The metallic sample analyzed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a magnesium alloy containing zinc, bismuth, and several other elements.
The metal fragment is believed to be part of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAP) that fell to Earth in the late 1940s, linked to the famous Roswell incident. While the Roswell UAP may have been merely a U.S. Air Force balloon, many still believe extraterrestrials have visited Earth.
A specimen from the To The Stars organization. (Photo: To The Stars).
The metal fragment was subsequently transferred to To The Stars, a UFO hunting organization. In 2019, a spokesperson told the New York Times that To The Stars had “strange samples from UFOs” that they believe originated from the Roswell event. This sample could rewrite history if proven to be part of extraterrestrial technology.
In 2022, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the U.S. government’s UAP investigation office, intervened and requested the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to analyze the sample. The results of the recent analysis were published, as reported by IFL Science on September 18.
The sample is a magnesium alloy. While primarily composed of magnesium and zinc, it also contains bismuth, lead, and other elements.
According to some UFO hypothesis proponents, this material possesses extraordinary properties, for example, functioning as a terahertz waveguide. They argue that it could provide “anti-gravity capabilities.”
Waveguides are metallic objects that transmit electromagnetic waves. A common example is a microwave oven, which uses a magnetron to send waves into the cooking space, heating food. UFO hypothesis advocates believe that if scaled up sufficiently, it could create something resembling a terahertz waveguide capable of making objects levitate.
“ORNL assesses that this sample originates from Earth and does not meet the theoretical requirements to function as a terahertz waveguide,” ORNL explained in the new report.
This conclusion is based on assessments of the structural characteristics and elemental composition of the material. To function as a waveguide, the material would need a unique layer of pure bismuth sandwiched between layers of magnesium alloy. With this arrangement, bismuth could conduct terahertz waves. However, the metallic sample does not have that structure. The bismuth is not pure enough and there are multiple layers of bismuth interspersed with magnesium.
The physical properties of the sample are consistent with materials originating from Earth, according to ORNL. If it had originated from another planet, the material would exhibit different isotopic ratios. However, analysis shows that the isotopic ratios of magnesium and lead have Earth-like characteristics.
“Considering all the evidence available, AARO assesses that this sample is likely an experimental artifact, a manufactured product, a by-product, or a material component of aerospace performance studies aimed at assessing the properties of magnesium alloys,” stated ORNL.
