30th Anniversary Conference discussion/Binary Code [merged]

[puddlepirate]

The guy had served at RAF Neatishead (not RAF Watton) and was trying to counter the claims made by others, not at the conference but elsewhere, that the cameras were either switched off or faulty. As he explained, it was the height of the Cold War so the cameras were never switched off. Nor did he claim there was anything at all remarkable on the film. As per Dr David Clarke's article, MoD simply took the film and logs as part of an investigation and found nothing of interest. The only point worth noting is that it was MoD who visited Neatishead, not the USAF, NSA, CIA or any other US agency. Nor would they have been able to just barge in - they would have been stopped at the gate and their ID veriied. With the guardroom happy they were who they said they were, the guardroom probably rang down to the cell and asked for someone to come up to the main gate and escort the visitors. Also, I suspect there were two logs - one for odd days and one for even days and probably two films - one as a back up. I also doubt they would simply have walked off with the items without signing for them. It can be reliably assumed that what applied to RAF Neatishead would also have applied to RAF Watton and other RAF stations with similar responsibilities.

[Frank]

I don't know if you are following the translations of the code on the various internet forums, but it's pretty amazing and amusing what comes out. From Aliens using us as a food source, via mystical islands, to visits from time travellers to Woodbridge in the 18th century


But I also see the same question asked again and again in several forums:

Why would advanced aliens or time travelers choose this elaborate route to convey an English message to humanity?
The chance of errors is huge (as shown by all these translations on the internet) and the message is 8x bigger than needed!

.----------------.
| ET message |
`----------------'
| using ET -> English dictionary
v
.---------------------.
| English message |
`---------------------'
| using human ASCII translation table
v
.---------------------------------------------.
| Binary numbers (message 8x bigger) |
`---------------------------------------------'
| using 'brain programming tool'
V
.--------------------------------------.
| Binary numbers in human brain |
`--------------------------------------'
| using pencil and paper
V
.-----------------------------------.
| Binary numbers in notebook |
`-----------------------------------'
| using human ASCII translation table
V
.---------------------.
| English message |
`---------------------'


Why would they go trough all this trouble and choose this unreliable route while they could have skipped the whole binary numbers part instead:

.----------------.
| ET message |
`----------------'
| using ET -> English dictionary
v
.---------------------.
| English message |
`---------------------'
| using 'brain programming tool'
V
.---------------------------------------.
| English message in human brain |
`---------------------------------------'
| using pencil and paper
V
.------------------------------------.
| English message in notebook |
`------------------------------------'


Another thing to think about:

The ASCII standard has always been 7-bit.

Jim's messages are in 8-bit ASCII ..

8 bit 'ASCII extensions' only came into fashion from 1981 onwards, with DOS, the IBM-PC, .. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_ASCII).
(In these 8-bit extensions a 0 was placed in front of the standard 7-bit ASCII codes.)

Why bother Jim with all these extra 0's in 1980 ..?


Maybe it isn't ASCII? But that seems improbable because the first 11 eight bit sequences translate to EXPLORATION. After that the first errors seem to crawl in (it's not easy to copy all these 0's and 1's ..)

[Ignis Fatuus]

It's X-files Season 1, Episode 4 - Conduit
A picture of Ruby.

[puddlepirate]

Just another pointless diversion to keep anyone with the slightest interest in the RFI, off the ball.

Keep looking over there guys. You won't find anything though because the truth is over here. But don't you worry about that, you just keep on looking. Want to believe? Then here's the evidence to support that belief. We really want to find out what happened to us, sure we do but don't start asking us probing questions, delving beneath the surface, challenging what we say or, heaven forbid, actually doing any bona fide research into the event. Heck, do that and you might come up with an anwer and that would be no good at all. Jeez, what a freakin' waste of time......

[Frank]

It's X-files Season 1, Episode 4 - Conduit

Aired: 10-1-1993 http://www.x-fileslexicon.com/season1/1x03.html

[puddlepirate]

52 05 39N 1 18 47E

The co-ordinates for Seckford St/Market Hill. The Bull Hotel is on Market Hill and is one of the nicest hotels in Woodbridge.... and just the sort of place a group of Americans might choose to stay at. Call me old fashioned but I wonder.........http://www.bullhotel.co.uk/contact.htm

Put the co-ordinates into Google Earth take a look (click on the cameras and you can open a 360 deg street view)

[AgentAppleseed]

Its amazing how quickly issues become thoroughly confused on forums, all over the internet. As soon as a piece of news comes out, no matter how small, no matter how incomplete; people are all over it, quoting it, dissecting it, and handing pieces of it around onto other forums, before finally throwing it to one side, and claiming to be "confused by it!"(ROFL) How ironic is that?!!
Sure; this code has thrown everyone for a loop, but its importance can only be judged, once people get to see, and understand; all sides of what happened in 1980. No one here, can see all sides on this. No one knows; what goes on behind the scenes, and no one seems to realize; the responsibilities involved, in releasing information, especially when that information, may be damaging; to a persons public profile, or the profile of an organization, or even the profile of the case itself, on whatever level. It’s a tough call for anyone to make, and it doesn’t surprise me what happens, when it comes nearer to the time, when all sides are finally revealed. The only reason this particular piece of information came out, is because the people at the center of this subject, know; that there are people out there, who are interested in what they have to say, and are ready to hear it, no matter what it is, and no matter how controversial it is, and it will be up to them to decide for themselves, how important that information is, once all aspects of it, are revealed and understood.
As far as proof is concerned, proof of certain things was promised, and I have no reason to believe that wont happen; just because it didn’t happen on the 28th. Personally, when I look at this issue, with the knowledge I have gathered, on who these people are, and the backgrounds they come from; I try and put myself in their shoes, in order to try and understand; their perspective on the situation.
The guys offered to meet their critics on the 28th, and that offer was turned down. So why then; should they have to give these people, proof of anything at all? I mean,..lets look at this: They are not important people. They are not a judge or jury, in a court of law. All they are, is people who have carved out a nice little ufological niche for themselves, using the R.F.I to do so, and to the detriment of the entire issue! I think to myself; why should the people involved in this incident, have to give these people proof of anything at all? What will they do, with the proof, once they get it? I think about this, and I come to the conclusion; that the only possible end result, will be; that if proof is provided, then these people might be silenced. After-all, that is really the only option left to them, once they have been proven to be wrong. But do I really believe that they will be silenced? The answer to that is: No, I don’t! So, the question remains; what then, is the point? Are the people, at the center of this situation to spend their entire lives; trying to convince the naysayers that something truly extraordinary happened to them in Rendlesham Forest? The only conclusion I can come too;(and this brings me full circle, back to where I started) is that this proof, like the code before it, will be provided, by the people at the center of this subject, for all the people out there, who are only interested, in what they have to say, and are ready to hear it, no matter what it is, and no matter how controversial it is. If there were no people out there like that, then there would be no proof provided, for anything, and there would be no reason to talk, about any of it at all!

[puddlepirate]

ROFL.... this is just too funny for words. The aliens embed the lat/long co-ordinates for a Woodbridge hotel (or the street outside) in a binary code message. I wonder if they booked a room? Perhaps they meant to land in the carpark?

[Frank]

this proof, like the code before it, will be provided, by the people at the center of this subject

There is only one person at the center of this subject. The only evidence he has is a notebook that he keeps to himself. We already know the date and times in this notebook do not fit the established timeline, and the explanations given by him for these inconsistencies during the past 20 years were all different and were all totally unconvincing (including the latest one given at the conference).

The person who was with him did not see him touch a craft, did not see him take notes, and only remembers a brief encounter. This is corroborated by his hand written and signed witness statement and he never told a different story. Unfortunately he is dragged into this binary code affair by Jim, who suddenly confronted him with the existence of the binary code during a visit by a TV crew, and who claimed at the conference that John's memory was erased or altered (talking about ROFL..).

If Jim really has an ET message in his notebook (which is totally improbable given the ASCII code used and the silly content of the message) he is acting totally irresponsible by first sitting on it for 30 years and then selling it to the History Channel and Earthfiles, while withholding more than half of the message.

for all the people out there, who are only interested, in what they have to say, and are ready to hear it, no matter what it is, and no matter how controversial it is.

Controversial is not the issue here, his story is illogical, inconsistent, and not backed up by any convincing evidence.

And people have a perfect right to get angry at someone who has stolen their precious time with a BS story..

[puddlepirate]

Getting back to basics...

Let's not forget what Pennsiton said in his original report (available here courtesy of Ian Ridpath's website http://www.ianridpath.com/ufo/Penniston1.PNG and also available on this site). In his statement Penniston clearly states that the closest he got to the craft was 50 metres. Also worth noting is that the statements of the three airmen who went into the forest, S/Sgt Penniston, A1C Burroughs and A1C Cabansag are all written (Penniston's and Cabansag's are typed) on odd sheets of paper. Cabansag's is signed but not dated; Penniston's and Burrough's statements are neither signed nor dated. The other two statements, those of Lt Buran and M/Sgt Chandler are typed on USAF Form 1169, signed and dated. So why is that? Why is it that only the statements of those who went into the forest are on odd bits of paper, yet the statements of those who remained on base are on the official form? They were all trained SP and Penniston was a S/Sgt so all three would have been aware of the need for accuracy etc when making a statement so why did they not use Form 1169 and why did Penniston and Burroughs choose not to sign and date their statements? For guys in their profession, that has to be unusual.

It seems that from the very start there was something going on that required what surely must have been standard procedure, to be circumvented. At that early stage, just days after the event and pre History Channel or indeed before the RFI became public knowledge, when all involved were still serving SP, to bypass procedure suggests they were ordered (it's the military don't forget) to do so. Had they not been ordered to do so, then surely Lt Buran would have told them to use the proper form and to sign and date each statement. Why didn't that happen? They'd gone off base and by all accounts had been gone for quite a while, so surely they would have been required to submit a report and if the others used Form 1169 then so should they have done. Could it be that as junior ranks, Burroughs and Cabansag were not required to write anything because this would be the responsibility of the squad commander. Did Penniston actually submit a detailed official report that still lurks in a classified archive somewhere? Having done that, did Penniston then write up a second, fictitous report - the one now in the public domain - and instruct Burroughs and Cabansag to write up something in support of that second report?

[puddlepirate]

That makes it even more peculiar. Why would the two who stayed on base submit reports but Penniston, who was in command of the squad in the forest, not submit anything? That cannot be right. He would surely have been required to submit something because the whole off base excursion was as a result of his confirmation of the odd lights. In all probability he did submit a statement and like the others, used Form 1169. If he did and if the contents of that report were deemed to be classified it would have been handled and stored accordingly. Thus if - and I stress if - Penniston did write an official report and it was classified SECRET or above then it could still be classified and not for release. I cannot imagine Halt would make something up. Most likely there are two reports. The official version which was immediately classified - perhaps even given LOCSEN/US EYES ONLY caveats - that Halt did not see and the second report which he maintains Penniston handed to him.

I don't want to dwell on this because as with just about everyting else regarding the US version of the RFI, to do so is pointless but I thought it might be useful to recap on what was said originally and highlight a couple of irregularities that were there at the very start.

[Frank]

The EXPLORATIONOGHUMANITY is an interesting 8-bit binary code but the rest is hard to decipher as the bit lengths change between 6 and 12 long. I think you can fudge the rest of the code to create any numbers you choose by changing the start and end of each 8-bit chunk. I can' t figure out how Dr. Drew and Dr. Reed settled on the coordinates for Woodbridge town.

Though I'm still convinced that a 20th century human being made Jim's message (why would anyone else use 20th century ASCII codes?), I was still curious about the content.

Below are the results from a small program that finds all possible numbers and capitals that are in Jim's 916 bit message.

The 'matrix of characters' below contains all capitals and numbers that can be found in the 909 possible consecutive 8-bit sequences of Jim's 916 bit message (each 8-bit sequence maps to a character in ASCII).
Each 8-bit sequence that does not map to a capital or a number in ASCII is indicated by a '='.
No bits in Jims message have been modified, removed or added: Jim's 916 bits were left completely as-is.

Each of the 8 lines in the 'matrix of characters' represents the characters that are found when going through Jim's 916 bit message in 8 bit steps.
The first line starts this process at the first bit of Jim's message, the second line at the second bit, and so on.
Eight lines is enough to find all possible capitals and numbers contained in Jim's message (after eight lines the sequences start repeating themselves).

Moving through this 'matrix of characters' is the same as moving through Jim's 916 bits:
- Each time you move one character to the right on the same line, you move 8 bits (= 1 character) further in Jim's message and get the character decoded from there.
- Each time you move vertically downwards to the next line, you move one bit further in Jim's message and get the character decoded from there (so basically, you 'skip' one bit and go further from there).

In this way, the message reveals itself. You sometimes have to skip a part (= move through the matrix of characters) to get 'back on track' but the fragments of the message can easily be recognized.
(The bits that have to be skipped to get back to the message are distorted and any attempt to modify them is speculative, that's why Jim's message was left unchanged.)

The 'matrix of characters' can best be viewed in a font with constant character width (such as courier, or simply use a plain text editor like Notepad), otherwise the alignment of the characters is wrong (which is the case below..).

+ 1 bit per line downward (-1 bit per line upwards)
|
| --> + 8 bits per char position to right (-8 bits per char position to left)
|
| EXPLORATIONOGHUMANITY6=============================INUOUSQ=====S=U=T=PQ==R==CFN===========================U===T===
| ============================S===C=S3===3=3=====4==D========================D===URTHCOODINATECONTINUOTUQS====HH===H
| ==A1=I=Q==9===U5=9=Q=========F===F==I======F========9U=UMFORPLANETARYADVAH================================T===Q===
| ========J====B====J======L==L==M==L===L=L=L==U=====J======================9==2=UIQ======9=Q===9Q=9U=QUENC=========
| U======D======T====E=================================T=U5==IA1=9=Q=I===Y====4=====B====J========J=========PRBEFORE
| =====H=================8100520942532N13131269WCONTI======2=================H===U=D=4==D===DT4==D==T=EU=9=========
| V=====U=S=====SPS=U=M=6============================S=S=T========UD====E=========J=========================AI====I
| =====================6==============8===========9Q=========J=======K==========UT=======S=U=P====S=S==TT=6=====2==
|
V

Result:
EXPLORATIONOGHUMANITY??8100520942532N13131269WCONTINUOUSFORPLANETARYADVA???FNURTHCOODINATECONTINUO?QUENC???BEFORE

(Note: We can safely assume that all text encoded in Jim's message is in capitals, because there are hardly any small letters to be found, they are scattered, and they do not result in anything meaningful - therefore small letters are also indicated by a '=' to make the result more readible).

[puddlepirate]

Perhaps the venerable doctors were very selective. If you take this portion from the decoded message:

532N13131269W

and modify it to read:
53.2N 1 31 26.9W. If you enter those co-ordinates into Google Earth it shows a position almost exactly in the centre of England. Weird. But all it really means is that you can take any part of that and change it around: e.g. 5.32N 131 31 26.9W - this time you end up slap bang in the middle of the Pacific Ocean......Therefore, like the few readable characters in the decoded message, it means nothing.

[Frank]

Thanks Frank. Can you post the raw code you worked from and also the name of the program ? Cheers.

The code:
01000101010110000101000001001100010011110101001001000001010101000100100101001111
01001110010011110100011101001000010101010100110101000001010011100100100101010100
01011001001101100110110011011001110000011000100110000001100000011010100110010001
10000001110010011010000110010001101010011001100110010010011100011000100110011001
10001001100110011000100110010001101100011100101010111010000110100111101001110010
10100010010010010100111001010101010011110101010101010011010100011001001111010100
10010100000100110001000001010011100100010101010100010000010101001001011001010000
01010001000101011001000001010010000001110010001001000011010001100100111010101010
10101001001010100010010000100001101001111010011110100010001001001010011100100000
10101010001000101010000110100111101001110010101000100100101001110010101010100111
10101010001010101010100010101001110010000110110001010101000001010010010000100100
010101000110010011110101001001000101

The program I used is some home brew and undocumented Visual Basic code that operates on data in an excel sheet - not easy to use or transfer if you do not know exactly where to place the data and what macro's to call in what order ..


Something that just crossed my mind by the way:
'COODINATE' instead of 'COORDINATE' ... it's almost certain that this is a spelling error and not some distortion of the message. The chances of a distortion that deletes a row of exactly 8 bits - while all the bits around it are perfectly correct - are almost zero.
I googled 'coodinate' and got over 40.000 hits, so it is a quite common spelling error. Maybe this will eventually tell us who wrote this message .. (or did ET use the wrong dictionary ..?)

[Ignis Fatuus]

ST
There doesn't appear to be enough information to translate to a graphic bitmap.

Yeah-nah I was referring to RFI imitating art rather than a possible decrypt.

[Frank]

Frank, can you run that through your process again but this time combing for 7-bit codes? Cheers. ST

Looks like you just read the latest Earthfiles page, too

I tried it but it does not seem to give anything new, so the code is definitely in 8 bit ASCII, and should be read from left to right.

Here we go (best viewed in Notepad via copy-paste, the font on this forum messes up the character alignment):

Encoding the whole 916 bit message for 8 bits ASCII, reading left to right (same as post above, but repeated here for completeness):

EXPLORATIONOGHUMANITY6=============================INUOUSQ=====S=U=T=PQ==R==CFN===========================U===T===
============================S===C=S3===3=3=====4==D========================D===URTHCOODINATECONTINUOTUQS====HH===H
==A1=I=Q==9===U5=9=Q=========F===F==I======F========9U=UMFORPLANETARYADVAH================================T===Q===
========J====B====J======L==L==M==L===L=L=L==U=====J======================9==2=UIQ======9=Q===9Q=9U=QUENC=========
U======D======T====E=================================T=U5==IA1=9=Q=I===Y====4=====B====J========J=========PRBEFORE
=====H=================8100520942532N13131269WCONTI======2=================H===U=D=4==D===DT4==D==T=EU=9=========
V=====U=S=====SPS=U=M=6============================S=S=T========UD====E=========J=========================AI====I
=====================6==============8===========9Q=========J=======K==========UT=======S=U=P====S=S==TT=6=====2==

Encoding the whole 916 bit message for 7 bits ASCII, reading left to right:

=V=====A=======H=S=====Y========T=0=M===L=N=L===D=6=U=4=9=I==U=U=T2==P=====Q=R=P=E2===DC==U=I=H=S=====A===4=9=I=====U=SH6==R=====I
E===D=I=T=S=====U=P==JQ26668=L===H=9==FS=I=1=L=3=H=9=P===Q======S===I=L=SHU===Y=Q====9==F==U=Q=C=S=DJ9=T=P===Q=N=S=E=E====A=B=QI==
=X=======I=SI====M=SI=======1===S===4===3=8=3=L===X=W=S====SJT=U=QI==A=A===D=I2A==H======NU=====O=Q=====E=S=====U=U=U=N=XU=I=E====
=0P=====Q=O====BU=A===EIYYY==0=======2=L===D=1=L==1==C=SJDI=====M=====1=N=U=====D==========TJDB==O=====Q=C=SJDJ9=O=====C1=====F=TH
===L=TH====N=Q===5=N=U==333AD=0=LF=IP=5=LI==L=3=LF=J==O====N=S=U=F=TJ====E====J==V=R=HH42=U=======D=SH====O=====U=T=T=9==T=====O==
UBA=O===DJ==O=R=T===I==========5=====H=3==F==D=1==G====N====U=U=5=O===D=9=T=TK====A========R===4===I===D===N=======U=T==E==H====R=
===1=R=U===9=G===T=9=T=MMMN=====2===C=T=2===3=L=2=======T=J9=O=T===R=======A=====Y=H===QI=U=T=======N=U=T===T=SJT=Q=Q====P==HT2==E

Encoding the whole 916 bit message for 8 bits ASCII, reading right to left through the 916 bits (who knows ..?):

=J===BJ===9QUE=UNREN=XTEPNRD==XBEIUW===N========================T====8==========X=Y8==X===9=======================
D===D===F===========================LXH==A5=AM=A=Q9A====1YU=UNRH=======232321=32=0==12=020====ERNPVUB==N=REPI=FACT
===========EU==U9I=9==Q=A9I=======U====8======J=====2=J=========S===T=============================================
=W====PU=========================J==1======E=4==UD========U=U9I=============================6M=I9AYU===9=I=A=====Q
========6===TU=T==T===DU===E====T=U===D=J======================EN=X=S========I=============6================J=2===
I=LTHIAT=========H========H====H==========Q===T=U====RW===U=T===========3=3===3===========6==4U====T======U=====5
=========NTUQW=S==S====T========RUU===========================I=9===N6=F=F=F9==V==N==V==F======I====K====H=======
==1Q===Q================================PMDPSIPETNPFAI=LVUW=S=========L======L==L===L=========T====P======T=W==P=

Encoding the whole 916 bit message for 7 bits ASCII, reading right to left through the 916 bits (who knows ..?):

Q======J====JE=E===========U=9=D==K====U=IEB=8==M===4JA=T=======L=====N========8====H=2===3=D=28======09YYY===N==JT===N==HU===F=P=
===L=====QX===U===SJ==9=X=====I=========W===D==A=D=======N==H=J==V=U=U=R==9=X=T=XLF3=L=1=L===B===LV==H==3324=I=P============J==A=U
DJ==T=====0N=====U==HT==0T=T========HTJU========5=P=R===Q=P=====1=U===9=HT==0===1=====H=I=LV==I=1=====A=====U=9=V=PKE=9=R=T=====C=
===1=H=P=F==T=T===N=======E==J====X======L====J====S=T=U=9=F=R===Y=WJT=I======SF=2=LF3=G=3=======2X====MMMIQ===A=U=======E====2==T
====Q=I=U=B9=U=U=U=R=SK=BQ=P==HE==0B=R=U9=X=====T=A=I===D=A=A=WIE2U======SK=B===D=3=======2XL===D=0==F======TI==Y=B==I==I=P=WH====
=WIE===A====Q=Q===9=E==K====N=======E=U==10HN====E=M=P=U=====I=======SJ=E==K==N==H=2=LF=IL=1==N==J=0===666=E==J=2U====K====I==H==Q
I===DB==T6===U=WJT=I=N===D=A=R==K=B==I=U======P=Q=====E==J=2=====JU=U==I=N===U=6==L=3==9==J=0Y======2=====M=R======8===J==A=====5=

[AdrianF]

Looks like you just read the latest Earthfiles page, too

I tried it but it does not seem to give anything new, so the code is definitely in 8 bit ASCII, and should be read from left to right.

Good work Frank and Isaac too. You've both thrown up some interesting discrepancies by delving into the code aspect. The idea of typos being highly unlikely wouldn't have occurred to me.

ST
There doesn't appear to be enough information to translate to a graphic bitmap.

Yeah-nah I was referring to RFI imitating art rather than a possible decrypt.

That X-files episode is a classic and it does preceded Jims hypnosis by a few months.
On a similar line, I watched Alien ( 1979 ) last night and there are several scenes where code is used on screen. One scene, where they have just landed on the Alien planet, Ripley is looking at the screen for info, which is reading out in Binary code. So, the idea that the average Joe wouldn't have been aware of this in 1980 just doesn't hold water..I'm sure Alien wasn't the first Sci Fi film to feature this idea either and from memory I'm sure this idea was already part of established Sci Fi lore at the time. Just as Hangar 18 ( which played in Ipswich in December 1980 ) features a UFO with hieroglyphic type symbols in it, this idea was nothing new at the time ( think Battlestar Galactica )

Just sayin

[Daniel]

Now the escape key would be used in 7-bit form when running as a terminal command, 8-bit form could be used too, but doesn't allow for dual compatibility. Sadly I haven't yet come across anything else in this binary sequence that points to any other commands being used. I felt the 8100 would have been used with the escape command to possibly stop an auto-repeat and then clearing the screen, but I can't find any common terminal commands that would be using 8100 in any way.

[Admin]

There doesn't appear to be enough information to translate to a graphic bitmap.

No, but an interesting theory perhaps. I decided to try it out using Frank's post above. Nothing of interest emerged and of course it is impossible to map the bits properly (we're stuck with 916 bits).
If you're looking for a pattern, the first image is probably your best bet, but yes - a waste of time unless Jim has any additional binary code to complete the picture...

8 bits in width (too long to embed)
http://i54.tinypic.com/13yihav.jpg

16 bits in width (too long to embed)
http://i56.tinypic.com/2hoael5.gif [fixed broken link]

32 bits in width (too long to embed)
http://i54.tinypic.com/rh0rrq.gif

64 bits in width

[AdrianF]

The only binary code that would make sense is if it was sent as a visual. Maybe we'll have to wait for part 2 or the remaining pages in the notebook to be made available.

But, the question still remains..
Why would time travellers from our own future, decide to send Binary code to someone in 1980. If you're advanced enough to build a time machine, then you'd probably be smart enough to own a few history books before going back in time!??