnson administration.
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Q: Giorgio, do you think that science fiction, via books, TV or film, help or hinder the public’s opinion on the existence of aliens?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Definitely help. All these different media outlets most certainly help the general mainstream to get used to the idea “Hey! Guess what? We’re not alone! Not are we not alone, but they’ve always been here…”
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Q: Bill and Giorgio, what would you say to people who stated that aliens and UFO’s simply couldn’t and don’t exist?

Bill Birnes: I would say that closed minds gather no information. Even super skeptic Seth Shostak from SETI says that he believes that aliens exist. Just not on Earth. Obviously we disagree.
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Q: Giorgio, Which, in your opinion, is the best sci-fi movie till date?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: If you would’ve asked me this question 3 months ago, I would’ve told you THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. That movie will forever hold a special place in my heart. Still, I’d have to say the new STAR TREK blew me away. To me, it was almost a transcendental experience. After watching that movie opening night, my friends and I looked at each other, jaws to the floor, and we went right back in line, bought another ticket and watched the movie a second time, back to back. It was as good the second time around. The interesting thing is, I am not and never was a Trekker… my hat goes off to JJ Abrams. The new STAR TREK is what the new STAR WARS prequels COULD’VE been like…
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Q: Would we really encounter special power people from space as those children in the film? Would that kind of power exist to survive such a space travel ordeal to earth?

Bill Birnes: What will blow your mind is to learn that human beings already have much of that special power. We can see the future, travel in time, intuit the thoughts of others, and probably can exercise some forms of psycho kinesis.
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Q: Bill, do you enjoy Science Fiction entertainment in general?

Bill Birnes: Yes, I do, and I taught a science fiction course in college. I also write science fiction for Macmillan Publishing
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Q: What do you think of this movie in terms of accuracy compared to other, maybe more generally known form of implementing UFOs into entertainment – like THE X FILES, for instance?

Bill Birnes: Andy did a good job of working in real UFO personalities the film. The various UFO expert types, Gary’s character, and even Dwayne Johnson’s reaction to learning that he had ETs in his cab are all right on. The entire mystique of the world of UFO research is also captured accurately and in an entertaining way.
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Q: Bill, did you prepare for the shooting of the movie and if so, how?

Bill Birnes: We set up the UFO Magazine and UFO Hunters booths. I worked with History Channel to make sure that Andy had everything he needed for the UFO convention scene. We also worked with Whitley Streiber and Roger Leir to make Andy’s job as easy as possible in a very frenzied scene
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Q: Bill and Giorgio, is it hard being in a field that is subject to cynicism and doubt?

Bill Birnes: Not really. You just have to keep doing your job and not seek approval from others
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Q: Giorgio, what evidence is there for UFO sightings around the world being legitimate, and how do you go about investigating sightings?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Each year, there are thousands and thousands of UFO reports from every corner of the world. It is my personal opinion that out of the thousands of reports, many are, in fact, objects that have been misinterpreted as extraterrestrial in nature. Still, if out of the thousands and thousands of reports, ONLY ONE report is correct, well, that’s all we need… Personally, I do not investigate any modern UFO sightings, that’s what my esteemed colleague Dr. Bill Birnes does. The “UFOs” which I investigate, visited Earth thousands of years ago. And in that investigation, I consult ancient texts, drawings, petro glyphs, oral and written traditions…
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Q: Bill, how likely do you think it is that evidence of alien life will be discovered within our lifetime?

Bill Birnes: I think evidence of alien life has already been discovered on Mars. I believe that we’re not releasing that information because we need a context for it. We need the truth to be obvious, not subject to debate. Also, as Giorgio can tell you, evidence of alien life exists all over the planet in ancient ruins and depictions. We already know that alien life exists and that it’s on Earth. The problem is how to disclose it.
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Q: Space- so vast! How can scientist assume the size and the infinity of such an unknown area? Shouldn’t we be traveling in space now- why has technology failed us to build star fleets like we see on Star Trek, etc?

Bill Birnes: I would love to see that. But how can you deliver universal health care, a safety net for working class Americans, and national defense while at the same time investing trillions of dollars into technologies that are not yet proven? A bigger question is how much ET technology does the government already have that they can’t talk about because it would reveal the truth about UFOs.
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Q: Hi Bill and Giorgio – what it like being involved with such a big movie?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: It was a great privilege working on this project. I had a blast and one of the fondest memories I have from being on the set was the food were served by a catering company CHEF ROBERT. I mean, the guy cooked for hundreds and hundreds of people and the food was delicious. Just thinking about it makes me salivate!
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Q: Bill and Giorgio, can you tell us more about how you entered this field of work?

Bill Birnes: For me, it had to do with my work with Lt. Col. Philip Corso on the book THE DAY AFTER ROSWELL. I was hired by a motion picture company to edit his stories and represent the manuscript to a publisher. From there, I became the publisher of UFO Magazine, wrote other books on UFOs, and then, of course, UFO Hunters
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Q: Obvious question: have you ever been in an encounter with an extra-terrestrial?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Never. It seems whenever Giorgio shows up, the UFOs immediately zip away… LOL But then again, I don’t need any convincing. I know they exist.
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Q: Can you compare the work of fictional character Dr. Alex Friedman to your work – how accurate has the research been implemented into the film?

Bill Birnes: Dr. Friedman is very much like UFO researchers. In fact, one of the most important researchers in the field of UFO studies is Stan Friedman, a retired nuclear physicist, who also writes for UFO Magazine.
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Q: What do you think of the way UFOs and ufology are being treated in films? Do you get consulted often by filmmakers?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: There used to be a time when the entire UFO topic was dragged through the mud on a constant basis. However, I think more and more Hollywood films are addressing the whole UFO/extraterrestrial question on a more serious note: RACE TO WHICH MOUNTAIN, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, AND KNOWING, are but a few blockbuster movies which came out recently and they all dealt heavily with the extraterrestrial question.
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Q: This question is for both Bill and Giorgio… How do you balance the silliness of the UFO convention with serious UFO research?

Bill Birnes: There are serious researchers, quiet writers, and just plain old-fashioned enthusiasts. Sometimes, it’s just fun to indulge your interests. When I was a Medievalist and teaching college, I thoroughly enjoyed Medieval festivals even though they were fun and not at all serious.
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Q: How pleased were you with the results Disney displayed in the Witch Mountain film?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: I thought that the general theme of the movie was very positive toward the entire UFO field. RACE did not make a mockery out of the UFO field and I was very pleased by the final product. I think this is a movie the entire UFO community can be very proud of.
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Q: Bill, what do you think about the look of the UFO in the movie? Were you involved in creating it?

Bill Birnes: No the creation of the effects and props came from Andy and is production and artistic staff
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Q: Do you think it’s possible that aliens could be living among us already?

Bill Birnes: Absolutely. In fact, some of the aliens are indistinguishable from humans. Some alien species actually are human, who, some say, planted us here
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Q: As far as movies go, it’s common to show that UFO sightings always occur in North America. Do you, as UFO experts, know of any UFO sightings in the Middle East, more specifically U.A.E. or the city of Dubai?

Bill Birnes: There are incredible stories of sightings in the Middle East, South America, and Eastern and Western Europe. In fact, some of the best sightings are in Mexico
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Q: Dear Mr. Tsoukalos, I am writing for a German magazine for young people. Could you explain to our readers what is meant by the “Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis”?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: It is always great to hear when a younger audience is interested in the Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis. Essentially, the theory is determined to prove whether or not extraterrestrials visited earth in the remote past. The theory gained worldwide popularity through Erich von Daniken’s book CHARIOTS OF THE GODS (ERINNERUNGEN AN DIE ZUKUNFT) in 1968 and I am happy to say that the theory is still going strong. It is a very exciting topic, especially for the younger generation because it combines archaeology with adventure!
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Q: Bill, how does the on screen UFO expert measure up to what you deal with in real life?

Bill Birnes: I think that in real life there are so many different types of experts, the screen expert is just like real life.
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Q: Do you think aliens could take human form like Sara and Seth?

Bill Birnes: Yes, absolutely. In fact, one of the theories is that the aliens, some of them, are in human form and can shape shift
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Q: Hi there Bill and Giorgio. How did you enjoy making the film, and what was your input exactly in terms UFO history and hunting on around the globe over the years?

Bill Birnes: Enjoyed it very much.
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Q: Giorgio, Could you describe how you were involved in the making of the film and how it felt being a part of the production.

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Ein liebes SERVUS nach Oesterreich! I was invited to play myself in the movie because of some scenes that were shot at a UFO Conference in Las Vegas. It was a thrill to be a part of the production and I felt very welcome during my days of shooting.
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Thank you very much for your attention and thank you for the great questions! I’m especially pleased that some of this information will be read by a younger audience. Please feel free to contact me at any time should you require any further information or have more questions at editor (at) legendarytimes.com . I’d be happy to send you a copy of LEGENDARY TIMES MAGAZINE so you can get a better picture of the work that we do. Thank you! Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, Publisher, Legendary Times Magazine
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Thanks to everyone for joining this chat and asking all of the very on-point questions. It’s been fun chatting with everyone, and I hope that we answered all your questions. Feel free to contact me at bill@ufomag.com for any more questions about UFOs and the field. Thanks and bye-bye for now. Bill
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Thank you Giorgio and Bill for your time, and thanks to everyone for attending the Race to Witch Mountain UFO Expert round table! A copy of the transcript will be e-mailed to everyone within the next couple of days.

Session 2

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Welcome everyone to the Race to Witch Mountain UFO Expert Round Table! The video bonus feature is now playing. Please send over your questions. Bill and Giorgio will answer them shortly. Thanks!

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Q: Giorgio, how does all of this tie into, as far as destiny, how do you believe aliens and advanced
technology tie into the bible? Wouldn’t one render the other moot or is it one in the same?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Well, simply speaking, and to be brief, whatever is described in the Old Testament, was NOT “God” but a misinterpreted flesh-and-blood extraterrestrial who visited in a nuts-and-bolts spaceship. While our ancestors were HIGHLY intelligent, their TECHNOLOGICAL frame of reference did not allow them to understand the nuts-and-bolts aspect of that technology they witnessed. Does that contradict the idea of God-God? Of course not, quite on the contrary. You see, the question of God is much larger than for it to be confined to a (man-made!) book. So, subscribing to the extraterrestrial question and still having a belief in God is not mutually exclusive. In fact, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere here, I’m almost certain that even extraterrestrials, as advanced as they may be, probably STILL have the SAME questions about life, death – and God!
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Q: Giorgio, looking at the postulation about Earth being in danger by a malevolent race – do you think we could ever become that malevolent race threatening an alien race other there someday?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Yes and no. You see, good and evil permeates the entire Universe. It is not restricted to our home planet only. Still, I would venture to say that we’re not under any direct threat by any truly benevolent race because – truth be told – if the aliens wanted to eat us for dessert, they would’ve done that already a long, long time ago. So no, I do not subscribe to the idea that we are nothing but a slave race for the extraterrestrials and that we’re about to be exterminated. I think such scenarios merely feed into the whole gloom-and-doom worldview which mankind seems to have a penchant for… and it is unfortunate, because we live in VERY exciting times and I very much look forward of what the future has to offer. And NO, the world will NOT come to an end in 2012. No Apocalypse, no End of Days, no Judgment Day. It’s all unsubstantiated fear-mongering garbage. We’ll all be there on December 22, 2012, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! Don’t let 2012 become the Y2K of this generation… 😉 Let’s embrace it for what it is: the beginning of a new period of time. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Q: Bill, can you describe the process of how one should report an alien sighting – if one managed to chance upon one!

Bill Birnes: If you call information to ask how to report a UFO/alien sighting, the operator will give you our 800 number. We take the call and if the sighting is interesting, we will pass it along to one of our writers or experts in a certain geographical location to investigate.
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Q: In relation to Witch Mountain and a possible “race” to a potential real life Witch Mountain, is there a connection to any 2012 scenarios as far as aliens or advanced race, or is it all scientific?

Bill Birnes: Insofar as a race to a real Witch Mountain may be a reality, if it is apocalyptic, somehow related to the existence of the human race and it’s destiny, salvation, or destruction, then there could be a 2012 connection. What we don’t know is whether 2012 is a fiction because the Mayans simply stopped their calendar or whether 2012 means that our solar system is simply crossing the plane of the galaxy and the calendar has to restart or go backwards.
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Q: Giorgio can you give your take as well? Most of the countries that you named that have the most UFO sightings (eg. Peru, Brazil, China) have an ancient history/civilisation. Is there a reason for this? I live in Australia and have never heard of any alien sightings around here. Could it be possible that aliens visited us in the past but have not been doing so recently?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: There are plenty of sightings that come from Australia. Also, there are many, many aboriginal paintings that unequivocally show some type of extraterrestrial event a long, long time ago… The images are quite intriguing: beings with halos and “weird” gear and simply bizarre accoutrements. When looked at from a modern perspective, WHAT was it that our ancestors wanted to tell us? Was it really all a figment of their imagination? I don’t think so. Even fantasy has an initial spark of inspiration rooted in reality.
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Q: At a guess, how many species have traveled to Earth?

Bill Birnes: At a guess, some folk say that over a hundred and fifty species, from humanoids, to grays, to tall beings, to insectoids, to Mantis beings, to light beings and even orbs have not only traveled to earth, but reside here amongst us.
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Q: Describe what a UFO is and what it/they look like?

Bill Birnes: There are many different types of UFOs. Basically, a UFO is a flying object that you can’t identify. However, a UFO can be a flying saucer — disk shaped — a flying triangle, a flying crescent, and even a flying cylinder. They all seem to have some sort of anti-gravitational envelope around them and are able to stop time in order to get from point to point instantly. They can fly in our atmosphere as if they’re flying in a bubble and zip out into space in an instant.
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Q: Giorgio, why has no one come up with undeniable and provable evidence of extra terrestrial’s on earth?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: No one has…? Really…? Hmmmm… 😛
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Q: In the Blu-ray bonus feature Director Andy Fickman talks about growing up in Roswell New Mexico, famous for the stories of an alien spaceship crashing there and being covered up by the government. Do either of you believe there is truth in that story? Is there any solid proof it actually happened?

Bill Birnes: I believe that the Roswell crash really happened and have spoken to good eyewitnesses, whose testimony tells me that it constitutes proof. There are the witnesses Frankie Rowe Alpha Boyd, whose parents were eyewitnesses. Frankie herself was an eyewitness to a piece of the debris and was threatened by a CIC officer. The Brazels were witnesses as was Jesse Marcel Sr and Jr. Even today, Jesse Jr talks about the night he held the Roswell memory metal in his hand and looked at the strange markings on a piece of a the craft. Last year we interviewed the late Earl Fulford, who had stepped forward to say that he was one of the Army sergeants at the crash site who helped recover pieces of the debris and was later sworn to silence. There are just too many witnesses, including Walter Haut, who described the entire incident and his role in covering it up when he swore out his deathbed affidavit. So I believe it was real and we have proof that it happened.
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Q: Have either of you ever talked to Nasa astronauts and if so what are some of the incredible stories they’ve told, because I assume they’ve seen things we’ve never even heard of?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Yes, in fact, Ed Mitchell has gone VERY public about not only are we not alone, but that they’ve been here all along. MItchell is the most outspoken of the NASA astronauts. I admire him for his courage.
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Q: What would you say is the ratio of hoax: real sightings these days?

Bill Birnes: I think that in the cases of floating lights, hoaxes are almost equal to real UFO events.
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Q: Giorgio, What book would you recommend someone wishing to understand UFOlogy and the like as a first must-read?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Top of the list would certainly be CHARIOTS OF THE GODS which is the definitive book on the subject and you can build your collection/knowledge from there. Another starting point, of course, is reading LEGENDARY TIMES MAGAZINE which is the only publication in the world which explores the Ancient Astronaut question with a sense of adventure. LTMagazine lets the reader embark on a high-octane thrill ride around the planet in articles which cannot be found anywhere else. Please feel free to visit legendarytimes.com to find out more.
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Q: Are there any alien sightings that have completely confounded you as to whether they could be real or a hoax?

Bill Birnes: Sure. I think many hoaxers know that by launching flare balloons over airports they can create lots of witnesses, who will swear these are craft. Witnesses in San Diego California last year and Morristown New Jersey this year were completely fooled until the hoaxers stepped forward. I admit that I couldn’t tell, from the video, what the Morristown lights were at first glance but would have had to rely on some frame-by-frame enhancement to see how the colors fluctuated.
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Q: Have you known about UFO’s sights in Colombia?

Bill Birnes: There have been a few sightings that we know about in Colombia, and UFO researchers do contact UFO Hunter all the time from South America to invite us to their countries. If we can get the network to set up that schedule for us, we would spend more time in South America, especially Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Chile.
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Q: For the most part what do you think people believe in more abductions or UFO sightings?

Bill Birnes: I think it’s UFO sightings by a wide margin. Most people think abductions are some other kind of phenomenon. However, those who claim to have been abducted or contacted, have no qualms about stepping up to say that there are far more abductions than people think there are.
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Q: Have you known about UFO’s sights in Colombia?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Personally, I am not familiar with any modern UFO reports from Colombia, even though I am almost sure that they exist because modern UFO reports come in from all around the world. However, what I do know is that there are some very interesting ancient pre-Columbian gold artifacts which have been found that are eerily reminiscent of modern-day fighter jets. These gold objects are commonly referred to as the “Goldflyers” and some of them can be seen at the Museo del Oro in Bogota, but also at the Smithsonian in Washington DC and at museums in Berlin and Dresden, Germany. Dr. Algund Eenboom and Peter Belting have actually created larger-scale replicas of these objects – and guess what? – equipped with an internal propeller, the scale models flew perfectly! The shapes were aerodynamically sound and suitable for sophisticated aerobatics. Some have argued that the objects are nothing more than stylized insects, frogs and fish, however, biologists all agree that this particular shape cannot be found in nature. There is no such thing as an upright tail fin and nowhere in nature do we find a low-wing arrangement of wings. In nature, all wings are attached to the shoulder girdle, or “above” and not below, as can be seen in the Colombian gold artifacts…
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Q: With the advancements in technology over the last 60 years, is this a result of reverse engineering from crashed ships or agreements with aliens?

Bill Birnes: Yes, the explosion in technology was the result of reverse engineered technology from the Roswell crash in 1947. In my book, THE DAY AFTER ROSWELL with Philip Corso, we describe who was responsible for this process, how it took place, and what types of technologies emerged as a result. We think that the jump in laser technology, integrated circuitry, fiber optics, and super tenacity fibers, to name just a few, were the result of reverse engineering from objects found aboad that craft in Roswell.
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Q: If Earth was in danger by a malevolent race, would other races come to our assistance?

Bill Birnes: I think that humans are the original ETs, planted here by our ancestors. I think that were we in deep trouble with a malevolent race, we would see ETs that look very much like us manifest themselves. But I don’t think that will happen in our lifetimes.
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Q: I’ve heard aliens are simply here to subtly observe, as in watching from the background yet there seems to be a fine line with so many sightings. What’s the objective or end goal from an alien standpoint, that you’ve found?

Bill Birnes: Many of us think the goal is hybridization of the species, the blending of human and alien hybrid DNA from generation to generation to create a species with alien psychology and psychic powers in a completely indistinguishable human body. This is the theory of one of my colleagues, Dr. David Jacobs. He has proposed that aliens are far more sinister than we think because they want to make us extinct, replaced by one of their own hybridized species.
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Q: For Bill or Giorgio – Are either of you familiar with the work of Zecharia Sitchin? What are your thoughts on the 12th planet? The Annunaki?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Of course, Sitchin is a dear colleague of mine and he has contributed to LEGENDARY TIMES MAGAZINE. Sitchin is one of the defining writers in the field and his body of work is quite prolific. The term Annunaki means “Those who from the Heavens came (to Earth)”. It is merely another term for the “gods”. By the way, I deliberately write the term gods with a lower case ‘g’ because none of this has anything to with God. Plus, there IS NO SUCH thing as gods! Remember, the reason WHY our ancestors THOUGHT that these visitors were gods is because they MISINTERPRETED their nuts-and-bolts technology as being something divine in nature, which, of course, it was not! Misinterpreted technology. This also lead to the misinterpretation, that these beings were themselves divine, and not made of flesh and blood, which again, was merely an misinterpretation on our ancestors’ part because their TECHNOLOGICAL frame of reference was different.
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Q: Throughout time and technology, it seems the Carthage, Romans, Egyptians, and other cultures all had various forms of advanced technology and engineering at the same time, or much earlier than each other, as in centuries. Is there some type of extra-terrestrial connection or influence, or ideas that say more about man?

Bill Birnes: I would like to believe, although I do not know, that some cultures were seeded technologically by ETs for purposes we could not understand. Was our destiny shaped by creatures from other planets who wanted our society to evolve to a certain point? If so, giving technologies to certain competing cultures would have been the way to do it.
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Q: Why do you think Mexico has been experiencing so many sightings over that last decade or so? What is it about that part of the world that seems to attract these visitors?

Bill Birnes: I want to say there is something about Mexico that attracts them. But I think we in the US experience many of the same craft, but we don’t talk about them the way the Mexican media covers them. If we had a news caster like Jaime Mausson, maybe we would be hearing a lot more about local UFO sightings and more people would come forward.
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Q: Have you noticed that most of the sightings of UFOs are of the same type of ship or is there a UFO type that pops up more often than not?

Bill Birnes: At first, people were seeing delta shaped or soft crescent shaped craft. In the 1950s, there were the traditional flying saucer shaped craft. In the ’60s and ’70s people saw cigar shaped craft, and today most people see giant flying triangles.
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Q: Giorgio, can you give your thoughts? – There’s been strange archaeological evidence of artifacts, glyphs and other mysterious information which was highlighted by the book, The Chariot of the Gods. Why do you think “experts” in the field ignore this information, will we see this gap ever addressed by science?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: CHARIOTS OF THE GODS was actually written by my boss Erich von Daniken with whom I co-publish LEGENDARY TIMES MAGAZINE, the only Ancient Astronaut publication in the world. Yes, you are correct, the book has raised many intriguing questions, many of which have NOT been answered by mainstream science. You see, what we do is raise the uncomfortable questions. Uncomfortable questions which mainstream science would LOVE to brush under the carpet. And yes, sooner or later, mainstream science WILL follow suit. They have no other choice. Today, they’re sort of the stubborn, whiney teenager, but eventually, they’ll grow up and embrace the world with open minds and eyes… 🙂
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Q: What book would you recommend someone wishing to understand UFOlogy and the like as a first must-read?

Bill Birnes: The UFO Magazine UFO Encyclopedia, The Day After Roswell, Unsolved UFO Mysteries, Flying Saucers 101, and Communion.
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Q: Bill, most of the countries that you named that have the most UFO sightings (eg. Peru, Brazil, China) have an ancient history/civilization. Is there a reason for this? I live in Australia and have never heard of any alien sightings around here. Could it be possible that aliens visited us in the past but have not been doing so recently?

Bill Birnes: Australia has a rich history of UFO sightings and stories among the Aborigines of alien landings. In fact, one of the most famous USO sites is in Australia. I forget where, but I saw a documentary about it years ago.
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Q: As far as entertainment and UFOs, how did you view the old series Project Blue Book (Project UFO)? Was there a lot we learned from that?

Bill Birnes: One of my favorite series that I would like to see remade knowing what we know now about these cases.
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Q: For Bill or Giorgio – Are either of you familiar with the work of Zecharia Sitchin? What are your thoughts on the 12th planet? The Annunaki?

Bill Birnes: Sitchen is a great scholar and his his research on both the Annunaki and the 12th planet have lots of historical evidence to back them up. I can’t help but think of Velikovsky, whose theories were laughed at, but turned out to have some basis in fact when we finally got to measure temperatures o the planet Venus. We know there were races who disappeared, like the Annunaki. They existed here in North America, too., So Sitchen’s work remains very important
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Q: How do you view the theories of Streiber, Sitchen, Stanton, and the many experts? Are they all somehow related or should we be looking at them as seperate?

Bill Birnes: Streiber talks about personal abductions in his life and how the government tries to cover up the presence of ETs. Stan talks about the science of UFOs and the reality of Roswell. And Sitchen, of course, talks about the Sumerians and the missing planets whose orbits created havoc on our planet. These theories all blend and do not compete with each other.
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Q: If aliens did come to Earth and make themselves known to all – how do you think the world would react?

Bill Birnes: I think the world would freak out. Despite all the disclaimers, if we found out that everything we believed was wrong, a tremendous anxiety would set in, followed by a tremendous lethargy. It’s just too risky for religion-based governments to trust in human reactions
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Q: Gary Marshall plays a UFOlogist Dr. Donald Harlan in the film as does Carla Gugino who plays Dr. Alex Friedman who is trying to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life. Did either of you find similarities between yourselves as real life experts to these characters in the film?

Bill Birnes: Yes, I must admit. I wanted to give Gary a UFO Magazine hat to complete his character as a devoted UFO researcher living on the fringe. I’ve known many experts who are exactly like Carla, focused and skeptical. But Gary is someone I know too well.
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Q: How far away are we from achieving space travel far enough to reach such places that are believed to harbor alien life?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: On paper, we’ve got the technology. The problem is funding. Unfortunately, with many other things in life, it all comes down to money. We HAVE blueprints of what’s called a “generation spaceship” with which it would be no problem to reach other star systems within the timespan of 3-6 generations (yes, people would procreate ON the spaceship). Like this, Michael T. Savage, in his definitive book THE MILLENNIAL PROJECT, one could conceivably colonize the entire galaxy in roughly 64 million years. Mind you, 64 million years is a looooong time, but when looked at from the perspective of the Universe’s chronology, 64 millions years is but a blip! So yes, we COULD visit other solar systems, but the financial feasibility behind it and the human will to make it happen is another question. By the way, no one ever said that whoever goes out for some space exploration that the explorers have to come back and tell us about it! This is the problem with the debunkers! Their basic premise is that you have to come back AFTER you’ve done your exploring. I think that shouldn’t be a defining factor.
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Q: How far away are we from achieving space travel far enough to reach such places that are believed to harbor alien life?

Bill Birnes: Depending upon how we engage in that space travel, hundreds of years or only a few years. Imagine if we can simply make hyper jumps across space, using wormholes that do not tear apart the ship. We can traverse galaxies in days rather than millennia.
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Q: Going along the lines of RTWM and the fact that the kids in it are on a “mission” – do you think the main reason aliens would visit us would be if they wanted something?

Bill Birnes: I think so. I think they want us, our DNA, aspect of our genome that they need to repair their own.
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Q: How much investigation goes into UFO sightings to prove/disprove its authenticity?

Bill Birnes: Depending upon the investigators, it might take years of research to interview all the witnesses, gain their trust, collect and examine trace evidence, analyze the trace evidence, and then do follow up research on documents, military reports, and other records.
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Q: There’s been strange archaeological evidence of artifacts, glyphs and other mysterious information which was highlighted by the book, The Chariot of the Gods. Why do you think “experts” in the field ignore this information, will we see this gap ever addressed by science?

Bill Birnes: Experts in the field have very closed minds, especially when it comes to human origins. Governments an their intelligence agencies have done excellent jobs of marginalize those who challenge conventional thinking, Why fight on the fringe when you can go along with the flow and get your research projects funded? Conventional experts don’t want to lose their livings for something they can’t control.
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Q: Giorgio: Do you believe in the existence of a Multiverse? And can aliens or us transcend these alternate universes?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: I am most definitely intrigued by the Multiverse concept and I’ve read many papers on the subject and it makes a lot of sense to me because of you take the basic premise that the Universe is infinite, well, that would imply that there is an infinite number of Universes out there as well. Some scientists have likened the Multiverse idea to a bubble bath: imagine a bubble bath and each soap bubble is one Universe. I find the topic highly intriguing just like you can move your hand through a whole bunch of bubbles, could we and/or aliens doe the same? Travel between parallel Universes? Here’s an answer for you: I DON’T KNOW. Ha! And anyone who claims to know the definitive answer to this question (and many other questions as well!) should be questioned vigorously…!
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Q: Could the story of Race to Witch Mountain actually happen? Why / why not?

Bill Birnes: A version of the story probably can. Imagine a crash out in the desert somewhere that a family on vacation discovers. To keep the ETs from Men in Black, especially ETs that befriend them, they could well smuggle them, hide them until the danger has passed and them let them go back to repair their craft or hook up with other aliens on earth.
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Q: Are there any aspects of Sumerian culture that exist in our world today that lend credibility to ancient civilizations, UFOs, and current technology, or technology that we saw in the film?

Bill Birnes: Sure, the Sumerians had very advanced municipal utilities systems such as water supply. They captured images of ships and travelers from the heavens in their art and in their glyphs and cuneiforms. The entire legend of creation conforms with star people coming to earth and settling here
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Q: Follow up for Bill – Have you read about the time traveler John Titor? If so, do you believe his story and pictures to be real or a hoax?

Bill Birnes: I do know about Titor and heard the story that he actually bumped into himself as a child. Titor was very active on Bulletin Boards on various lists and some of his specific predictions came true. He found the piece of computer equipment h e wanted and then simply disappeared. Of course, it’s possible that was all a hoax, and a very easy hoax to perpetrate, too Most people think it was a hoax, but no one h as admitted it and it has never been proven to be false. There are still some experts floating around talking about it.
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Q: Giorgio: Given the God king/slave relationship between pharaohs and their subjects, is it fair to consider that aliens may NOT be as friendly as we’d like to think?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Sure, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I think that good and evil permeates the entire Universe so, yes, there are benevolent and malevolent beings out there. I think it is a false sense of hope to think that if extraterrestrials would show up officially, that everything would be honky-dory.
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Q: Bill or Giorgio – What countries have had the most UFO sightings?

Bill Birnes: South America, especially Peru and Brazil. Mexico. The UK and China have lots of sightings
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Q: In this re-imagining of Witch Mountain, the aliens we meet are much different, this time the kids are teens and only look human but have a special mission. What are the chances of aliens either looking like us or being able to take human form to ‘walk among us’ ?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Sweet question! The basic premise of the Ancient Astronaut Theory is that the human race has come into being through a direct artificial mutation of our genes. …which means, this artificial mutation was done by visiting extraterrestrials. So in essence, as some have suggested, we were given some of their DNA. Which means, the question is NOT: “Do the extraterrestrials look like us?” No, the questions should be “Do WE look like the extraterrestrials?” In my opinion, we do, and that is why the “aliens” in RACE were so compelling. I disagree with the stereotypical Hollywood view of what an extraterrestrial looks like. I doubt that they have monstrous bodies with beady eyes and tentacles and slimy, drool-drenched jaws etc. that’s all great entertainment and it scares the living crap out of you – – but that’s fantasy. According to the ancient texts, we were made “in THEIR image”. We’re all familiar with the biblical sentence: “And God created man in their image.” Grammatically speaking, this sentence is incorrect. There’s a singular and an plural in there. What is the reason for this? Any serious scholar will tell you that the Hebrew word for God is “ELOHIM” – well, any REALLY serious Hebrew scholar will also tell you that the CORRECT translation of “Elohim” is NOT “God” but “GodS” – plural! – then, the sentence would read “And then the GodS created man in their image”! The sentence is grammatically correct. This is one of the biggest revisions of history we’ve ever seen. ALL the ancient texts speak of the godS – plural – and not about god, singular. Over time, the scribes have changed and adapted their current viewpoints INTO the copies they were copying. And no, I am NOT saying that I think GOD was an extraterrestrial.
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Q: Bill or Giorgio: Do you believe in the existence of a Multiverse? And can aliens or us transcend these alternate universes?

Bill Birnes: Yes, I think the Multiverse exists and that not only aliens, but we, too, are able to move between planes. Maybe the aliens do it with volition, but I think we also move from plane to plane without realizing it because it all looks the same to us.
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Q: For Bill or Giorgio – Is there any relation between UFOlogy and Crypto zoology?

Bill Birnes: There is a close relationship between part of what ufologists look for are species that either don’t belong on Earth or were a line of evolution stopped or somehow changed by ETs coming here. Might strange creatures, such as the Yeti, been original inhabitants of this planet, driven into the shadows by ETs who brought us here? Might strange creatures still be lurking at the bottom of the oceans, reflecting genetic experiments conducted by ETs millions of years ago?
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Q: Bill, in your opinion, are all aliens, if they exist, benevolent, or are they all hostile and nefarious?

Bill Birnes: I have been told that the aliens we’ve been working with are not overtly hostile, but lately have begun to shigns of petulance bordering on hostility. One of the great alien hostility stories involves a secret base at Dulce NM, where aliens and US troops got into a fire fight, which did not go well for us. Then there’s the famous tale of the alien who tried to escape at Area 51 and took a few security guards with him before he was killed.
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Q: Giorgio or Bill, do you believe in time travel?

Bill Birnes: Yes, I’ve met time travelers who were in the Army and at least one other time traveler who was being trained by the government. Yes, time travel is real and we have been doing it since at least 1987
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Q: A question regarding alien powers. The kids in the film had telekinesis (moving objects with their mind), telepathy with humans and animals, and the ability to change their molecular density, all very enviable powers. Are any of these talked about either in ancient texts or modern accounts of alien visitors?

Bill Birnes: Sure. Shamans and medicine men had all of these powers. Even in the Bible and in modern religious traditions, there are stories of individuals wielding psychic powers. In Kabalah, there is also much written about individuals who can wield psychic powers.
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Q: UFOlogy is an interesting term that I’ve personally never heard said before. Can you name a couple of unique UFO terms and their meanings?

Bill Birnes: Abduction research. Abduction therapy, Exopolitics,
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Q: Bill, why do you think aliens are visiting us?

Bill Birnes: I think that not only are we them, but that their species is in some sort agreement with the world’s governments to interbreed with humans, replenish lost aspects of their DNA, leave us with knowledge and technology, and then be on their way. I think this has to be done in secret or else they will manifest themselves and it will not go well for us. So governments keep it covered up until the aliens leave us and hope for the best.
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Q: Giorgio, have you ever seen an extraterrestrial? If so, what do they look like? If not, what do you think they look like?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Never! I’ve also never seen a UFO! It seems that whenever Giorgio shows up, they zip away…! But then again, it is not I who needs convincing. I’m already convinced.
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Q: If someone met an alien, how would your recommend they respond to it?

Bill Birnes: Hi, how are you, bye.
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Q: If you were given the chance to travel to one place in space where would you go and why?

Bill Birnes: Zeta Reticuli to see if there really is life on the planets of that star system
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Q: Giorgio, do we as a species owe our modern technological development to alien visitors in the past or the present, or to captured alien technology, or is it all human ingenuity?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: BOTH! The Ancient Astronaut Theory does NOT undermine human ingenuity. OF COURSE human ingenuity DID (and still does!) exist, however, there are a few examples in the ancient world, for example at PUMA PUNKU in the Highland of the Andes were not even human ingenuity would’ve accomplished anything because there are modern structural engineers and stonemasons on record who have said that it is IMPOSSIBLE that any of this achieved without the use of sophisticated stone-cutting equipment. Who’s right? The professor in the ivory tower or the structural engineer who works out in the field?
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Q: A question for both of you, why has no one come up with undeniable and provable evidence of extra terrestrial’s on earth?

Bill Birnes: Betty Hill has proven that. Her dress had traces of strange protein on it in the spots where the aliens dragged her into their ship/ She came up with facts, given to her by the aliens, that were not known until twenty years later, including one medical procedure that we use today. In Delphos, Kansas, the aliens left behind a probe, implanted inside a dog, that its owner still h as in a glass case. The probe was like a robotic insect that was transmitting information as if it were a hidden mike.
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Q: If aliens do exist, what planet are they most likely living on?

Bill Birnes: Betty Hill told us that the aliens who abducted her came from a twin star system known as Zeta Retucli. Other people have said there are exoplanets in neighboring star systems that could very well be earth like and might harbor life.
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Q: Bill or Giorgio – If advanced alien spacecraft technology exists, how will we be able to tell when our technology and alien technology meet to become one?

Bill Birnes: Some folks say they already have. We have the ability, with secret weapons, to travel at incredible speeds, we have actual matter transporters, and quite possibly, have experimented with time travel.
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Q: Out of all the alien-inspired movies out there, which one/s do you think depict aliens the best and why?

Bill Birnes: I think that Close Encounters, based on a real story, according to some accounts, is a good depiction. The Day the Earth Stood Still is another good depiction
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Q: Giorgio, what initially sparked your interest in UFOs?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Growing up, I had the privilege to travel around the globe with my parents. They made sure that we’d visit many of the ancient sites and museums, so even as a little kid, that sparked an interest in the ancient world and the mysterious. Then, my grandma introduced me to the book CHARIOTS OF THE GODS – – and that was pretty much it for me! I devoured the book and knew that this is what I wanted to do in life.
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Q: Bill, on your show UFO Hunters you and your team have done investigations of UFO sightings. Of all the sightings you checked into, which one turned out to be the biggest surprise to you?

Bill Birnes: I think that our investigation of RAF Bentwaters in the UK was a major surprise because we debunked all the debunkers. Our investigation into the Stephenville lights showed us that residents there really saw a strange craft. And then what we found out about Phoenix totally blew away the Air Force cover story.
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Q: Giorgio or Bill – Can you please speculate as to the purpose of Extra Terrestrials on Earth? Why the ancient building programme, then nothing? Why the abductions, but in secret?

Bill Birnes: I believe that the pyramids had an ET origin. In fact, some artifacts from off world were reportedly found in Egypt in the Valley of the Kings. Abduction researchers have said that the ultimate aim of abductions is to hybridize the human species, to blends hybrids with hybrids to transform the human species into a new generation of alien/humans. Perhaps this has been going on for hundreds of not thousands of years.
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Q: Giorgio do you see a connection to aliens and the afterlife, when people die?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Not really, because in my opinion there is no connection. I am convinced that also advanced extraterrestrials have the SAME question as we do in regards to life and death. …and God.
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Q: Bill what’s the difference from a UFO consciousness standpoint that you’ve seen between the early Witch Mountain movies and this one?

Bill Birnes: This version is far more realistic and less fantasy oriented than previous Witch Mountain features. It’s fascinating to see so much real ufology, real UFO lore, in this film. It gives it a breadth and an urgency that is new to Witch Mountain features. From a UFO consciousness point of view, it’s exciting to see a blend between old-time exciting entertainment and the world that I work in every day.
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Q: Is the US government really hiding aliens somewhere in the desert?

Bill Birnes: Maybe not in the actual desert, but at Area 51, possibly Dugway, Utah, Dulce New Mexico, and at Wright Patterson in Ohio.
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Q: Why do you think it is that we tend to perceive aliens as being more superior or more advanced than we are?

Bill Birnes: Good question. The reasoning is that if they flew here, or transported here, they would have to be more advanced simply because of the technology. I believe that many aliens are already here, living here, and are not that much more advanced than we are.
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Q: Why do you think it is that we tend to perceive aliens as being more superior or more advanced than we are?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Well, because IF they were (or are here currently) then it would imply that they are in possession of advanced technology. Personally, I am a “nuts-and-bolts” type of guy when it comes to space travel. Personally, I don’t think it was/is done by ways of “thought” only. It involves highly advanced technology.
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Q: What convention/expo would you recommend to be a “must” for UFO fanatics?

Bill Birnes: I think that the annual MUFON convention is a must, as is the San Jose UFO convention.
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Q: Mr. Birnes, what do you think of the Blu-ray technology, do you enjoy watching films in Blu-ray hi definition? Has the advent of hi res imagery and its accessibility enhanced UFO study?

Bill Birnes: HD has truly enhanced our abilities to spot UFOs on video and to blow up images to reveal details. I think that Blue-Ray technology and the interactive control it gives the viewer will transform DVD editions of motion pictures, giving them a longer lasting life as in-home entertainment.
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Q: Do you think aliens and humans could ever live side-by-side? And why/not?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Of course. And I mean that with every fiber of my being. And by that I do NOT mean that if we ever make contact, everything will be peace and love. Look, just like there is good and evil on planet Earth, there is good and evil out there. Good and evil permeate the entire Universe. So to think that once we’ve made contact it’ll be eternal peace and free brotherly love (and all this other new-agey hogwash that’s been proposed) constitutes false hope. Also, until we don’t get our affairs in order on our planet, there’s no way we’ll ever make official contact. Call it that currently, there’s an embargo on planet Earth. When the embargo will be lifted depends on us, and our progress of saving the planet, instead of raping her for her scarce resources. Only time will tell. Being an optimist, in the end, good will always outweigh the bad.
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Q: Did you have any say as to how the story in Race to Witch Mountain unfolded?

Bill Birnes: Not really. The basic story is classic Disney. On UFO details, however, Andy Fickman asked lots of questions and did his homework very carefully. He was so up on ufology, both from our UFO Hunters show and from UFO Magazine, that he knew exactly what he was doing.
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Q: To Bill and Giorgio, when was the last UFO sighting you witnessed?

Bill Birnes: At Area 51 last year, we witnessed a UFO over the base and caught it on video. Months earlier, we caught a beam from a UFO on videotape as well.
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Q: For Bill and Giorgio, what initially sparked your interest in UFOs?

Bill Birnes: I was actually hunting flying saucers back in 1952 during the summer of the saucers craze over Washington. I became really involved in 1972 when a friend of mine working for a satellite aerospace company told me that the satellites they were launching were part of a defense shield against flying saucers. Then I met Colonel Corso, who confirmed much of what I believed.
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Q: Bill, how many times have you been to Roswell?

Bill Birnes: I have been there about five times either to work, top shoot an episode of UFO Hunters, and once to promote the book the DAY AFTER ROSWELL
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Q: Does Race to Witch Mountain accurately depict what UFO conventions / expos are like?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: I wish! Disney did an AMAZING job with their UFO Conference set. The attention to detail on the set was impeccable. In reality though, UFO conferences are quite stale, dusty and boring. It would be nice if UFOlogy caught on to the spirit which the RACE Conference was done, to make it all bit more exciting for all the participants. Who knows? Maybe THIS will be a demarcation point?
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Q: If either of you were an alien would you admit it and if not why?

Bill Birnes: There are aliens on earth who keep their identities very secret. I am sure that some of them work with the government. On the other hand, I’ve spoken to some who readily admit they’re ETs.
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Q: Bill: UFO Hunters vs Ghost Hunters – is there a simmering rivalry that lurks beneath the surface that the general populace are unaware of?

Bill Birnes: No, in fact, I’m very good friends with Jason at Ghost Hunters. I speak at his conventions and talk about the paranormal and how our various adventures tend to cover some of the same aspects of alternate reality.
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Q: For Giorgio and Bill, if there was one place on Earth you could investigate and money as well as resources were not an issue, where would like to go to and learn more about?

Bill Birnes: I would go to Peru, up in the Andes, where a Indian tribe living on the shore of a bottomless lake claim that they see UFOs coming out of the water on a regular basis. I would live with that tribe, venture out onto the lake, and try to make contact with the UFOs and ETs and capture them on film. I could probably do it in HD for $500k
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Q: Do you believe in the possibility of living creatures in other planets?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: No question. 100% yes. Even mainstream scientists would agree on that. What they disagree with is that even though intelligent extraterrestrial life exists out there, there is no way that they could’ve ever visited Earth because the distances between the stars are just too vast. And it’s true, the distances between the stars are indeed huge, BUT (!) just because WE do not (yet) have the technology to travel between the stars, does NOT mean that another civilization cannot do it! To claim that just because WE can’t do it, others can’t either is the height of human arrogance. We need to step down from our own high horse and become a little more humble about our place in the Universe.
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Q: What was the one major aspect of UFO research for the movie that raised the most questions and why?

Bill Birnes: I think that if ETs were on earth in human form, they would be working directly with our government, using their incredible abilities to stay ahead of any bounty hunters from other planets, and not intimidated by any external forces.
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Q: Can you talk about the fine line between Stealth technology and what people believe to be UFOs and the possible differences that prove more advanced technology like we see in the movie?

Bill Birnes: We believe that the our military is way beyond Stealth technology. In fact, many of the triangular craft that people see are probably neutral buoyancy huge craft that can cloak themselves and display images of themselves to fool observers into thinking they are moving off at hyper speed. We reverse engineered technology from the Roswell craft fifty years ago that we are still experimenting with today.
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Q: Giorgio with special effects and technology getting more advanced by the day, what would it take for people to actually believe that there are visitors living among us, even if they did some kind of fantastic feat right in front of us?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Great question! …and you hit the nail on the head. The one quote that sums it all up is Arthur C. Clarke’s “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” …and that’s exactly how it would be like. That’s why the Ancient Astronaut Theory makes so much sense because as I’ve mentioned earlier, our ancestors were as intelligent as we are today, however, TECHNOLOGICALLY speaking, they had a different frame of reference. Imagine this: let’s say you could meet Julius Caesar for an afternoon and you brought your laptop with you. As we would all agree, Julius Caesar was a HIGHLY intelligent man, however, after your departure, he’d go to his contemporaries and tell them what he just experienced. He’d tell them that someone showed up with a “magical tablet” that “glowed in mysterious colors” and with this magical tablet one could “see the world without moving an inch”… well, what if I told you that the ancient texts are filled with references to “glowing stones” etc. Remember, our ancestors didn’t have the necessary VOCABULARY for certain items, so they HAD to DESCRIBE stuff with whatever words were at their disposal…
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Q: Are there any Witch Mountains around the world? Perhaps like the Lines in Peru?

Bill Birnes: Yes, the Nasca Lines in Peru are perhaps the closest thing to Witch Mountain
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Q: A question for Giorgio and Bill, are some countries or regions more accepting of the possibility of Alien life / visitors ?

Bill Birnes: Sure. In Mexico and South America there are ongoing contacts between ETs and humans. In Peru, little children stand on a plateau near the Nasca Lines and say there are regular visitations by ETs in space craft.
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Q: If you were at a space convention, who (or what) would you be dressed up as and why?

Bill Birnes: I would be dressed up as my favorite UFO TV character, Bill Birnes, UFO Hunter on History Channel. Oh, wait.
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Q: Bill or Giorgio – I would love to hear your best UFO story. When, where, how…everything!

Bill Birnes: A very traditional engineer claims he has been visited by ETs since he was a child. One day, he’s driving along a country road in the midwest when a flat diamond shaped craft crosses his path. The object hovers over is car, very low. He sees humanoid figures in the car. He, in his mind, asks, “am I really seeing this?” The figure nods at him and simply flies off. It h as shaken him to this very day. Then there is the famous story of Betty and Barney Hill, abducted in 1961 on a country road in New Hampshire. The aliens left trace evidence on Betty’s dress and told her facts that were not in existence in 1961, but came to light fifteen years later. No way Betty could have known these facts in 1961.
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Q: What are your thoughts about extra-terrestrials like Seth and Sara really existing here on Earth?

Bill Birnes: I think that ETs in human form live on Earth, placed here by whomever landed them here, and they are a part of our government and businesses. Folks have told me about people like “alien Ron,” a researcher who worked for the Navy and had very strange abilities. Never ate, never slept, and could do complicated math problems in minutes without a calculator. He could leave speed readers in the dust, and would laugh a silent chuckle when his friends said he was an ET. But he never denied it.
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Q: Giorgio : What’s it like having a successful Sci Fi TV Series mirror your life? Does it make you question your sanity, or strengthen your faith?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Neither, frankly. While I am delighted that more credence is paid toward the entire extraterrestrial question, it neither questions nor bolsters my sanity because in my opinion this is a shift in the current zeitgeist. Each generation is marked by its own paradigm/zeitgeist. The great thing is, that the zeitgeist DOES change and oftentimes it happens within a short period of time. We most certainly live in interesting times! You also asked whether or not it strengthened my faith. Personally, none of this has anything to with faith, in my opinion. I do NOT “believe” in extraterrestrials, I KNOW they exist, I am convinced of it. You see, the terms “faith” and “belief” always carry a religious connotation to it, however, none of this has really to do with religion and/or worship. Still, I am a deep believer in an all-encompassing force which permeates the entire Universe, ie. pantheism.
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Q: If people don’t believe in UFOs is there one thing you could tell them that would change their mind?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: Nothing really, except for look at the evidence YOURSELF, evaluate the evidence for YOURSELF and THEN make up your mind. Think for yourself, trust your own instincts. And above all, don’t listen to the pundits.
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Q: Giorgio or Bill – What is the most conclusive evidence you have found that suggests aliens do really exist?

Bill Birnes: I’ve spoken to one and spoken to people who said they have spoken to ETs. Most of them look remarkably like us and live here amongst us. The real secret is that we and most of the aliens are of the same species.
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Q: For Giorgio and Bill: Which has been the most exciting experience you have had during your work?

Bill Birnes: For me it was learning where a flying saucer might be kept, who saw that flying saucer and the humanoid ET from the flying saucer, and what the ET said to the Marine colonel who communicated with it. Learning that American presidents have had communication with ETs was also exciting.
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Q: Bill, what’s the weirdest UFO sighting you’ve ever heard of or seen?

Bill Birnes: That’s a great question. It has to be RAF Bentwaters back in 1980. A diamond shaped object hovers over a USAF base on the North Sea in he UK. It travels through the forest and lands in wet sand, leaving tracks. When a USAF security team approaches, they can see life forms inside the craft. One of the sergeants touches the craft and makes rubbings of the strange designs on the side of the craft. The craft takes off, leaving impressions in the sand. It moves through the trees and into a clearing. When the USAF team approaches, the object breaks into five lights and takes off. The entire event is recorded on audio tape. We have the plaster impressions of the landing gear and we have the lettering on the side of the craft. Even the British refer to it as a UFO. The Air Force has never responded, and the USAF Lt. Col. says it is definitely a UFO.
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Q: Giorgio: I watched a video where you say that the Egyptians pyramids has not been built by Keops. How can you explain that?

Giorgio Tsoukalos: This is, of course, a loaded question. While it is true that mainstream archaeology / Egyptology maintains that Cheops was the builder of the Great Pyramid. However, what no one talks about is the fact that of all the ancient historians and chroniclers we know about (and there are about 16 confirmed ones, such as Herodotus and Strabon) only ONE mentions Cheops as the builder. NONE of the other ancient historians mention Cheops. On the contrary, what they say is this (and they ALL tell the SAME story): that it was a king by the name of SAURID who built the pyramids with his people and they did this “with the help of the Guardians of the Sky” – – the question is, WHO were these Guardians of the Sky? Were they just a figment of our ancestors’ imagination? I don’t think so. In fact, the text (the AL-HITAT) is very clear that King Saurid is the same individual the Hebrew community refers to as ENOCH. Enoch, as we all remember, was one of the 10 patriarchs and of all the biblical figures, he was the FIRST who was taken up to “Heaven” in a fiery chariot! In fact, anyone who has read THE BOOK OF ENOCH (which is now an apocryphal text) will see that his eye-witness report can most definitely be interpreted as a direct encounter with extraterrestrials. Not only does he list their names, but he also lists the profession of each “angel” he met: one was in charge of teaching him mathematics, one was in charge of teaching him astronomy, etc. etc. Most significantly, the extraterrestrials dictated 300 books to Enoch, and he wrote them down with the help of a “magical fast writing tool.” A “magical fast writing tool”? What is that? First of all, there is no such thing as magic (unless, of course, when one falls in love) and what we have here is nothing but a red thread which permeates the entire Ancient Astronaut Theory: misunderstood technology. Our ancestors were as intelligent as we are today, however, their TECHNOLOGICAL frame of reference was different to ours today. Misunderstood technology, that’s the basic premise of the AAT.
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Thank you, everyone, for joining us and for asking such great questions. I will now soak my typing hands in hot water while I think of all the answers I should have given. Have a great evening, and thanks for participating. Watch the skies, and if you see a UFO, call us. Bill Birnes
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Thank you for all the great questions! I had a total blast. I’m thrilled to see so much interest for this field, which Bill and I love so much. Your participation is greatly appreciated and remember: Don’t die wondering… Crack the code!
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Thank you Giorgio and Bill for your time, and thanks to everyone for attending the Race to Witch Mountain UFO Expert round table! A copy of the transcript will be e-mailed to everyone within the next couple of days.

Outrageous Uncensored Collection Of Animated Shorts Including Never-Before-Seen Episodes Arrives On Blu-ray And DVD

September 30 From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Prepare yourself for non-stop, raw and brazen laughs with the bleeping hilarious series from the creator of “Family Guy” and “American Dad” when Seth MacFarlane’s CAVALCADE OF CARTOON COMEDY debuts on unrated DVD September 30 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Featuring exclusive new episodes too outrageous for television or the internet, the DVD is packed with 50 shorts in total and highlights all-new classic characters, “Family Guy” voice talent and hilarious pop culture parodies of Jesus Christ, Bob Dylan, Ted Nugent, Quentin Tarantino, Super Mario, Jeff Goldblum and more.

The irreverent animated shorts that originally aired on YouTube and SethComedy.com are also included but now completely unedited and uncensored. A must-own for fans, Seth MacFarlane’s CAVALCADE OF CARTOON COMEDY takes “Family Guy” and “American Dad” to the next, inappropriate, laugh-out-loud level and features bonus materials including the Red Carpet Premiere and still galleries.

Synopsis

Seth MacFarlane, the creator of “Family Guy” and “American Dad”, brings you the Cavalcade of Comedy – non-stop, uncensored laughs with never-before-seen, exclusive new episodes – too outrageous for TV or the internet!

DVD Special Features:
Red Carpet Premiere
Still galleries
Rough character models
Cleaned-up character models

Nanterre, France – August 25, 2009 – Cyanide, the Paris-based video game development studio, today announced the addition of a brand-new class for Dungeon Party, its madcap and fast moving, dungeon crawling free-to-play. The BARD joins the hilarious trio composed of the Wizard, the Thief and the Executioner and, just like his companions, he will break heroic fantasy codes by playing neither harp nor lute, but rock ’n’ roll.

The Bard brings new gameplay mechanics to Dungeon Party as well as new possibilities for 2v2, 3v3 and 5v5 games, with both an attacking and defensive support role. Using his instruments and vocal ‘talents’ he boosts team-mates while preventing enemies from casting spells, using actions or moving normally. When he sings, flashy 3D effects are displayed, matching his rock ’n’ roll behaviour.

POLYPHONY SOLO is one example of the spells available to the Bard class : Polyphony was popular in Europe during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance and the Bard is determined to resurrect it as a musical genre. Unfortunately, he sings alone! The result is a musical massacre, but it does have the effect of upsetting his enemies whose chance of making a fumble increases for a few seconds.

The BARD is available at the Dungeon Party item shop. More information is available on the official Dungeon Party website at www.dungeon-party.com.

Milton Keynes, 24th August 2009 – 505 Games, in collaboration with 1C Company, has today released a brand new video for the highly anticipated aerial combat title IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. The recorded developer diary focuses on the absolute authenticity of the in-game experience and is available to watch online or download from www.il2game.com

The IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey team prides itself on the incredibly high level of detail and realism used to recreate the aerial battlefields of World War II. To achieve this, Gaijin Entertainment have used every piece of data available, painstakingly poring over hundreds of wartime photos, documents and maps to create the incredibly detailed environments, and ensuring the plane engines have accurately captured the atmosphere of dog fighting over war-torn Berlin.

To this end, Gaijin set up sound recording sessions at Kubinka Airfield in Russia. Here, they captured audio from real planes to ensure that the result was as real as sitting in the cockpit yourself. In the Dev diary, you will also hear from Andrew Wensley, Head of European Development as he shares behind-the-scenes information on the development of IL-2 and on how the dynamic sound system works to enhance the gaming experience.

Based around large-scale aerial combat over the ground-based military operations of World War II, variety is at the heart of the action in IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. Players participate in the most famous confrontations of the era piloting fighters, battle planes or heavy bombers across a range of missions. There are 6 theatres of war in which to engage – The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily, the Battle of the Bulge and Korsun – representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe.

As well as taking environmental and landscape visuals to new heights by incorporating satellite technology, IL-2 also boasts a tangible damage effects engine. Players will see real-time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dogfights. IL-2 will support up to 16 players in multiplayer aerial combat set across 4 scenarios – Dogfight, Team Battle, Strike and Capture the Airfield.

IL2 Sturmovik: Birds Of Prey will be published by 505 Games in collaboration with 1C Company on 3rd September 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3, DS and PSP. For the latest information visit the official website at www.il2game.com or follow on Twitter http://twitter.com/IL2BirdsOfPrey. Download the PS3 and Xbox 360 demos now from PSN and Marketplace and get a taste for the action before launch.

August 26, 2009 – Following last week’s successful launch of the Red Faction®: Guerrilla™ Demons of the Badland DLC pack, THQ Inc. today announced details for a second downloadable content pack that will deliver destructive new multiplayer modes and maps. The Multiplayer Pack will feature two new modes, Bagman and Team Bagman, along with eight new maps, playable across all multiplayer modes. The Red Faction Guerrilla Multiplayer Pack will be available on September 17th on Xbox LIVE® for 560 Microsoft points and PlayStation®Network for $8.40.

Along with Demons of the Badlands (available now) and the Multiplayer Pack, THQ has also announced a third DLC pack that will be available in October. Further details on the third pack will be revealed soon. For more information on the Multiplayer Pack, including a detailed description of the new modes and maps, please visit the Red Faction Guerrilla community site at community.redfaction.com.

THQ, Red Faction: Guerrilla and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Australia, 26 August, 2009 –

More and more Wii™ users are escaping to paradise with the second instalment of Wii Sports™ – Wii Sports Resort™. Independent market research group GfK Retail and Technology Australia confirms that only four weeks since launch, Wii Sports Resort has sold through more than 100,000 copies*.
Wii Sports Resort comes packaged with the new Wii MotionPlus™ accessory, which easily connects to the Wii Remote and gives players new levels of precision and performance when used with specially designed games such as Wii Sports Resort.

Wii Sports Resort is set on Wuhu Islands and contains 12 sports: Swordplay, Archery, Golf Canoeing, Wakeboarding, Basketball, Bowling, Cycling, Frisbee®, Table Tennis, Power Cruising and Air Sports. Depending on the sport, players can compete solo or against other players.

All the sports use the precision controls of the Wii MotionPlus accessory to help players come much closer to the physical reality of engaging in the actual sports. Every real-world action, whether it’s a perfect drive on the fairway or a slice off the course, is replicated on screen.

Wii Sports Resort maintains the wide-ranging appeal of the original Wii Sports™, as it is easy for anyone to pick up and play, yet contains challenges for even the most experienced of gamers.
*All market share information courtesy of GfK Retail and Technology Australia

Celebrate the mystique and wonder of the Middle East in the Immigration Museum’s spring school holiday program, from 19 September to 4 October 2009.

Bring the family along to the Immigration Museum and you can participate in an exciting range of Middle Eastern-themed activities to celebrate the new exhibition, Handing on the key: Palestinians in Australia.

Activities: Around the World to the Middle East
Go around the world to the Middle East and participate in a craft activities, including:
Paper Pals: Use patterned paper from the Middle East to dress your own paper doll, and learn more about the fabrics used in Palestinian clothing.
Coin rubbing: Make a coin rubbing of a Palestinian coin and find out about Palestinian history.
Story telling form Around the World: Be captivated by amazing stories to Australia. Join us during the school holidays and hear heart-warming immigration stories from around the world.

Exhibition: Handing on the key: Palestinians in Australia
For the majority of Palestinians in Australia, there is no lived experience of Palestine. Handing on the Key explores how the link to homeland is passed from one generation to the next through acts of memory. The changing identity of the Palestinian community through generations reveals the different and often emotional connections that Australians of Palestinian heritage have to Palestine.

Immigration Adventures Trail
The Immigration Adventures Trail is available as a self-guided activity for families every day of the school holidays. Collect a booklet and pencil at the front desk and explore the Immigration Museum. Look for objects, explore the replica ship and count how many shoes you can see!

The Immigration Museum offers programs during each school holidays, which bring into focus different cultural groups in accessible ways for children and families. Admission of all exhibitions and activities at the Immigration Museum is free for children.

This spring search the realms of outer space in Scienceworks’ school holiday program from 19 September to 4 October 2009.

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibition
Fantasy and reality join forces in Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. This is the first exhibition to showcase more than 80 costumes, models and props from all six Star Wars films while exploring cutting-edge research and modern technologies that could one day make the fantasy world of Star Wars a reality.
Cost: Adults $18, Concession $8, Children $6 (includes entry to Scienceworks).
Pre-book tickets to avoid disappointment via 13 11 02 or www.museumvictoria.com.au/starwars

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibition – late night Thursday sessions
See the popular Star Wars exhibition after dark in these special late night sessions. Thursdays until 3 November.
Cost: Adults $18, Concession $8, Children $6.
Pre-book tickets to avoid disappointment via 13 11 02 or www.museumvictoria.com.au/starwars

Planetarium Shows
See www.museumvictoria.com.au/planetarium for screening times, prices and availability for the shows below:

Our Living Climate – NEW SHOW
Take a fascinating look at the science behind climate change from the very beginnings of our Solar System to the challenge of global warming today. Produced by Melbourne Planetarium’s own award-winning production team.

The Search for Life: Are We Alone?
Join narrator Harrison Ford on an exhilarating journey from the depths of Earth’s oceans to the planets outside our Solar System. Discover how scientists are searching for signs of life beyond our world.

Tycho to the Moon
Meet Tycho, a dog who doesn’t just howl at the Moon, but wants to go there! Blast off on an amazing ride into space with Tycho and his young friends Ruby and Michael.

Holiday activities and performances at Scienceworks include:

Space Safari
You are about to zoom off to discover a new world! What will you need to take with you on your search? Make your own flying rocket and prepare for a stellar experience in this 10-minute activity. Time: 1pm to 3pm

Alien Station
Do aliens exist? They do at Scienceworks! Explore different sorts of planets and use your imagination to introduce your own alien species! Join in any time.

Astro-Adventure!
Join in as we plan a mission that’s out of this world! What challenges will we face? What will we find? Come along and find out in this live, 20 minute astronomical show. Time: 12pm and 2pm

Tracks on Wax
Imagine living over 100 years ago. How would you listen to music or view images? Meet some of the ancestors of modern technology, and hear tunes from our 111 year old phonograph as we roll back time and rotate the wax cylinder in this 10 minute demonstration. Time: 12.45pm

Scienceworks, 2 Booker St, Spotswood. (Melway 56, B1). Open daily 10.00am – 4.30pm. Star Wars open late on Thursdays until 9 pm. Admission: Adult $8, Children and Concession FREE. Additional charges apply to Star Wars, Planetarium and Lightning Room shows. For further details phone 03 9392 4800 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks

Go back in time to ancient Italy and explore one of the world’s most extraordinary cities, Pompeii, in Melbourne Museum’s spring school holiday program from 19 September to 4 October 2009.

Exhibition: A Day in Pompeii
A Day in Pompeii tells the story of life in the ancient city – from food and dining to shopping, medicine, and religious practices – with more than 250 objects, many never shown before in Australia. Visitors can also learn about volcanoes, and enter an immersive 3D theatre to experience the catastrophic volcanic eruption that buried the city, preserving it as a time-capsule for almost 2,000 years. A Day in Pompeii will captivate visitors with its colourful detail and priceless objects, and help them understand the ancient Roman world and the science of archaeology that helps bring the past back to life.
Time: Daily
Cost: Adults $20, concession $14, children $12, family $54 (includes entry to Melbourne Museum)

Activities: Pompeii Play
Explore the city and people of Pompeii in our special family activity room. Find fascinating treasures in the archaeological dig, use Roman weights and measures and play with mosaic boxes and fresco designs. Make your own gladiator helmet to try on with a toga and become one of the people of Pompeii.
Time: 11.00am to 3.00pm
Cost: Free entry with A Day in Pompeii exhibition ticket

Presentation: A Slave’s Eye View: an introduction to the people and places of Pompeii.
Meet the people and see the sights of Pompeii through the eyes of a slave during this 20 minute presentation.
Join your slave guide at the Porta Marina, visit the baths, a thermopolium (fast food outlet) and walk along the Via dell’Abbondanza. Along the way encounter people from every strata of Pompeii society and ready yourself for a fine dinner at the slave’s residence.
This presentation is recommended as a pre-exhibition experience.
Time: 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm
Cost: Free entry with A Day in Pompeii exhibition ticket

A Day in Pompeii is on display at Melbourne Museum until 25 October 2009. For more information visit museumvictoria.com.au or phone 13 11 02.

A Day in Pompeii is presented in association with the Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei (SANP). Adults $20, concession $14, children $12, family $54 (all tickets include entry to Melbourne Museum).

Golden Globe® winner Hugh Laurie is on call again as sardonic Dr. Gregory House in House Season 5. Follow the modern day Sherlock Holmes of medicine, Dr. House as he pushes new boundaries in medicine while dealing with emotional chaos as personal and professional boundaries blur.

House Season 5 picks up where Season 4 left off. With Amber’s death, House blames himself and believes Wilson blames him but is afraid to ask. Wilson decides to leave the hospital, but is he really gone? Will he return? Will House change? Where will Season 5 take Cameron and Chase’s relationship? Many questions will be answered as one of TV’s most provocative dramas continues.

With guest appearances by Primetime Emmy Award® winner Zeljko Ivanek (Damages), Mos Def (The Italian Job) and Carl Reiner (Ocean’s Thirteen), House Season Five is must see TV.

Don’t miss out on adding this great television series to your DVD collection.

Get your copy of House Season Five on DVD September 30.