Advanced alien civilizations could be communicating ‘like fireflies’ in plain sight, researchers suggest

Advanced alien civilizations may communicate via a series of flashing lights, similar to how fireflies do, a new paper hints. This would potentially make extraterrestrials much harder to spot if we continue to rely on our current observation techniques, the researchers argue.

However, while this thought experiment raises interesting questions about alien intelligence, it does not provide any evidence that these signals actually exist.

So far, the quest to uncover alien intelligence has focused on finding evidence of distant human-like civilizations. For example, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute — the world’s leading organization dedicated to searching for alien life — spends most of its time searching for radio signals from distant exoplanets or heat given off by technological megastructures, such as the theoretical Dyson sphere.

However, some scientists believe that these searches suffer from an “anthropocentric bias” — meaning we’re trying to understand nonhuman entities through a distinctly human lens — and do not account for potential civilizations that are wholly different from our own. Due to this bias, we may be overlooking promising signs of life.

In the new study, uploaded Nov. 8 to the preprint server arXiv, researchers proposed a new way that an alien civilization could communicate — by flashing to one another like fireflies. These flashing signals could be used for specific and complex communications. However, the researchers argue that they are more likely being widely broadcast to other civilizations, like a luminous repeating beacon. (This paper has not yet been peer reviewed, but is now under consideration for publication in the journal PNAS.)

Keep reading

Reports of UFOs sightings on the rise in Belgium – with spike reported in March

Belgium’s UFO hotline recorded 237 sightings of unidentified flying objects in 2025, according to its annual report published on Monday.

The Belgische UFO-meldpunt (Belgian UFO Reporting Centre) has been analysing strange aerial phenomena in Belgium since 2007, supported by a team of five scientists.

Sightings in 2025 rose by 44% compared to the previous year, following a significant drop from 227 reports in 2023 to 161 in 2024. Most incidents occurred in March and September.

March’s spike was attributed to the release of excess fuel by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket during a satellite launch. The fuel created a spiral-shaped illuminated cloud, made up of water and carbon dioxide.

Reports were also driven by “skytracers” – bright lights used to illuminate clouds – and sightings of Starlink satellite trains.

In November, only 11 sightings were linked to drones spotted near military bases and airports.

In most cases, misidentifications involving aeroplanes, helicopters, or stars were found to be the cause.

The French-speaking counterpart, the Belgian Committee for the Study of Space Phenomena (Cobeps), is set to release its 2025 report in the coming days, according to its president Patrick Ferryn.

Keep reading

Unsealed documents reveal UK agents were ordered to secure UFO technology over threat fears

Unsealed government files have revealed that the British military once seriously explored the idea of securing UFO technology, amid fears that unexplained craft could pose both a threat – and an opportunity – to national defence.

The documents, now available at the National Archives in London, show that during the 1990s, the UK’s Defence Intelligence staff was instructed to investigate a surge in ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’ (UAPs), following thousands of sightings reported over Belgium between November 1989 and April 1990.

At the time, intelligence officers were concerned that the strange sightings might not only be real, but technologically significant.

One internal memo from March 1997 read: “Logic would indicate that if significant numbers are reporting seeing strange objects in the sky then there may be a basis in fact. It could be argued that UAPs pose a potential threat to the defence of the realm since we have no idea what they are!”

Earlier reports focused on accounts of ‘large, silent, low-flying black triangles’ that appeared to outperform any known aircraft. Their apparent ability to hover, accelerate rapidly and evade military jets led officials to consider whether the technology itself could be exploited.

Keep reading

Sources Blame Senator McConnell for UFO Transparency Law Failure

In 2025, Senator Mitch McConnell and his staff played a central role in the derailment of major Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) transparency legislation, according to sources who spoke to Liberation Times.

Sources identify Terry Carmack, McConnell’s chief of staff, as the staffer who they say pressed to have the UAP Disclosure Act (UAPDA) stripped from the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after Representative Eric Burlison had submitted it as an amendment

One source claimed to Liberation Times, “Mitch has always worked against it [UAP disclosure] – he is the number one villain – number two is Terry.”

During a UAP hearing on 9 September 2025, convened by the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, Burlison said he had only recently learned that his UAPDA amendment had not made it into the House NDAA package. 

He suggested the decision was made on ‘germaneness’ grounds—House procedure for whether an amendment is considered relevant to the underlying bill—and he added in frustration:

“Just last night, I tried to get an amendment onto the National Defense Authorization Act that fit in the germaneness [meaning relevant to a subject under consideration] of that bill to have UAP disclosure, and conveniently it was named non-germane, mostly deemed by staff, not even an elected official – this is the kind of stuff we repeatedly see.”

In a recent appearance on the Psicoactivo Podcast, Burlison said there was a final, narrow window to add the UAPDA during ‘conference’—the closed-door phase when House and Senate negotiators reconcile their competing NDAA versions into a single compromise bill. 

Keep reading

Six and a Half Years Later, the DoD’s Reply to Harry Reid’s AATIP Memo Remains Missing

In June 2009, then–Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sent a letter to the Department of Defense requesting heightened protection for what he described as the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). The four-page letter, addressed to then–Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn III, argued that portions of the program warranted Restricted Special Access Program (SAP) status due to sensitivity involving “unconventional aerospace-related findings,” advanced technologies, and national security implications.

The letter itself is no longer in dispute. After years of denials, confusion, and contradictory statements, the Department of Defense ultimately acknowledged its authenticity, and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released the document publicly. What remains unresolved, even after more than six and a half years after a Freedom of Information Act request first sought it, is the Department of Defense’s response to Reid’s request.

A final FOIA response issued by the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Joint Staff on December 15, 2025, under case number 19-F-0948, again produced only Reid’s original letter, directing The Black Vault to the same DIA-hosted copy previously released years earlier. The response asserted that this constituted a “full grant” of the request and stated that no additional responsive records were found.

Keep reading

Wyoming Dealing With Eerie UFO Problem Being Described As ‘New Normal’

According to a local Wyoming sheriff’s office, unidentified flying objects (UFOs) continue to gather at high altitudes above the Red Desert and the Jim Bridger Power Plant in Sweetwater County.

Sheriff John Grossnickle of Sweetwater County personally observed the drone-resembling aerial objects, according to his spokesperson Jason Mower who informed the Cowboy State Daily of the information.

Mower noted that this represents 13 months of illuminated objects resembling drones assembling in groups, frequently appearing in organized patterns, above the Red Desert and the power plant. He further mentioned that their extreme altitude makes them impossible to target or bring down from ground level.

“We’ve worked with everybody,” said Mower to the Cowboy State Daily. “We’ve done everything we can to figure out what they are, and nobody wants to give us any answers.”

According to Mower, the sheriff accompanied Wyoming U.S. House Rep. Harriet Hageman to view the aerial objects, and she personally witnessed them.

Keep reading

UFO Swarms Puzzle Wyoming County Officials

Mysterious swarms of UFOs have been appearing over a Wyoming county for over a year, leaving officials scratching their heads and searching for answers. According to a local media report, the curious clusters were first spotted in December of 2025 in the skies above the Jim Bridger Power Plant and the Red Desert in Sweetwater County. Although thought to be drones, the exact nature of illuminated aerial objects remains uncertain to authorities despite their best efforts to get to the bottom of the odd mystery.

“We’ve done everything we can to figure out what they are,” Jason Mower of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s office explained, “and nobody wants to give us any answers.” Remarkably, he indicated that the once-astonishing UFOs have now become so commonplace that residents no longer even report seeing them to police. “It’s like the new normal,” Mower mused, noting that, despite being something of an unnerving presence in the sky, the objects have posed no danger to the public nor done anything to necessitate police action. Should that change, Mower stressed, “we’ll certainly act accordingly.”

It would appear that the situation in Sweetwater County is not an isolated phenomenon, as law enforcement officials in another part of the state also reported seeing similar recurring UFO swarms beginning in late 2024 and into the first quarter of 2025 until they suddenly stopped visiting. The subject even came up during a state legislature meeting wherein Wyoming National Guard leader Greg Porter was reportedly asked about “any incidents of UAPs over your airspace,” to which he replied “no.” That said, he interestingly added that he knew of cases “near some other federal facilities,” but that he could not publicly discuss them.

Keep reading

UFO Transparency Stalls Again as Congressional Leaders Fail to Act Despite Growing Attention

Congressional leadership has abandoned full enactment of the proposed Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (UAPDA) after it was not included in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, due to be signed by President Trump.

Liberation Times understands that the proposed legislation—first introduced in 2023 by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) and Senator Mike Rounds (Republican), a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees—now faces an uncertain future.

After initial resistance in 2023—reportedly from some in House and Senate leadership—a mostly gutted version of the UAPDA was ultimately enacted via the 2024 NDAA. 

In response, Senators Schumer and Rounds entered into a colloquy on the Senate floor expressing their disappointment with House Republicans and pledged to continue pursuing the full legislation, including the creation of an independent Review Board: a nine-member panel of U.S. citizens appointed by the President, and confirmed by the Senate. 

Under the proposal, the Board would have authority to assess and advise on the public release of UAP-related information and records, alongside provisions requiring the government to secure possession of any recovered UAP material and related biological evidence that may have been transferred to private entities—potentially placing it beyond the reach of Congress and the American public.

Keep reading

French Soldiers ‘Open Fire’ On Drones Threatening High-Secure Nuclear Submarine Base

A major security breach of French military airspace has been revealed Friday at a moment European officials have been hyping the ‘hybrid warfare’ threat from Russia, which has of late centered on many dozens of ‘mystery’ drone breaches in EU airspace especially near sensitive locations like airports.

French Marines opened fire on five unidentified drones that breached restricted airspace above a key nuclear submarine base Thursday evening, military officials said, according to EuroNews. But one official has said a “jammer” was hot and not necessarily live ammunition. 

At around 7:30pm local at the Île Longue naval base in Brittany, which importantly is the command center for France’s fleet of nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines, radar detected incoming unauthorized UAVs at the high-secure facility.

The marine infantry battalion responsible for protecting the site immediately deployed anti-drone procedures, which included firing several shots at the aircraft in an effort to disable and bring them down.

As it wasn’t confirmed whether the drones were actually hit, the security forces initiated a large-scale search operation. Authorities still haven’t confirmed that any drones were brought down or recovered.

The drones may have been electronically thwarted or intercepted, based on vague references from French military officials, but not much in the way of details have been offered

Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed that troops at the base intercepted an overflight, without detailing whether they fired shots, used electronic jamming or other means against the aerial intruders. It wasn’t clear who was responsible.

“Any overflight of a military site is prohibited in our country,” Vautrin said. “I want to commend the interception carried out by our military personnel at the Île Longue base.”

The installation is located near Brest in western France, and is guarded by more than 120 maritime forces alongside naval security forces, according to French media.

It hosts four ballistic missile submarines — Le Triomphant, Le Téméraire, Le Vigilant, and Le Terrible — and provides maintenance for the vessels which support the nation’s nuclear deterrent. According to official policy, at least one nuclear submarine is deployed on patrol at all times.

Keep reading

‘Ice Volcanoes’ Are Erupting All Over 3I/ATLAS, as Scientists Say the Alien Visitor “May be a Primitive Carbonaceous Object”

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may be showing signs of active eruptions from “ice volcanoes” on its surface, according to new analysis of the unusual space object.

The discoveries, which build on observations that have revealed the comet’s surprisingly metal-rich interior, add to a growing number of factors that have prompted revised thinking on how comets form, and what future discoveries may await with the ongoing detection of similar interstellar objects in the years ahead.

3I/ATLAS, first discovered in July of this year, has been continuously tracked by astronomers throughout its visit through our solar system. These observations offered scientists a rare glimpse of a truly alien object, whose mysterious origins far beyond the gravitational or radiative influence of our Sun led it to exhibit several behaviors unique among comets.

Of key significance to observations of 3I/ATLAS is that its unusual behaviors offered clues to astronomers about how objects might exist in their natural state under cosmic conditions in which they formed billions of years ago.

The fact that the comet’s behaviors align with our expectations for how such pristine celestial objects would react once subjected to heat from a star like our Sun makes 3I/ATLAS a unique learning opportunity for studying not only interstellar comets, but also the chemistry and physics of distant planetary systems.

A Massive Surge in Ice Activity

Now, according to a new study by researchers Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez, Maria Gritsevich, and Jürgen Blum, which recently appeared on the arXiv preprint server, photometric observations of the comet have revealed a significant sustained increase in brightness that occurred as the object approached approximately 2.5 astronomical units from the Sun.

This unique behavior was sudden, but it was hardly fleeting—the explosive outburst appeared to be long-lasting, and seemingly points to the activation of water ice as the comet was warmed during its approach toward the Sun.

However, the recent observations reveal more than just sudden evaporation due to ice melt, suggesting something even more fascinating may have been occurring: cryovolcanism.

Keep reading