May 19, 1996: Arts Parts - Linda Moulton Howe
The Art Bell Archive · Arthur William Bell III
June 20, 202323m 53s
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Show Notes
Linda Moulton Howe returns with the second round of analysis on the alleged Roswell crash fragments sent anonymously to Art Bell, now widely known as "Art's Parts." After the initial testing revealed pure aluminum at an impossible weight, new scrutiny from metallurgists and independent researchers has deepened the mystery. A listener calculated that pure aluminum at the measured dimensions should weigh 97 milligrams, not the 160 milligrams found by the university lab, a discrepancy the scientist confirmed upon recalibration.
Retired Sandia Labs metallurgists suggest the pieces likely have an aluminum coating around a denser internal metal, a known industrial technique. One aluminum die-cast worker proposes the fragments could be sample molds or punch-outs from manufacturing, though experts counter that identical scrap material weighing exactly the same would require extraordinarily precise tooling, something highly unusual for discarded material. Silicon granules found embedded in the surfaces may relate to manufacturing processes rather than extraterrestrial origins.
The episode builds methodically toward the next phase of testing scheduled for late May, when the pieces will finally be analyzed beneath their aluminum surfaces using full EDS spectroscopy. Linda carefully maintains the tension between mundane and extraordinary explanations, noting that even confirming a coated alloy would not settle the question of origin.
Retired Sandia Labs metallurgists suggest the pieces likely have an aluminum coating around a denser internal metal, a known industrial technique. One aluminum die-cast worker proposes the fragments could be sample molds or punch-outs from manufacturing, though experts counter that identical scrap material weighing exactly the same would require extraordinarily precise tooling, something highly unusual for discarded material. Silicon granules found embedded in the surfaces may relate to manufacturing processes rather than extraterrestrial origins.
The episode builds methodically toward the next phase of testing scheduled for late May, when the pieces will finally be analyzed beneath their aluminum surfaces using full EDS spectroscopy. Linda carefully maintains the tension between mundane and extraordinary explanations, noting that even confirming a coated alloy would not settle the question of origin.