Special Operations & Exploration

Please Note: This page is still just an introduction. As the site grows and we add elements to it, this page will eventually change and in time mutate to a whole separate site that will handle a number of different things. Scroll down to see what heading grabs you the most and read at your leisure.

What is SOE?

SOE (Special operations & Exploration) is an association which we hope will eventually include members from all around the globe. The purpose of SOE is to explore those avenues of science (any branch of science) that has so far eluded mainstream science and/or has been considered “improper” for scientific study (which is in itself a very unscientific position to have!).

We will model the organisation along the lines of Tesladyne Industries, and/or the B.P.R.D.

Please note that both Tesladyne Industries, and the B.P.R.D are fictional organisations (in which the comic book characters of Atomic Robo and Hellboy work respectively), we however are not fictional at all. The purpose of selecting such a seemingly ridiculous organisation model for what wants to be a very real, very serious (in its results, not in its attitude) organisation that hopes to make discoveries in science that will be of global importance may not be immediately obvious. Mostly because the reason is actually a multitude of reasons, all of them very sensible and logical:

• Science is FUN! If you are not having fun when doing science it’s quite probable you are doing it wrong.
• Real Science, as opposed to the mainstream media regurgitated sound-bytes, is all about exploration, and exploration is very often a bunch of strange men without a clue using large quantities of explosives to investigate the unknown. As in the case of the initial exploration of the pyramids of Giza.
  • Consider – Rockets were absolutely impossible and a joke in the 1920s and 1930s, but not so funny by the 1940s and a whole lot more real and serious by the 1950s and 1960s.
  • The Wright brothers defied science apparently (they actually only defied “science”), because according to a very well-known physicist at the time, it had been “proven” scientifically that no heavier than air craft could or would ever stay aloft. Remember that the next time you are in a 747.
  • Many of the greatest discoveries ever made where accidents.
  • Those that were not accidents were almost without exception the result of “one lone nut” figuring out something “impossible”.

• In short, we want a few “nuts”. Not completely crazy ones you understand. But people that still retain a sense of adventure, a spirit of enquiry and that are willing and able to actually do some science!

How Do I Join?

Thanks for asking! Mostly by volountering to do science, and writing up a report on your efforts. These will be articles that will be posted in www.adventurescience.info and over time we want to have a huge library of articles on as many edge-of-science topics as you can shake a stick at.

At the moment we actually need some people to help get this organisation off the ground, there is more information on this below, (See Agents below) but let us describe the different levels of membership that will be available:

• Fans — These are the enthusiastic persons who may read and comment on the blog, buy some of our badges or T-Shirts (if we ever get round to making any T-Shirts), follow our work and generally support us mostly in spirit or with small contributions, either by purchasing some of our books, items etc or by making small donations when they can afford to. They do not take part in doing any actual science, but of course we are keen to make them feel able to take part at any time they want. After a time a fan might evolve into a…

• Henchman — Now, I know what you are thinking, henchman is not exactly a flattering term, but these are people who can and do contributed in a limited way, but in a VERY important one. These are people who may only be able to afford a little time or effort, but still want to be a member of SOE. As such, they would list their location and specialites and if another member needs some help tracking down a bit of data that is in the henchman’s field of enterprise, they can be contacted and a request for help can be put in. We do not regulate how this happens, some henchmen may require compensation for their time, some may do it for free in the true spirit of the gentleman scientist or explorer, but henchmen are OFFICIAL members of SOE. As such they will have to submit some personal details and also pay some nominal membership fee. What this will be is still to be determined, but it will be minimal and very affordable. Henchmen are after all cheap and somewhat expendible. Think of them as the extras in Star trek, or in Atomic Robo adventures or Hellboy adventures for that matter. Sometimes they surprise you with their prowess, scientific acumen and efficiency, and sometimes they just get eaten by a horror from a parallel dimension and vanish without a trace. Only their slime-covered laminated ID badge remains to show they once existed. Henchemen are designed to be a plentiful resource that spans the globe, making it easier for more committed members to have a lose and informal network of “helpers” or… henchmen. You see how it all starts to make sense yes?

• Operatives — These are actual operatives in the field. These are scientists and explorers who do SIGNIFICANT THINGS. They explore, they investigate, they, in short, DO Adventure Science. Operatives have access to the henchman database (as do other henchmen, in order to promote the idea of henchmen becoming operatives once they find other interested henchmen to form an action or project team with. Operatives have slightly higher membership fees (remember that as this site grows there will be eventually a need for full time employees to manage all the information, data, articles, site updates etc.) and also the requirement to submit articles. Articles are the results of their investigations. They will have a minimum quota of articles they need to produce (usually no more than one a year) but they can produce as many as they wish, as long as the quality is good, the experiments reproducible by those who wish to try and no key information is left out. Please note all articles you write for us, you retain 100% copyright and always will. Part of the benefit of uploading an article to the adventurescience.info site, is that you can claim authorship as well as have an independent verification of the date you did your work. Operatives should also behave like gentlemen scientists from an era when honour, a man’s word and fair play and respect for professional conduct were the norm, not the exception. Please understand we care more about your science being good science than your style of dress or your obsession with French soufflés, or what have you. Good manners to your colleagues however, especially over the net, are expected, and while vigorous debate is perfectly acceptable, boorish behaviour is not. Challenge each other to a duel at dawn if you must, but by god, be manly about it, and if you can’t be rational at least have some etiquette. A crazed swordsman at dawn is one thing, but a crazed swordsman at dawn that has poor hygiene and lacks decorum…well…it’s enough to make one think of bringing a pistol to the sword-fight.
  • Later, once we are bigger and better funded, operatives will also begin to have access to resources besides the henchmen. Once they have set up a project, they will be able to apply for funds and/or equipment or other matériel or personnel they might require. When/how this will take place is probably a function of how big we get and how fast, so enroll everyone you know to speed up the process. Or have your rich uncle sponsor us and we will name some discovery after him.
  • Operatives can set up projects with other operatives and various henchmen. By posting their requirements, other operatives and henchmen can apply to join their team of researchers or explorers and make a contribution. The final report is to contain the names and functions of all team members of course. Giving credit where credit is due is a non-optional requirement for operatives, and plagiarism and knowing lies (as opposed to honest screw-ups) are the cardinal sins of our organisation. There will be a strict ZERO TOLERANCE policy for any such behaviour.

• Agents — Agents are just what they are called. Agents of change. Agents of Action. They are the movers and shakers. Agents actually actively HELP and FURTHER the SOE organisation. I, by virtue of the fact I spend as much time and money as I do creating this site and writing for it, am an Agent. You, if you should take over the function of say, producing a nice laminated membership ID card, or perhaps a nice credit-card looking one, would become an Agent of SOE. Agents are also usually Operatives, that is, in addition to doing some work and putting some effort into furthering the SOE organisation as a whole, they are also investigators, scientists and explorers in their own right. As Agents often make sacrifices for the greater good, they also have the most access to any eventual resources we gather. Science is a meritocracy, and seniority and efficiency as well as effectiveness all count.
  • Before we really kick off, it’s likely we may well need some agents. In particular, some positions that come to mind are:
    • Security Agent — in charge of securing all/any member databases, ensuring records are safe and hacking and spam attempts are monitored and prevented before they become a serious problem.
    • Recruiting Agent — Like a KGB spy of old, but with modern technology, your job is to hang out at the physics forums, the engineering forums, the free energy science forums and lure young and impressionable recruits (or old and wise ones, we really don’t mind) to join us and contribute their wisdom to our site and our community and in fact create and MAKE a community of SOE Agents first and then eventually of operatives and Henchmen that spreads all around the globe, like an infection of goodness.
    • Eventually, other positions may well open up, such as:
      • Data Entry
      • Financial Oversight
      • Controller for Europe/Asia/Americas/Oceania/Antarctica (if we eventually need a controller for Antarctica we’ll know we definitely are truly global!)

What is a Project and what kind of Project can I be involved with or start?

A project is when an operative or Agent wants to do an investigation or exploration and requires others to work with him. In such a case he would post a project with the requirements candidates need to have and when/if these positions/requirements get filled, the project then gets made. A report/article on the outcome of the project once the investigation is finished is mandatory and can (and really should) include at least a little information from each person who took part that wants to submit his views. In such cases, the team leader (the Operative/Agent that originally posted the project details, should make an effort to include everyone’s work as well as their take on the results. Sometimes these will be unanimous and obvious, but at other times they may be ambiguous and a different perspective may help shed light on it.

Almost any project is acceptable for scientific investigation, as long as you take logical and reasonable steps to ensure your investigation is done scientifically. And remember, real life (and thus the study of it) will always be stranger that what we can merely imagine. Just look around you. Would you have ever thought a giant ball of burning gas in a void is even possible? Who would conceive of such an absurd thing? And yet there are stars all over the place. Giant balls of flame floating in the void whilst moving at hundreds if not thousands of kilometres per second. If we were all born blind, who could ever conceive of it? The universe is a strange place. Amaze us.

What is  A Special Operation?

In General, special operations are either component parts required for a large project, and could be as simple as finding an old book in the British library in order to verify or research some obscure point that reflects on the larger project. Sometimes a Special Operation might be the discovering (in secret) of a previously undiscovered passage under the Sphinx or the Giza complex. Just like John Anthony West discovered (a large chamber under the Sphinx (disappeared by Zahi How-Ass to this day)) or Andrew Collins and friends (tunnels under the Giza complex that went on for at least 100 to 150 metres, reminiscent of the descriptions in Herodotus). The Collins expedition included a multiple set of Special Operations actually, because their researcher first had to discover a recently translated text and then studiously pour over it from a tiny detail on a very old drawing that had been reproduced on it. Special Operations are never carried out so as to break the law or be secretive, they are undertaken sometimes in secret simply because unfortunately not everyone is a gentleman scientist and people, organisations and governments, often have reasons for NOT wanting the truth to get out. But we don’t care. We are Action Scientists and we like the truth, and we like spreading it. Oh. And we hate Nazis. And there are always some damn Nazis in Adventure science. Don’t believe me? Read some Hellboy or some Atomic Robo. Go on. I’ll wait.

What is a Special Exploration?

Again, this can be as mundane as confirming a detail of architecture in an old building (but which may have much larger implications) or as grandiose as discovering actual evidence for the lost continent of Lemuria, Mu or Atlantis (if they ever existed).

Basically it’s the Indiana Jones type of stuff. Discovering of Crystal Skulls, new alignments of buildings and various other cool stuff. But please, please, please people… stop wearing damn fedora hats. There is only one Indiana Jones, and he lives on the big screen and is played by Harrison Ford. We know you are busy Action Scientists, but get your own sense of style damn it. Look at Michael Persinger, he has this whole three piece suit and old pocket-watch thing going, and it just suits him, despite the fact he is doing some of the most advanced Adventure science ever.

What do I do Now?

Write and tell me what sacrifice of time, money, effort, or other commodity you are willing to make in order to help get this community off the ground. I am only one man and I have at least two official jobs (my day job and my writing), a small daughter, and a really vicious court-case to get her back from Brazil after she was parentally abducted by her mother, so I have NO TIME, and I did all of this site, so…what can you do?

Start thinking in terms of being an Agent and what you think we need next. Don’t be mistaken, this is not a democracy, it’s a benign dictatorship (it’s my site and my sweat that built it) but I do listen and I do know how to co-operate with effective, committed, efficient, and above all HONEST and RELIABLE people. Do not worry abut having to volunteer for any huge time sucks. I will appreciate any help at all, however small. You can begin by just buying a couple of badges and letting me know you exist, or letting me know you can produce cheap ID cards for members if they want them. Or that you’d be happy to read first draughts of article submissions, or…probably best of all at this early stage, that you will actively go to relevant science forums and tell people about this site and ask them to come take a look and let me know they want to join up.