An Australian scientist has stated that probability is the primary factor behind the many mysterious disappearances in the area commonly known as the Bermuda Triangle.
In the last century, approximately 50 ships and 20 aircraft have vanished in the area referred to as the Bermuda Triangle (which is not a fixed area but rather a region in the North Atlantic, with one point of the triangle near Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory).
These incidents share a common feature: no clear resolution, leading to a surge in conspiracy theories related to the Bermuda Triangle.
About 50 ships and 20 aircraft have disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle. (Illustrative image: Getty Images).
Theories have suggested that missing vessels and aircraft could be influenced by remnants of technology from the legendary Atlantis, mysterious giant creatures, or even “flying saucers” UFOs, or supernatural phenomena that humans cannot explain.
In an effort to dispel these notions, Australian scientist Karl Kruszelnicki, a lecturer at the University of Sydney, decided to explain the phenomenon of disappearances based on scientific principles.
Earlier this May, he shared with the news outlet BGR that despite the numerous accidents, the Bermuda Triangle actually has an equal rate of aircraft and ship disappearances.
According to him, the Bermuda Triangle spans an area of a staggering 700,000 square kilometers of ocean and is a region with an extremely high volume of traffic. Therefore, the number of disappearances here is not particularly alarming.
“The Bermuda Triangle is located near the equator, close to a wealthy area of the world – the United States – which sees a high volume of traffic. According to analysis from Lloyd’s in London and the U.S. Coast Guard, the number of missing vehicles in the Bermuda Triangle is equivalent to that of other areas worldwide when considered on a percentage basis,” he shared with the Mirror.
Kruszelnicki further pointed out that most accidents in this region are attributed to adverse weather conditions or even mistakes made by the operators of the lost vehicles.
He cited the disappearance of Flight 19, an event that sparked chilling theories about the Bermuda Triangle. Flight 19 involved a squadron of five TBM Avenger torpedo bombers from the U.S. Navy.
This squadron took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 5, 1945, to conduct a routine combat training mission that was expected to last two hours over the Atlantic.
However, shortly after entering the Bermuda Triangle, the entire squadron lost contact with base. Despite extensive search efforts, no evidence or wreckage from the aircraft was ever found.
In this case, Kruszelnicki indicated that the cause could be attributed to the inexperience of the pilots. In fact, out of the 14 crew members of the five aircraft, only one was an experienced pilot. However, flight records show that this individual had a history of making poor decisions.
Moreover, the weather on the day of Flight 19’s disappearance was extremely poor, with storms and sea swells reaching heights of up to 5 meters.
The radio exchange records that remain to this day indicate that the squadron’s commanding pilot, Lieutenant Charles Taylor, and the others disagreed on which direction to fly before the entire group vanished.
Taylor believed that the group was flying over the Florida Keys and requested the squadron to head east instead of west, which inadvertently led them further into the Atlantic rather than towards the mainland.
Due to the depth of the waters where the aircraft disappeared, it would be exceedingly difficult to locate any wreckage if it had sunk to the ocean floor.
Interestingly, Kruszelnicki’s views align with those of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In 2010, NOAA stated: “There is no evidence that the mysterious disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle occur with greater frequency than in any other large area with heavy traffic on the ocean.”
NOAA also noted that environmental factors could explain most of the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle, such as the tendency for extreme weather changes caused by the Gulf Stream, the numerous islands in the Caribbean that complicate navigation, along with evidence suggesting that the area Bermuda Triangle can disrupt magnetic fields for navigational devices.
Specifically, when navigating in this area, compasses in navigational devices often point to true north (geographic north) instead of magnetic north, creating confusion in navigation.
“The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard believe there are no supernatural explanations for maritime disasters,” NOAA added.
“Their experience shows that the combined forces of nature and human miscalculations often lead to outcomes that far exceed even the most unbelievable scenarios found in science fiction.”
Kruszelnicki frequently draws public attention for his scientific perspective on the Bermuda Triangle issue.
He garnered media attention once in 2017 and again in 2022, before making another appearance this year. Each time, he has remained steadfast in his stance: the numbers do not lie, and there are no supernatural mysteries in the Bermuda Triangle.
