Free Republic

A tiny rural community in northeastern Japan known for numerous UFO sightings is promoting itself as a "home to aliens" in a bid to revitalize its local economy and put itself on the intergalactic map. By displaying its many pieces of UFO paraphernalia and holding events that appeal to enthusiasts, Iinomachi, once prosperous through silk production and weaving industries, hopes to build a new future by drawing visitors with a passion for the extraterrestrial. Photo taken on Jan. 20, 2023 shows a statue resembling an alien in Iinomachi district in Fukushima, northeastern Japan. (Kyodo) Residents believe they live in a...

PITY the poor inhabitants of Gliese 581d; some day in 20 years' time, the planet -- which was discovered in 2007 and is theoretically inhabitable (a bit like Los Angeles) -- is going to be hit by a tsunami of spam. Our pollies have been among eager earthlings who've signed up at HelloFromEarth.net to have a message beamed at the planet. Science Minister Kim Carr did his bit to set the tone with this sentiment: "Hello from Australia on the planet we call Earth. These messages express our people's dreams for the future. We want to share these dreams with...

Scientists recently decoded the first confirmed alien transmission from outer space. It said: "Please send 5x10 (to the 50th power) atoms of hydrogen to each of the five star systems listed below. Then, add your system to the top of the list and delete the system at the bottom. Transmit copies of this message to 100 different solar systems. If you follow these instructions, you are guaranteed that within 0.25 degrees of a galactic rotation you will receive in return sufficient hydrogen stores to power your own civilization until the universe reaches inevitable maximum entropy. This really works!" OK, it's...