A Review of 2011’s Strangest Hoaxes, Events, Mysteries and Theories

In 2011 we’ve seen a number of hoaxes, some disasters, and a few conspiracies become mainstream news.  But as we continue on our journey through the cosmos on this tiny sphere we call Earth, even our own humble little world seems to reach into that obsidian veil of shadows surrounding us all and pull back something that we can neither explain nor truly understand – at least not yet.  And several of these artifacts from the unknown still haunt us and seem to completely defy explanation.

First, let’s start with a few of the events that turned out false.  In Russia a group of teenagers stumbled upon what appeared to be a genuine dead alien lying in the snow that had been unearthed by their dogs.  They released footage of the event which generated quite a bit of interest until authorities showed up to their house demanding to see the alien for themselves.  The teens revealed then that the entire stunt had been a hoax perpetrated using bread and chicken skin, which had been partially preserved for later photographing.  The only strange thing left in that case by the end of it all was how seriously the authorities seemed to take it only to then turn around and continue denying the existence of alien visitations to our planet.  There were also the legendary, although far less dramatic social hoaxes and chain letters such as the social networking pay requirements to happen last July.

But these hoaxes seem to pale in comparison when we look back on some of the great mysteries we have encountered so far this year.  In addition to the standard stories of ghost sightings, the peculiar tales of alien abduction, and the horrifying mysterious buzz about the sun we have had several mass sightings of bizarre aerial objects that seem to be alien craft.  Already we have had four major mass sightings that reached national news media and international attention in the United States.

Not only are we struck by the long slew of stories denials and sightings of the Comet Elenin, but we’re left aghast and perplexed by its sudden disappearance.  The event millions were waiting for and considering a possible early end of the world scenario just vanished without a trace and no explanation – even a natural one.  Is it gone forever?  Or will it reappear just as mysteriously?

In China statues came alive and even allegedly talked to frightened onlookers.  But on film while the statues do appear to have a strange light anomaly appearing in front of their golden faces we cannot see anything as dramatic as what the witnesses described – and were shocked to not see on film.  Mass mind control?

What started as a mysterious ooze on an island off the coast of Alaska was quickly explained as nothing more than eggs on the water.  Then they were analyzed and the case was reopened.  What was this mysterious ooze?  No one seems to know.

We have the strange craft that seemed to hold the potential to not only turn an undisclosed location in California into the new Roswell, but the green object that crashed there has been seen dozens of times since then by witnesses reporting to UFO reporting centers.  What are these strange green fireballs and why don’t we have an explanation if they’re so common?

And finally we have the mysterious eerie sounds emanating from places unknown in regions all over the world as though a great machine were coming to life beneath the Earth.  Videos of the sound in Kiev were followed by skepticism – and another one in Washington at a baseball game live on television.

So has 2011 been a strange year?  Yes.  Is it showing any sign of calming down?  In a word, no.  Things seem to in fact be getting stranger all the time.