正澳门六合彩开奖结果

(L to R) Dr. Travis Taylor and Dr. Matt Turner prepare to launch an instrument payload to measure electromagnetic anomalies supported by Skinwalker team members.

Images courtesy of Prometheus Entertainment

Two intrepid explorers from 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 (正澳门六合彩开奖结果), Matt Turner, who holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering graduate Kaitlin Russell, visited an extraordinary place last summer to perform experiments for a research team participating in a docu-series called 鈥淭he Secret of Skinwalker Ranch.鈥�

The name of the place alone conjures up creepy thrills for dedicated fans of the paranormal. Situated in northeastern Utah, this 512-acre parcel of picturesque desolation is famed as a hotspot for everything from poltergeist phenomena and crop circles, to UFO sightings, dangerous electromagnetic forces, dancing fireballs, and cattle mutilations. If that鈥檚 not enough, the ranch is also said to be cursed by an ancient Navaho spell that summons terrifying werewolf-like shapeshifters called 鈥楽kinwalkers鈥� to menace interlopers.

Featuring 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 PhD Aerospace Engineer and Astrophysicist and TV veteran, Dr. Travis Taylor, the program is produced by Prometheus Entertainment and airs on the History Channel Tuesday evenings at 9p.m. (CST).

正澳门六合彩开奖结果 scientist (L to R) Dr. Travis Taylor and Skinwalker team member Dr. Jim Segala work with 正澳门六合彩开奖结果鈥檚 Dr. Matt Turner to secure an experimental package for launch.

Images courtesy of Prometheus Entertainment

鈥淭he billionaire Brandon Fugal has been investigating the ranch since he bought it in 2016,鈥� Dr. Taylor says. 鈥淗is first three years was a plan of observation only. When he decided to move to the next phase, he asked the History Channel what that should be. History asked Prometheus, who produces The Curse of Oak Island, Ancient Aliens, The UnXplained, The Tesla Files, and others, for History to talk with Mr. Fugal about next steps. Prometheus knew me from those other efforts and had me come meet with Mr. Fugal and the team. They were very intrigued by the ideas I brought to them (although maybe nervous in becoming active with the ranch rather than just observing), and in the end they asked me to come in and lead a new phase of research.鈥�

Given his 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 background, it was natural for Dr. Taylor to look to homegrown expertise for help when it came to investigating Skinwalker Ranch.

Dr. Turner and Russell both support the STEM Projects Advancing Research & Collaboration (SPARC) Lab division of the Systems Management and Production Center (SMAP). As a Principal Research Engineer, Dr. Turner focuses on supporting contracts for the Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) and NASA, while Russell is a Research Associate who works primarily with the CubeSat (U-class spacecraft) miniaturized satellite program.

鈥淸Matt] and I had graduate classes in AE together,鈥� Dr. Taylor says. 鈥淔unny, he was also on my second PhD committee. I trust Matt's work and pretty much daily work with him on other space program experiments.鈥�

When a complementary set of measurements were required, it was again an easy choice for Dr. Taylor to tap the wealth of talent available at his alma mater.

鈥淜aitlin is an employee of SMAP that works on my space efforts also,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 have seen her work for a couple years now and am impressed with her enthusiasm and academic rigor.鈥�

The particular expertise Dr. Turner brings to the show is in ballooning, while Russell brings a wealth of experience in amateur rocketry. To avoid audience spoilers, the precise details of their stays on the ranch are a closely guarded secret protected by a non-disclosure agreement. In general, they involved measuring the bizarre electromagnetic anomalies that plague the property.

(L to R) Dr. Travis Taylor, Dr. Jim Segala, and Dr. Matt Turner prepare a balloon to launch an experiment at Skinwalker Ranch.

Images courtesy of Prometheus Entertainment

鈥淚鈥檝e known Travis for 20 years,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淲e had grad school classes together at 正澳门六合彩开奖结果. He wanted to do some testing out there that he couldn't do by himself. That鈥檚 how it evolved. I've never launched a rocket; they don鈥檛 trust me with propellants,鈥� he says, laughing. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 Kaitlin鈥檚 thing. But I've launched a couple hundred balloons. That鈥檚 what I did. And then Kaitlin came after me and launched her rockets.鈥�

鈥淚 asked a room full of undergrad and grad students if they'd be interested in designing and building rockets for some experiments,鈥� Dr. Taylor adds. 鈥淎nd Kaitlin is the one that took the initiative and did it. And she did a great job!鈥�

鈥淲hile I was a student at 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 I got into rocketry,鈥� Russell says. 鈥淣ot just the smaller kit rockets, but the ones you take out for certification. We did small model rocket type things [on the ranch], but they were heavily modified. I didn鈥檛 provide the instrument part, I just provided the ride.鈥�

Dr. Taylor knew from personal experience that his two colleagues would be walking into a truly unique setting that could present serious challenges to the investigators, including potentially perilous conditions.

鈥淚 was excited to offer them an opportunity to get to see the very guarded location and what might be experienced there,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was also a bit apprehensive and nervous, as the place can be quite dangerous. I warned them as best I could, but until you are there and exposed to the place, you truly don't take the warnings serious. I didn鈥檛. Believe me, I do now!鈥�

Both of the new investigators did their best to prepare for operating in a place with such a foreboding reputation. 鈥淚 started doing some research,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淎nd then actually made a conscious decision to stop, because I wanted to make a measurement without any kind of preconceived notion about the results. I was expecting this very medieval type thing,鈥� he goes on, making a spooky Twilight Zone noise and chuckling. 鈥淎nd when I got out there, they had trailers for television crews and stuff 鈥� it was very 鈥榖usiness.鈥� I mean, it was a ranch, so there were dirt and animals, but it was not as mystical as I anticipated.鈥�

Skinwalker Ranch team members (L to R) Bryant Arnold, Erik Bard, and Thomas Winterton watch 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 investigators (L to R) Kaitlin Russell and Dr. Travis Taylor prepare a rocket for launch.

Images courtesy of Prometheus Entertainment

Russell agrees. 鈥淚 expected it to be creepier. I had never been in that area of the country. I was just taking in the sights, saying, oh, that's cool, I want to go walk on the mesa! I'd never done anything like this before, and the whole TV crew thing was very new to me.鈥�

For the TV novices, filming proved challenging, with a tightly packed schedule of activities. Though, like the underwater portion of an iceberg, most of the footage will never be seen.

鈥淢y first day alone we were outside doing stuff for a good 10 hours,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淚t was probably like two-and-a-half total days of filming. They got hours and hours of footage that I'm sure they didn't use. There were multiple cameras working the whole time. It was all unique and kind of surreal.鈥�

Both investigators had to adapt on the fly when adjustments were needed in a hurry.

鈥淭he stuff I did dovetails into stuff Kaitlin did,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淲hat Kaitlin did is much more complex. She needed more time to prepare, and there was more hardware as well.鈥�

鈥淣ot being able to know certain things until I was out there was kind of stressful,鈥� Russell says. 鈥淭here were a lot of on-the-field modifications before they got launched.鈥�

Discussing what it was like to be on camera while trying to do the science, she grins, saying, 鈥淚鈥檓 still stressed! What is it going to look like? What are they going to put in there?鈥�

Skinwalker Ranch team members (L to R) Thomas Winterton, Bryant Arnold, Dr. Travis Taylor, and Erik Bard watch as 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 Aerospace Engineering graduate Kaitlin Russell launches a rocket to measure electromagnetic anomalies.

Images courtesy of Prometheus Entertainment

Dr. Turner had his own qualms about being under the constant watchful eye of the TV lens.

鈥淎bsolutely! It was very intimidating and nerve wracking,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here were several times where they would say, let's do this or measure that, or let's change this to do this. And you're like, okay, I鈥檝e got to change everything about this payload now, and we're out here in the middle of nowhere. Having 50 people looking at you with cameras the whole time and knowing this is costing money while you鈥檙e doing it is just asking you to sweat.鈥�

Dr. Taylor offers a more seasoned perspective. 鈥淚 am used to the cameras now, as I've done this type of experiment for years,鈥� he explains. 鈥淏ut it does put a bit of pressure on you to be successful!鈥�

Both of the newcomers appreciated having a friend who is also a TV veteran on the scene to lean on and enthusiastically power them over any bumps in the road.

鈥淚t was very high-energy,鈥� Kaitlin says with a smile. 鈥溾�楲et鈥檚 get this data,鈥� 鈥榣et鈥檚 look at the data,鈥� 鈥榯his doesn鈥檛 look right,鈥� that sort of thing.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 always a crazy ride with Travis,鈥� Dr. Turner adds. 鈥淲e鈥檝e worked with him professionally at 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 for years. He鈥檚 data driven, which is why you鈥檝e got to be on your toes. If something anomalous happens, you鈥檝e got to say, let鈥檚 figure this out, and you鈥檝e got to be able to change gears on the fly. Which is good, and I鈥檓 sure it鈥檚 great TV, because Travis is very inquisitive. But sometimes you鈥檙e like, ah! I don鈥檛 have all my stuff! I鈥檓 not ready to take that measurement!鈥� he says, laughing. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 always that kind of a ride.鈥�

Dr. Taylor says he has learned to value the process when it comes to experimenting.

Skinwalker Ranch team member (L to R) Bryant Arnold, 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 investigators Kaitlin Russell and Dr. Travis Taylor, Dr. Jim Segala, Erik Bard, and Thomas Winterton prepare an experimental payload prior to launch.

Images courtesy of Prometheus Entertainment

鈥淚 like having the cameras around from a scientist standpoint, in that it helps me document every little thing we do,鈥� he explains. 鈥淓ven with all the cameras, every now and then we do something that gets missed, and I can't figure out how to reproduce it.鈥�

One of the most exciting aspects of a docu-series is depicting how the cast deals with challenging setbacks, adding drama and fun for the viewer. 鈥淏ut from an engineer鈥檚 perspective, I like things to be just boring and predictable and for everything to work out,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淭hat's not always the case, especially when you鈥檙e in the field. I had several things that went wrong, and I鈥檓 curious how they are going to show that. Ultimately we made some good measurements.鈥�

Asked if he sensed anything otherworldly at work, he says, 鈥淚 had something occur with a sensor that has never happened before or since. So that was strange, and has yet to be explained. I鈥檓 an engineer: if I can't measure it, if I can't see it, then prove it to me. But something happened out there that鈥檚 never happened before.鈥�

Russell hints her visit produced chilling surprises as well. 鈥淲e had like two things happen,鈥� she says. 鈥淥ne of them happened multiple times. But yeah, there was some weird stuff, and I can't explain it.鈥�

Dr. Taylor has seen enough of these mishaps and oddities to convince him something truly uncanny, whether curses or cosmic forces, is afoot on the property.

鈥淚n some cases, it was because the ranch affected the camera equipment and caused them to fail,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 know that's hard to believe, but it happens all the time out there for no reason we've been able to find yet. Just ask Matt where that balloon went once it reached a mile high? As far as we can tell, it just disappeared!鈥�

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 creeped out,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淪omething happened that bothered me. That鈥檚 one of the reasons Kaitlin was out there 鈥� she can make more thorough measurements than I can. Because of all the mishaps and the anomaly that occurred, I鈥檓 insanely curious how they are going to put it all together.鈥�

In describing her brush with the eeriness of Skinwalker Ranch, Russell offers yet another take. 鈥淥urs wasn鈥檛 reading-based, it was like stuff we visually saw that I couldn't explain,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if one of them was captured on film. It happened really quickly.鈥�

Did the 正澳门六合彩开奖结果 colleagues ever fear for their safety?

鈥淣ot any more than being in southern Tennessee or northern Alabama, out in the woods,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淲e had a mishap with a balloon, where we were separated from it, and had to try to cross streams. But I never really thought I was in danger.鈥�

Russell finds that kind of thing exciting. 鈥淏ut my sense of danger isn鈥檛 like鈥�it鈥檚 not really regular,鈥� she says, laughing. 鈥淚 go sky diving. I like scuba diving, caving. I like exploring.鈥�

鈥淪he fires off rockets a lot, so she鈥檚 got a high bar,鈥� Dr. Turner says with a smile.

Would either of them ever do it again?

鈥淚鈥檇 love to go back,鈥� Dr. Turner says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful area. It was fun, it was hectic. I don't know if I could do it as much as Travis. They work insane hours. But I really like being outdoors.鈥�

Russell agrees. 鈥淚t would be neat to go back and see more.鈥� But when it comes to future TV stardom, she has certain stipulations: 鈥淚 prefer shows like that where it's mostly science-based. I am no actor!鈥�