Author and astronomer David Darling touched on a wide range of scientific topics, from life in the universe, to the human spiritual quest. "We're directly connected with the cosmos," in that we are literally made from stardust, he noted. "You're seeing your origins when you look up into the sky," he added.

While impressed with the current NASA Rover mission on Mars, Darling suggested that the ailing International Space Station had become a "white elephant," that was not conducting any significant science. If we want to send manned missions to Mars, "we need a firmer footing," he said.
Darling said he had in recent years begun studying the self through meditation. He commented that eastern religions such as Buddhism have developed a "science of the subjective." In a new book he is working on, he said he is immersing himself in three different religions within one year to see if they all lead in one direction. Darling also mentioned that his book on teleportation will be finished this spring.

The Rover Mission

First hour guest, Andrew Mishkin, a senior systems engineer at JPL, discussed the current Mars Rover missions. The mission, to search for evidence of past water on the planet, will be aided by a robotic arm on the rover known as RAT (rock abrasion tool), he said. This tool can grind away at the surface of a rock to reveal its inner layers. If sedimentary deposits were found for instance, this could be indicative of past water, Mishkin suggested.

George's Time Travel Report

George Noory gave a report on Monday's show about the recent "time travel" experiment he underwent just after Christmas. He described the experience as being more akin to hypnosis or remote viewing rather than any kind of physical travel. In the experiment which was conducted by Dr. Irving Glotch, George was induced into a type of trance state, by wearing a helmet that was outfitted with revolving eye goggles. Additionally, he said sound vibrations were played in his ear and he was touched with a pulse generator at the back of his neck.

George said his first target, "The Dark Ages," did not yield significant mental imagery or information. However he considered his second objective, "Roswell, July 1947" to be a success. "This one was weird," said George. He viewed a hospital that was staffed by nuns, and saw a glowing object, which he described as similar to the Kecksburg UFO (acorn-shaped). While this was not the Roswell incident George expected to see, in subsequent research he conducted after the experiment, he discovered there was a Catholic Hospital in the Roswell area at that time, and there had been a UFO sighting there. George added that he felt "mentally drained" by the experiment and it took him a couple of days to recover.