How big is it?
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Hard to tell. Are those in inches, or feet?
Seriously, though: The little guy in the pic should be no more than ~4" in length.
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Maybe they are anaerobic lifeforms…
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Yes, this was for real.
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I happen to believe that “aliens” are now, and for a long, long time before that, present on our planet. I’ve always doubted that these odd mummies and such relate to that, at all. I am glad some folks decided to push forward with genetic analysis, because why not, science is good.
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In a manner of speaking? Exactly yes, actually.
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This Telegraph article says that this person’s body was “found buried behind a church in an abandoned town in the Atacama desert in Chile.” So someone violated her grave, probably stealing grave goods, and then removed her body:
The article quotes Dr. Nolan as saying these remains “should be returned to the country of origin and buried according to the customs of the local people.” Like she originally was.
I know, not going to happen, but could someone go to prison for robbing the graves in this town and finding her and maybe selling her remains? or could someone sue or prosecute the giant sucking holes running the “aliens” sideshow for playing with human remains?
EDITS with addl sources’ info:
In the NYT story the remains have suspiciously hazy origins: 20 years ago “an amateur collector” “was said to have come across” a pouch containing the remains. And then the remains were in some ghoul’s “private collection” for years:
The Guardian story doesn’t clarify, but does add some further human sentiment from Nolan:
“While this started as a story about aliens, and went international, it’s really a story of a human tragedy. A woman had a malformed baby, it was preserved in a manner and then ‘hocked’ or sold as a strange artefact. It turns out to be human, with a fascinating genetic story from which we might learn something important to help others. May she rest in peace.”
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Yes, the paper concluded that this was the body of a premature fetus with fatal bone disorders, possibly the result of toxic nitrate exposure from the area’s mines. Mummification is a natural result of burial there because the Atacama is so dry, and it’s not unusual for stillborn or unbaptized babies to be buried outside a cemetery. The body is only about 40 years old, so her parents could be reading all the terrible news coverage and re-living a personal tragedy. The sensational tabloid and TV coverage is cruel and exploitative.
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The latter you say? ET’s confirmed!
Obviously, because they want aliens. Therefore, there are aliens.
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This is how the rich buy a good name. After selling us off to all comers, Zuck is giving out a ton of money to biomedical research and wants to “cure all disease” through a new institute, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (along with his wife, an MD). Local biologists already pronounce “CZI” with a note of awe and gratitude. Expect more of this as public funding dies and billionaires fret over their immortal souls.
The article I read said 6 inches.
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Didn’t they watch X-Files? Most of the aliens ARE people, so their DNA would appear the same.
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Honest question, did you TRY to miss the joke? Is someone making a joke often a good time for you to explain?
Weh? What’s the worry, I was agreeing with you. Any confusion I attribute to typing while in the shower.
I’d agree with you on the “premature fetus” angle, but the paper says “We previously reported that it was human by DNA analysis with an estimated bone age of about 6–8 yr at the time of demise.” I’m surprised that someone could live 6–8 years at that size with the associated health problems.
For what it’s worth, here’s a link to a P.T. Barnum performer (little person) who married a fellow performer (also a little person), and his new sister-in-law wound up only 27 inches tall as an adult. That’s a lot taller than this mummified little girl, but then everyone linked to Tom Thumb was otherwise quite healthy. Maybe, I hope, by not growing at all, she might have suffered less pain than if her brain was fully formed and her organs tried develop.
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That ‘aliens’ guy with the hair; I’ve seen that a zillion times, but I have NFI what he’s from. I think maybe I’ve seen a Discovery Channel watermark on an uncropped version? Can anyone give me the lowdown?
Here you are:
