<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QEPCmku0Hrw/TUiC-piwWoI/AAAAAAAAAjU/oUlHZcm8M80/s1600/ufo_detector.png" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-3085 alignleft" title="ufo_detector" src="http://strangeattractor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ufo_detector.png" alt="" width="274" height="320" /></a>Calling all makers!

Here's a simple electronics project we can all approve of: <a href="http://forteana-blog.blogspot.com/2011/02/ufo-detector.html" target="_blank">The Electronic UFO Detector</a>, from a 1968 edition of the then-highly-respected British journal of ufology, <em>Flying Saucer Review.</em>

The device is actually a magnetic field detector. The case for UFOs producing strong magnetic fields is not exactly cut and dried, though magnetic anomalies would appear to have been detected <a href="http://brumac.8k.com/MagneticUFO/MagneticUFO.html" target="_blank">in some cases</a>.

Magnetic anomalies  do seem to be associated with earthquakes [see <a href="http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_04_2_adams.pdf" target="_blank">this paper</a> from the <em>Journal of the Society for Scientific Exploration </em> for example] and so, perhaps, with the UFO-like lights sometimes linked to them.

Even if it won't help you spot UFOs , this would be a fun paranormal project and it might help you to detect a quake, or perhaps even a <a href="http://www.assap.org/newsite/articles/Magnetic%20ghosts.html" target="_blank">ghost</a>.

Via the excellent <a href="http://forteana-blog.blogspot.com/2011/02/ufo-detector.html" target="_blank">Forteana blog</a>