"Maybe they used the same petri dish for multiple experiments?"
Years ago I read a short story or possibly it was a novelette titled, The Seedling Stars" by I think Theodore Blish. Not too sure about the author. Had to do with some intelligent life form planting some organic mini-life form and then left it to survive or die. The story was about how that organism thrived, evolved and finally left the water and came on dry land. It was sometime around 1953 i read the story but I think I have it correct.
The Air Force did track down UFO stories and as I was in weather at the time in the AF, we had the job of taking the reports and documenting them. I was in from 1960 to 1964. One day if IIRC, 1962, this was at Nellis AFB, we received a report from out satellite weather station at Indian Springs Nevada that they were tracking something strange on their theodolite. I was working that day and we set up our theodolite and picked up the object. It was perfectly round, a very bright white and just hung there, not moving. Using triangulation it was determined that the object was at least 80,000 feet high. It just hung there for close to half an hour, then shot straight up until it was completely out of sight. I've visually tracked weather balloons for 33 years both in the military and in civilian life. That thing damn sure was no ballon. That one made the "Blue Book" and I got asked a lot of questions on what I saw. The only other thing I remember was it was something like July or August and it was hotter'n hell.
Paul B.
