As biologically diverse as the Amazon is, this peculiar creature would not appear to be a natural inhabitant of the Brazilian jungle or, indeed, Earth for that matter. Standing just a few feet from a mesmerising flashing light, this unidentified being could offer proof that we are not alone in the universe. The image comes from a video obtained by noted paranormal writer Michael Cohen and is claimed to have been filmed by two British tourists visiting the Mamaus region of the Amazon.

The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from finance, industry, labour, education and communications. Meetings are closed to the public and often feature future political leaders shortly before they become household names.

According to chairman Étienne Davignon, a major attraction of Bilderberg group meetings is that they provide an opportunity for participants to speak and debate candidly and to find out what major figures really think, without the risk of off-the-cuff comments becoming fodder for controversy in the media. However, partly because of its working methods to ensure strict privacy, the Bilderberg group is accused of conspiracies. This outlook has been popular on both extremes of the political spectrum, even if they disagree on what the group wants to do. Some on the left accuse the Bilderberg group of conspiring to impose capitalist domination, while some on the right have accused the group of conspiring to impose a world government and planned economy.

A giant patch of frozen water has been pictured nestled within an unnamed impact crater on Mars. The photographs were taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera on board Mars Express, the European Space Agency probe which is exploring the planet.

In 1929, a group of historians found an amazing map drawn on a gazelle skin. Research showed that it was a genuine document drawn in 1513 by Piri Reis, a famous admiral of the Turkish fleet in the sixteenth century. The Piri Reis map shows the western coast of Africa, the eastern coast of South America, and the northern coast of Antarctica. The northern coastline of Antarctica is perfectly detailed. The most puzzling however is not so much how Piri Reis managed to draw such an accurate map of the Antarctic region 300 years before it was discovered, but that the map shows the coastline under the ice. Geological evidence confirms that the latest date Queen Maud Land could have been charted in an ice-free state is 4000 BC. 

The Man in the Iron Mask is a name given to a prisoner arrested as Eustache Dauger in 1669, and held in a number of jails, including the Bastille and the Fortress of Pignerol. He was held in the custody of the same jailer, Bénigne Dauvergne de Saint-Mars, for a period of 34 years. He died on 19 November 1703 under the name of Marchioly, during the reign of Louis XIV of France, 1643-1715. The possible identity of this man has been thoroughly discussed and has been the subject of many books, because no one ever saw his face, which was hidden by a mask of black velvet cloth.

While scientists are confident a large asteroid crashed into Earth approximately 65 million years ago, leading to the extinction of dinosaurs and some other life forms on our planet, they do not know exactly where the asteroid came from or how it made its way to Earth. A 2007 study using visible-light data from ground-based telescopes first suggested the remnant of a huge asteroid, known as Baptistina, as a possible suspect. According to that theory, Baptistina crashed into another asteroid in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter about 160 million years ago. The collision sent shattered pieces as big as mountains flying. One of those pieces was believed to have impacted Earth, causing the dinosaurs’ extinction.

A shape claimed to be a giant beast — said to be up to 50ft long — was spotted emerging from the depths of Lake Windermere near Bowness in Cumbria. In the grainy picture, which is eerily reminiscent of classic snaps of the famous Loch Ness Monster, an animal’s humped back seems to be visible. Enormous rippples can be seen in its wake as the dark shape passes in front of foliage growing from the misty lake. But can it really be the beast of legend?

Sailing stones refer to a geological phenomenon where rocks move in long tracks along a smooth valley floor without human or animal intervention. They have been recorded and studied in a number of places around Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, where the number and length of travel grooves are notable. The force behind their movement is not confirmed and is the subject of research.

The stones move only every two or three years and most tracks develop over three or four years. Stones with rough bottoms leave straight striated tracks while those with smooth bottoms wander. Stones sometimes turn over, exposing another edge to the ground and leaving a different track in the stone’s wake.

Trails differ in both direction and length. Rocks that start next to each other may travel parallel for a time, before one abruptly changes direction to the left, right, or even back the direction it came from. Trail length also varies – two similarly sized and shaped rocks may travel uniformly, then one could move ahead or stop in its track.

When it comes to describing the discovery of the apparently abandoned Mary Celeste in 1872, words like spooky and unsettling simply don’t cut it. This brigantine merchant ship was found in the Atlantic Ocean with its cargo and valuables completely untouched, packed with six months’ worth of food and water but not hide nor hair of a single passenger or crew member. Though its contents were wet and it was a bit worse for the wear, the ship was still seaworthy after being out for just a month. The fact that all reasonable explanations - from storms to piracy - seem to have been ruled out has spurred more outrageous theories of alien abduction or sea monster attacks. Today, the fate of the Mary Celeste remains one of history’s most famous and puzzling maritime mysteries - but this is far from the only story of its kind.

Scientists have discovered flowing salt water on Mars which has sparked conversations about potential alien life within the planet’s surface. The images sent from NASA’s orbiter unveiled flowing waters descending down from rocky slopes.

Late in April 2009, astronauts aboard the International Space Station observed a strange circular area of thinned ice in the southern end of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia. Siberia is remote and cold; ice cover can persist into June.

Lake Baikal is unique in many regards. It is the largest (by volume) and deepest (1,637 meters at the deepest point) fresh water lake on Earth. It is also one of the world’s oldest lakes being 25-30 million years old; sediment deposited on the bottom is up to 7 kilometers deep. The lake’s long, thin, and deep shape results from its location in the Baikal Rift Valley.

Annalee Newitz — Several days ago, we reported that a Swedish team of shipwreck hunters discovered a strange, circular object at the bottom of the Baltic Sea that looks sort of like the Millennium Falcon. The group was using sonar to plumb the depths of the waters, hoping to find shipwrecks that might contain treasures they could sell. The Ocean Explorer team isn’t sure what to make of this strange discovery that some are calling a crashed UFO, but they’ve released more information about it.

Here you can see Peter Lindberg, from the Swedish Ocean Explorer team that discovered the object, explaining what they found. Earlier, he told reporters:

At 87 meters down, between Sweden and Finland, they saw a large circle, about 60 feet in diameter. You see a lot of wierd stuff in this job but during my 18 years as a professional I have never seen anything like this. The shape is completly round…a circle.

Apparently there are tracks about 300 meters long leading up to the object, leading Lindberg to speculate that the object has moved. So far nobody has explored the object yet, so hopefully we’ll be learning more about this as the story develops.