UFOs in the daily Press:

MANY BELIEVE MUTILATIONS PHENOMENON WILL NEVER BE EXPLAINED

The guidelines for unravelling the discovery of mutilated animals

Animals with strange incisions keep appearing. However, since there is already an official theory on the subject (the bovines died of natural causes and were later attacked by scavengers), it is unlikely that investigations into the matter will continue. Even as more claims against the version put forth by the government become known, two specialists from Bahia are detailing the guidelines to be followed in shedding light on the subject.

Alien researchers, brutal attacks by carnivorous wasps, first world scientists interested in finding ailments in the bovines of the Pampas, macabre cultic rituals and even perverse CIA experiments: all of this was said in the past 25 days in an effort to explain the mutilations in our region, but the fact is that very little has been done to find an explanation that will satisfy most of the population, at least.

Not even the official version - which speaks of animals dying of natural causes and being mutilated by carrion animals - is convincing to ranchers who have experienced the mutilation of their cattle, some of which have seen circular incisions or in 90 degree angles, different to what any known wild animal can make. The fact remains that the official theory - offered by specialists from the Schools of Veterinary Medicine of Rosario, Tandil and La Plata - shall remain standing from now on, even though more animals turn up with wounds as brutal as they are strange, and huge water tanks emptied in a single night and strange lights in the sky continue to occur. Unless, of course, that an investigation such as the one proposed by Elsa Mensch and Liliana Arró, both in charge of the Chair of Investigation Methodology of the Higher Insitute of Communication Sciences of Bahía Blanca, have proposed.

These professionals, consulted by La Nueva Provincia, mentioned that before anything else, an interdisciplinary team to approach the subject from various angles must be constituted. "It would be idealt to have biologists, anthropologists, geologists, pathologists, veterinarians, and why not, persons knowledgeable in paranormal or folkloric matters, among others, " said Mensch. "Furthermore, a specialist in methodology should be present, checking step by step in order to offer no false results," added Arro.

Both stated that an investigation also implies being very careful and critical, abandoning beliefs or personal values in order to work with data that can be scientifically attested.

Regarding the hypotheses to be discussed, Arro pointed out that prior to creating new ones, consideration must be given to historic ones: in other words, those which were formulated years ago in other countries in which similar phenomena have occured. "Many hypotheses were put forth in the U.S. and Mexico which were neither confirmed nor denied, except for two. It would be necessary to review that research, since a long time has gone by."

"At the time it was confirmed, for example, that the incisions were not made with materials known at the time (the '70s and '80s). This may have changed today, because technology has progressed considerably and it is perhaps possible now to find out what they were made with." According to her perspective, it its important to reject hypotheses that have already been disproven so as not to confuse the public or the researchers themselves. "As regards new hypotheses, the subject of water disappearances would have to be included. How can we understand the fact that liquid vanished, leaving the tanks completely dry?," she asks.

"Likewise, it is necessary to work with people who understand soils and can look into the possible tracks that may have been left around the animals." To Arró, it is obvious that one must point toward the verifiable with scientific hypotheses and not fantasy. "There exists physical, palpable data surrounding these cases whose existence does not depend on whether the researcher believes in them or not. Such is the case of the soil on which the bovines were found. This data must be analyzed rigorously and under stringent methodological control."

Mensch opined that after establishing goals and the research stages on the cases, a theoretical model must be furthered which would allow obtaining reliable and interesting data regarding the mutilations. "This is particularly hard in the cases presented, because there are few scientific studies on the matter. In any case, an effort should be made to find reports which could address part of the case, or photos, reports and other things. Interviews with trained persons can also be performed," she added. "The more unknown the phenomenon is, there more people would have to be added to the investigation. No hypothesis can be formulated without taking all of the elements compiled into consideration."

In regard to the fact that many hypotheses have been put forth and none has been satsifactorily confirmed in the minds of the people, Mensch stated that this does not necessarily mean that the cases have to do with supernatural matters. "In fact, the absence of satisfactory explanations can be due to the fact that the correct hypothesis has not been formulated." She also mentioned that the appearance of explanations having little to do with scientific hypotheses may have hindered the investigations. "These are mere efforts by persons, who cast a stone, so to speak, to see what happens, and respond to how people react or believe. The scientific method, when seriously applied, can be used on any discipline, even the study of the UFO phenomenon. But not everyone who calls himself a reseacher is actually one."

"Regarding cases like these, many journalists and alleged experts have appeared on TV which theories explained in such a way that many of them are based on belief. Caution is called for. I have not heard that the subject has been approached form a strictly scientific standpoint," she added.

Arró also made reference to the subject and considered that in a more normal social context that can be found in Argentina a this time, it would be necessary to ask who would benefit from the subject of mutilated cows being resolved in one way or another.

"Days ago, I was watching a program called Memoria (hosted by Samuel Gelblung on Canal Azul) and every other moment there was a new wild hypothesis on the subject, but no answers were being given. Furthermore, the silent gaps were highly suggestive and the persons doing the talking were not serious specialists but opinion-givers. At one point I wondered if those programs had agreements with the government, since rather than provide information, they supply disinformation."

In closing, she recalled an axiom which to her understanding must always be kept in mind: Science does not care what is true, only what can be demonstrated.

"There are great truths that cannot be demonstrated," Arró explained. "Such was the case with quantum physics. Einstein realized at the age of 12 that Physicas, as he knew it, was wrong. However, he couldn't prove it until he was 46 or 47. Before Einstein, in spite of the fact that there was no one to discover it, the Truth was the same, unique and irreplaceable."