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RAIN ANOMALIES |
Rain anomalies refer to objects that fall from the sky in great quantity but actually reside on earth instead of the sky. A variety of objects have been said to drop, �like rain�, from the sky. Frogs, fish, money, �manna�, metal, large rocks, maggots, religious artifacts, seeds, worms � even cookies! Various paranormal theories have been proposed to explain the rain anomalies. Reference to a region called �Super-Sargasso Sea� that is included in The Book of the Damned is often made. Apparently this region is found somewhere in the sky and is a place where gravity doesn�t apply. Somehow this area can suck up objects from the earth but occasionally storms and other atmospheric disturbances can shake the objects loose and make them fall back to earth. Damon Knight proposed that the Super-Sargasso Sea was actually located in a parallel universe and its own objects, similar to our own, would sometimes fall into our reality through electromagnetic teleportation.
Skeptical Perspective
A variety of natural explanations have been proposed that may shed a bit of light on the phenomena associated with rain anomalies. It�s likely that several different theories explain the different occurrences. The most promising is extreme weather patterns such as tornadoes and hurricanes that are able to sweep up objects and deposit them elsewhere. Waterspouts may also explain some of the rain anomalies in the same manner. The more unusual claims that have been made probably owe their origin to a time before science could be employed to help explain the phenomena experienced. It is thought that the �manna� referred to in the Bible, that fell from Heaven and provided food for the wandering Jews was one of these instances. Other rain anomalies have been recorded at other times in history � the Greek writer Athenaeus refers to a great frogfall that so disgusted the inhabitants of Paeonia and Dardania that they all fled the towns. As with many paranormal claims today, people tend to prefer the mysterious explanations to the natural ones and so use ancient and historical instances as support for their own ideas � not realizing that there are many differences in our understanding now then there was in the past and the process of science has afforded many mysteries to be solved.
- Lana Martinez (College Student) |
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Tales From the Fort - The Charles Fort Files: ��
Annals of Improbable Research: ��
The Straight Dope: ��