Duane: Yes, I have received several interesting E-mail inquiries that share my interest regarding the historical importance of the Atlantean subject. One scientific view I learned was that other writers have also documented the idea in which the American continents was once the Atlantean continent. A nice Canadian journalist brought to my attention that Frances Bacon once suggested the idea in his story called "The New Atlantis".
Reporter 2: Are you saying that the fifteenth-century
English philosopher - Frances Bacon, stated that the American
continents were once the Atlantean continent?
Duane: Not exactly - what I'm saying is that Frances Bacon wrote a story that suggested a view in which America was once Atlantis. His story, like Plato's story of Atlantis, appears somewhat fictional in makeup - but is scientifically probable if given a certain understanding of the subject.
Reporter 2: Why would Frances Bacon write a story that
would suggest the view in which America was once Atlantis?
Duane: Perhaps the view within his story came to him byway of a "ship's log" passed on to him somehow - wherein, according to the story, a crew on a ship bound for the Orient came across an island that was inhabited by survivors from the Atlantean realm. A priest on the island, like the Egyptian priest in Plato's story, reveals many scientific views regarding Atlantis to a leading crew member aboard this ship. Among these scientific views was the idea that the lost Atlantean continent became known as the American continents for reasons not explained. This leading crew member apparently documented the visit and later, as a document, ended up in the hands of Frances Bacon.
Reporter 2: So what your saying is that the information
used by Frances Bacon in his Atlantean story could have
originated from a true event - and that the idea regarding how
America was once Atlantis is nearly four centuries old. Is that
correct?
Duane: Yes - however, unlike what happened to Frances Bacon later in his life, I hope to succeed in convincing the general public that the idea has merit byway of presenting a scientific overview of some facts regarding Atlantis. Where Frances Bacon failed with a fiction-like approach to the subject of Atlantis, I hope to succeed with some facts.
Reporter 2: And what would be the most important
discoverable fact regarding Atlantis?
Duane: The main jewel in the crown of the Atlantean subject would be the tangible discovery of the seaport of Atlantis. I have not only collected many of the smaller supportive views that could help solve history's greatest mystery, but have predicted the homesite location of the elusive seaport.
Reporter 2: What if your proposed site was searched and
no evidence was found, would you still believe in your theory
that the seaport is still awaiting discovery in Central America?
Duane: Interesting question. There are many that believe the seaport of Atlantis is now a lost city underwater somewhere awaiting discovery. I used to believe that the site existed somewhere offshore Belize on the second largest coral reef in the world. Before that I believe that the site was somewhere offshore Nicaragua - on an underwater plateau known as the "Nicaraguan Rise". There are those that believe the Bahamas may someday yield evidence of the lost seaport. And yet, a new theory that somewhere off the southeastern coast of Hispanoila lies the famous submerged seaport. The list goes on - and this is just in the Caribbean Basin area. Actually, I'm not sure the technology currently exist that could conclusively disprove the idea that the seaport was once near the shores of Lake Izabal in Central America. Because the area has geologically folded in on itself so many times, it may be nearly impossible to find solid evidence that a seaport may have - or may not have existed there once.
Reporter 1: What if your proposed site was searched and
the site was found, what do you think would happen to world
history as we know it?
Duane: A very interesting question. Modern historians will have to rewrite the origins of Western Civilization with the new understanding that modern man could have originated in the New World and colonized the shores of the Old World long ago. Imagine the scholarly work that needs to be done. Although many historians will still cling to the idea that Biblical history is only about Middle Eastern history, most will have to acknowledge the new idea in which the newfound seaport may have also played a significant role in the Old Testament.
Reporter 3: Regarding ancient Biblical history and the
subject of Atlantis, what role, if any, would the discovery of a
lost seaport in Central America play in the rewriting of global
history with respect to Biblical times?
Duane: I was recently asked by E-mail a similar question wherein "what does the city of Atlantis have to do with Joshua". Let's see, the question is here in my notes... here it is. I responded with the following reply: "I am no expert in knowing the details of the Holy Bible - however, because I believe the foundation of Western Civilization is based on the lost maritime culture known as Atlantis that colonized the Middle East in Biblical times, some Biblical stories must relate to the wonders of Atlantis." Moreover, I further replied: "I understand the view that Joshua, like the patriarch Moses, was carrying the mandate of colonizing the area of what is now the country of Israel. Also like Moses, Joshua received instructions from the "Lord" byway of the Ark of the Covenant - which was a portable crystal radio chest. Whether the radio transmissions came from a local site near the Egyptian area or from across the Atlantic at the city of Atlantis, I don't know. I could spend many paragraphs speculating on how the Atlanteans colonized the Middle East in Biblical times."
Reporter 3: Are you are suggesting the idea that the
Israelite tribes were once Atlantean colonist which used the Ark
of the Covenant as a wireless radio transmitter to communicate
with their chief somewhere back in the Atlantean realm? How could
you ever prove such a radical view of Biblical history?
Duane: Yes to the first question and the evidence to prove it lies within a new scientific understanding of ancient history's greatest reference book - the Holy Bible. I followed up my E-mail response with the following views regarding another inquiry from the same person wherein she ask about some flying aircraft in Biblical times. I replied: "I made a search of the book of Joshua for anything airborne that could have been interpreted as an aircraft. Although I could not find any in the first search, serpentine kite-like flying beings known as "Seraphims" (Isaiah 6:2) may be at least some reference to "flying angels" piloted by intelligent beings in Biblical times. Also because, in II Kings 19:35, "the angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians", perhaps some kind of "allied aircraft" was used to attack the rebelling Assyrians. Assuming that the Atlanteans were attempting to "police the Middle East", much like how the Western Alliance has attempted to control the area to this day, perhaps history is somewhat repeating itself. Biblical stories like in Leviticus 10:10 and Numbers 21:7 describe sword-like fire weapons that could "smite" targets like some kind of particle-beam gun. (Even in Genesis 3:24, the Garden of Eden was protected by a "flaming sword".) Amazing views that such technology could exist long ago. Because the Holy Bible is the greatest reference book from ancient history - and because the lost technology from ancient Atlantis is about to be rediscovered by modern scientist, a review of the Old and New Testaments should testify to the lost wonders of Atlantis."
Reporter 2: Why do you believe in the idea that some
lost Atlantean technology is about to be rediscovered by modern
scientist?
Duane: Because the age of information is bursting all around us like never before. Before the communicative advantage of the modern Internet, most all published information had to be edited by "trained scholars" to conform to conventional history and science. Now with the open format of information exchange byway of the modern Internet, new scientific and historical views are available directly to the public. Some of these new views, like the ones found at my website, testify to the idea that this rediscovery process is happening as we speak.
Reporter 1: If your website and book project become a
financial success, what would be your next big project?
Duane: I would probably go fly a kite. Actually, I've been flying a kite every day for some two decades - well not really a kite, it's a sailboat at anchor just offshore. The kite I would really like to fly would be capable of cruising the coastal islands of the Caribbean Basin area. I'm working on a kite-like seaplane design that may someday accomplish that goal. If I could afford to invest in the tools necessary to create this goal, that would be my next big project.
Reporter 1: Do you realize the engineering effort and
financial cost in creating a new seaplane design that could
cruise among the offshore islands?
Duane: I realize that any endeavor to create a futuristic seaplane design will take many years and cost more money than I have now - but these barriers can be jumped if the timing is right. I've been working with kite models for nearly two decades - in fact, a working version of the design almost already exist. A two-seater seaplane kite-boat called "The Flying Boat" is available now by a manufacturing company called "Seair" and really is not much more than a small inflatable boat attached to a hanglider.
Reporter 2: In your book project you portray the idea
that the Golden Fleece was some kind of hanglider design. How did
come to that conclusion?
Duane: Go and reread the story of the Golden Fleece - whereupon the mythical messenger of the Greek gods, named Hermes, rescued two children from a seaside cliff with the help of his "wondrous ram". And realize that if such a simple ram-like hanglider design was once used by a brave pilot during the event, why the story would be handed down through the ages as a heroic tale regarding a flying ram. They didn't have the words like "airplane" or "hanglider" back then - but words that personified the idea of a common animal with recurved and flaring wing-like horns, such as a ram, were used instead. Also imagine that since the idea of the Golden Fleece is associated with art of healing the sick, the Caduceus medical symbol design must represent the image of a kite with a serpentine tail that could heal mental injuries byway of entertainment. Seeing a modern stunt kite today can be entertaining, but seeing a highly decorated kite dancing in the sky that expressed character long ago in ancient times would have been nothing short of a miracle.
Reporter 2: Ok, perhaps some ram-like kites and maybe
even hangliders were once used by certain persons as
psychological tools in ancient times - how come no solid evidence
of these items have ever been found by any historian to date?
Duane: It may be possible that the very few flying treasures from the antediluvian age were destroyed during the Biblical Flood. Moreover, any kite-like aircraft, of which there may have been very few, would have been made of very light materials that would have long since decayed.
Reporter 2: What about the ancient helicopter design
you suggest in your book project - that aircraft used heavy
materials like steam boilers for power. If what you suggest was
true and copies of this ancient craft survived the Biblical
flood, how come none of these flying machines have ever been
found by anyone to date?
Duane: Perhaps even fewer of these flying machines were ever built - and those that could have survived the Biblical flood may still be found someday. Because the science of archeology is really only several centuries old, and because any surviving part could still be buried, finding evidence of these lost treasures just hasn't happen yet - and may not happen in our lifetimes. Also, even heavy materials can decay in a relatively short amount of time if exposed to a rough environment.
Reporter 2: Regarding the Biblical flood, your book
project suggest that the Biblical flood was caused by a rogue
comet. What evidence have you gathered to suggest that concept?
Duane: First, the scientific idea that the Earth's surface has encountered the astrophysical consequences of several cometary visits in the past is a new and plausible concept. Second, two important views associated with this concept ask the questions that could such encounters cause a world-wide flood and did any encounters happen within recorded history. In response to the first question, evidence of a cometary encounter with the Earth's surface could appear as chemical data in sediment layer research projects from around the world which suggest the idea of a global flood during a celestial rain of rare-earth elements like Iridium. Evidence for the second question lies in the view that because both Greek and Biblical histories, among many other cultural histories from around the world, portray a common story of a great flood. The Greek story of Phaethon could also be a personified explanation of a celestial event wherein a bright comet may have crashed into the sun and caused atmospheric problems back here on Earth within recorded history.
Reporter 2: Are you suggesting the theoretical idea
that the Greek mythical legend of Phaethon is really a story of a
great astronomical event that caused the Biblical flood?
Duane: Yes. Plato even refers to the Phaethon event in the same story he also describes how the Atlantean seaport was engulfed by floods and earthquakes.
Reporter 2: One would think that the real threat of a
comet or asteroid would be if one hit the Earth and not, as you
have suggested, colliding with the Sun. Why would a collision
with the Sun cause atmospheric problems back hear on Earth?
Duane: First, the Sun is a much larger target to hit - and second, depending on the size or scale of the event, a comet or asteroid may vaporize before "splashing" into the surface of the Sun - but the electro-plasmatic "waves" of the encounter or the metallic vapor from the celestial object could react with our atmosphere somehow and cause a chain of events that could rapidly melt much of the icecaps - causing global flooding.
Reporter 1: Based on your research, how often do you
think such celestial events happen and should we expect a similar
event in the near future?
Duane: I'm still not sure how often they could occur because I'm not sure how many years ago the Biblical flood took place. Predicting the next "big one" is beyond my understanding of celestial mechanics at this time - however, I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying about it.
Reporter 3: For reasons given in your book project, you
have theorized that the traditional annual timelines of Biblical
and Greco-Roman history are in fact much smaller annual values.
You have also suggested that the conventional annual time period
of the Middle Ages is not the thousand-year time period
conclusion. Of the many modern dating technologies available
today, how do you plan to annually date one of the most important
reference dates in Western History - the event date in which
Jesus Christ was born?
Duane: The problem with many of the modern dating technologies available today are that they have been "calibrated" to the conventional timeline of Old World Governmental History. The most popular scientific method of dating historical artifacts uses the Carbon-14 isotope decay rate formula. When scientist recently used this method to date the Shroud of Turin - or Christ' burial cloth, and found it to measure at a decay rate that dated it to only about seven centuries ago, I was surprised to learn it verified my calendrical findings that the Middle Ages were not the thousand year time period conclusion. While I was navigating the annual calendar of some seven centuries ago looking for historical events of reference, I came across the ethereal idea in which the 76-year period comet, known as Halley's Comet, could have been the same expected celestial event as the "Star of Bethlehem". So, I'm still working on the astronomical and historical data that suggest the theoretical idea in which the 76-year period "Christmas Comet" may be used to annually measure other important historical events of the last millennium - and perhaps the true annual birth date of Jesus Christ could be discovered.
END SECOND INTERVIEW 12/97
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