Tamm consulted Ernst Krenkel, Papanin’s radioman, and came up with the theory that aurora borealis could be used as a communication medium if a powerful electromagnetic radiation is applied to the solar wind, which causes the northern lights. He called the phenomenon “chromatically modulated transmission” and submitted a secret memorandum directly to Joseph Stalin, requesting finances and access to top secret equipment to put the theory to the test.

The letter was reviewed by the Kremlin’s inner circle and the result was unlike anything Tamm expected. He was accused of being an American spy, and it took seven months and a lot of political maneuvering from his influential colleagues to get his name cleared. Tamm’s idea was buried for two decades.

It was in 1986, when the research of the strange aurora was actually carried out on the direct order of Mikhail Gorbachev. It is not clear how he ever got the information on Tamm’s theory in the first place, but some researchers suggest a link through physicist and human rights activist Andrey Sakharov, who used to work with Tamm on a project of thermonuclear power plant.

A small and top-secret research institution was opened in the northern port city of Murmansk, which closely monitored auroras. In August 1991, a breakthrough happened – cryptologists working on three records of suspected communication signals finally came up with proof that the northern lights really contained information embedded it their colors.

A report was sent to Gorbachev, but on the next day, several officials and generals launched a coup d’etat. On that same day, a stolen fighter jet of the Finnish Air Force crossed the border and crashed into the research facility in Murmansk, killing 16 people and destroying most of their records.

Three days later, chief of the aliens, who secretly rule the world, ordered the replacement of the transmitter on the dark side of the moon, which caused interference with aurora borealis.

Of course, the whole story has nothing to do with reality. Skeptically-minded readers probably have felt it from the very beginning, while those with a taste for mystery may have made it almost to the end without feeling that it is bogus. The point is that, to a certain point, people will not doubt what they are told, as long as it is in tune with their gut feeling of how the world works.

It is not that bad actually. Our imagination, curiosity and desire for a miracle distinguish us from machines and animals. Somehow we need to believe in UFOs, or in the “love conquers all” motto, or in special value of Apple products. It probably helps us believe in other stupid illusions like fairness, family values and the importance of human life.

And happy World UFO Day to those celebrating it!

Alexandre Antonov, RT