Cynical Nation

Wreckage from an alien craft has reportedly been found in Siberia. (Incidentally, my friend Roger tipped me off to this. It did not come from Drudge, and is therefore true.)

As a scientist (and earlier, as a young boy interested in science), I had always been fascinated by accounts of the Tunguska blast. It was interesting to watch the "accepted" explanations evolve over time: antimatter, miniature black hole, meteorite... and now this:

Russian scientists claim the wreck of an alien device has been found at the site of an unexplained explosion in Siberia almost 100 years ago.

Interfax news agency said the scientists, who belong to the Tunguska space phenomenon public state fund, said they found the remains of an extra-terrestrial device that allegedly crashed near the Tunguska river in Siberia in 1908.

They also claim to have discovered a 50 kg rock which they have sent to the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk for analysis.

The Tunguska blast, in a desolate part of Siberia, remains one of the 20th century's biggest scientific mysteries.

On June 30, 1908, what was widely believed to be a meteorite exploded a few kilometres above the Tunguska river, in a blast that was felt hundreds of kilometres away and devastated over 2,000 square kilometres of Siberian forest.

But the exact nature of the body that exploded and its origin remain a mystery which has spurred countless theories and controversies.