Have you ever heard of the Betz Ball? This is a mysterious metal sphere discovered by an American in the 1970s. Not only can it react to music and sound, but it can also roll and change direction on its own, and at times, it even emits strange signals.
Due to its unexplained phenomena, many people have speculated that it might not be a product of our world, with some believing that this mysterious ball could be a device used by extraterrestrial civilizations to monitor humans.
Shiny metal ball, approximately 20 cm in diameter. (Illustration: Popular Mechanics)
On the night of March 27, 1974, a sudden wildfire broke out on Fort George Island, Florida, USA, burning down the forest near the Betz family’s home. That afternoon, the Betz family decided to venture into the burnt area in hopes of understanding the cause of the fire. Among the ashes, their son Terry unexpectedly discovered a shiny metal ball, the size of a bowling ball and with a diameter of about 20 cm.
Intrigued by this strange find, they brought the mysterious metal sphere home. Once home, Terry began to carefully observe the ball and noticed its surface was extremely smooth, with no seams or welds, just a few small scratches and a small triangular mark. At that time, Terry thought the ball might be an unexploded shell, as the area had previously been a war zone.
The surface of the ball is very smooth. (Illustration: Popular Mechanics)
What seemed to be just an ordinary metal ball turned out to reveal its incredible capabilities a few days later. While Terry and his friends were playing guitar in the room, they suddenly heard a strange buzzing sound.
They stopped to listen, and the sound disappeared. When they resumed playing, the sound returned. After several trials, Terry determined that the strange sound was changing in response to the guitar music.
Consequently, Terry decided to play the guitar while searching for the source of the strange sound. Soon, he was astonished to discover that the sound was emanating from the metal ball.
The ball vibrated in response to the guitar playing, with the vibrations becoming more intense, even causing the family’s dog to bark in fright. This bizarre phenomenon shocked and intrigued Terry, prompting him to conduct further experiments with the metal ball.
He struck the metal ball with a hammer, which produced a crisp sound and made it sway like a pendulum, as if it were resisting. Terry then brought the metal ball into the living room to show the family its peculiar nature. However, before he played the guitar again, the metal ball rolled and spun several times on the floor.
The strange sound from the ball changes according to the type of music. (Illustration: Popular Mechanics)
To eliminate the impact of uneven ground, they placed the metal ball on a flat table for testing. The results were even more surprising: the metal ball could roll on its own on the table, and when pushed by hand, it would always stop at the edge of the table, as if it had its own consciousness.
Due to these strange phenomena, the Betz family began to wonder if the ball had a special purpose or origin. They took it to several local engineers and scientists for testing, but no one could explain its mystery.
Some speculated that it could be a part of some machinery or a piece of artwork, but no one was certain about the manufacturer or the purpose of the ball.
The Betz family also shared the story of the ball with local media, quickly attracting national and even global attention. Many were curious about the ball, with some even wanting to purchase it. Some believed it was a weapon, others thought it was a surveillance device, and some speculated it was a product of an extraterrestrial civilization.
No one is sure about the manufacturer or purpose of this ball. (Illustration: Zhihu)
Amid growing speculation, the United States Navy and NASA also expressed interest in the ball, and the Betz family agreed to lend it for testing, requesting that it not be damaged or taken away.
On April 12, 1974, the U.S. Marine Corps sent a team led by Colonel Marion McDonald to the Betz family farm to conduct preliminary tests on the Betz Ball. They used X-ray equipment to scan the ball but found no internal structure or circuits. They also activated the ball with an electric current but observed no reaction.
Thus, they believed that the ball might be an industrial product or a piece of art and that there was nothing special about it. Then, on April 21, 1974, NASA sent a team led by Dr. Robert Fisher to the Betz family farm for a more in-depth examination of the Betz Ball.
They scanned the ball with modern X-rays and other instruments and discovered some surprising results. They found that the ball had four internal layers, made from different metals and alloys.
The first layer is a stainless steel shell about 1.5 cm thick, the second layer is a titanium alloy shell about 0.5 cm thick, the third layer is a magnesium alloy shell about 0.5 cm thick, and the fourth layer is a nickel alloy shell about 0.5 cm thick. Between these four layers are some gaps and fluids. At the center of this ball is a small cylinder, approximately 2.5 cm in diameter, made of an unidentified material.
The cylinder appears to be the power source or controller of the ball. They also discovered that the inside of the ball emitted some weak electromagnetic signals and that it could react to temperature, pressure, sound, light, and other external factors. They believed that the ball could be a high-tech device with some kind of intelligence or purpose, but it was unclear who created it or why.
At the end of April 1977, the Betz Ball suddenly disappeared. (Illustration: Zhihu)
After the U.S. Navy and NASA studied the Betz Ball, it was returned to the Betz family. However, at the end of April 1977, the Betz Ball suddenly vanished. The Betz family reported that they had stored it in a safe, but one morning, the safe had been opened, and the ball was gone.
The Betz family suspected that someone, possibly a government agency or a private organization, had stolen the ball. They called the police, but no clues or suspects were found. The Betz Ball has not been seen since.
As of now, the story of the Betz Sphere has concluded, but the mystery it left behind remains unsolved; ultimately, what it is and where it has gone may never be answered.
