Aberration Tracking Video by Sara Kinney

Aberration Tracking from Sara Kinney on Vimeo.

Images and Comments from Aberration found on Staten Island

On July 25th, this Aberration was spotted at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. These images and viewer comments and theories recorded by the ATS for possible leads to why these strange events are happening.

"I think two magic carpets collided."

"It purrs."

"It's the bedroll of some bum that used to live here."

"Hot chocolate poured down and formed it."

"My wife would like it."

"It's pretty weird."

"It's taffy-ish."

"Looks like a wave crested on the sidewalk."

"It's polymer so it had to have been made in New Jersey."

"The obesity epidemic could be a factor."

"Too many street dancers caused it."

"It made me curious."

"I'm speechless."

Last Predicted Aberration This Weekend- July 25th!

Our current data has led us to believe that there will be an Aberration in Staten Island on Saturday, July 25th. They seem to never pop up in the same borough twice which may be because the Aberration releases the cumulative stress pressure of each borough.... We do not foresee another aberration coming soon - but based on our findings, expect that Queens will be the site of an Aberration in the future.

On Saturday, a team of researchers will be at the Ferry terminal in Staten Island just outside the North Entrance. We will be on site from 2-4pm and encourage everyone to join the Society and help us witness and investigate this last astonishing recent cluster of Aberrations. If coming from Manhattan, once you leave the Ferry, turn right and walk out the door at the end of the terminal. Do not go upstairs. We will be just outside the doors on the way to the parking lot.

Multiple Aberration Sightings in NYC

Aberrations were sighted today in the South Bronx and Midtown Manhattan.

If you witnessed an aberration or have theories about what might be causing this phenomenon, please share your thoughts with us.

Comments and theories from fellow New Yokers are listed here. We are investigating all viable options to understand this increasingly common phenomenon.

"The City is fighting back." - Jay

"The Aztecs are returning since they built structures like this to pass through."

"The Thing from the Fantastic Four pushed it up while he was trying to stop a train." - Ray

"Aliens hiding as Art."

"A fossilized folded-up blanket." - Dan

"It looks like a wave. The government could have put it there." - Aaron

"Could have caused an injury." - Liz

"It looks like something that would be in Manhattan and people would take pictures of." (comment from a Bronx viewer)

"It's kinda scary."

"It reminds me of how I look in the morning when I have to go pay my bills. All folded over."

"Normally grass grows out of sidewalk cracks, but not in NYC."

"Mutating sidewalk DNA."

"It looks silly."

"I think plates collided at the same time that lightening struck and that's what caused it."

"When I don't go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and I start using drugs again, I feel like this."

"Kinda looks like chewing gum."

"When we all push on the sidewalk, it pushes back."

"This kind of stuff is what makes NYC great."

"Stress used to be trendy but now it's a whole another degree."

"When I stood by it, I felt dizzy."

"Maybe global warming changed the chemicals in the sidewalk."

"It was built by an animal."

"Maybe Bloomberg just left it here."

"An inconvenient sidewalk."

"It's beautiful. It's like a tidal wave of emotion. Everyone has times when they feel like that. I wish it was permanent."

Aberration Sighting in Brooklyn

As predicted, another aberration was found in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza on Saturday July 11th.

It was quite a sizeable specimen this time and radiated palpable tension.


Trackers collected samples and measurements for analysis and gathered feedback from witnesses.


If you or anyone you know witnessed this or other aberrations, please share your experience in the comments section.

A witness adopts a unique aproach

to experiencing this compelling phenomenon

We encourage conerned citizens to engage in Join us on our next field study July 18th (details in the Aberration Forecast in the right column) or by signing up for email updates on future field outings.

Reactions collected from witnesses:

"Alien crop circles in the city"

"It's a shovel ready project for TARP money."

"It's a reflection of the mind of the State Legislature."

"Crazy things happening in the world."

"Love caused it."

"Moral corruption manifested."

"George Bush aftershocks."

"Someone placed it here from another time."

"The earthquake in China made it happen."

"The Jolly Green Giant put it here."

"It's a good place to rest."

"It's a loss of hope."

"I think it's a giant scroll of paper."

"It's a way for people to communicate their frustration."

"Makes me think of a sheet of pasta.  Giant pasta."

"I think it breathes life into a sterile environment and shows the surrounding environment in a new way."

"The sidewalk may have buckled because of the tension with North Korea."

"Like ribbon Christmas candy."

"Killer Robots."

"Stress, huh?  Must have been from the Guiliani years."

"Urban Volcano."

"I think it's hot."

"It happened because of the cosmic shift from Bloomberg running for a third term."

"It doesn't scare me because my world is always falling apart."

"The sun ignited unknown firework-like properties in NYC sidewalks."

"Makes me think that the road could come up at any time; it's unsettling."

"It makes my day!"

"Maybe it's the receipt from Paul Bunyon's corner store."

"A skateboarder's dream."

Aberration Likely to Reappear Saturday, July 11

Our calculations, indicate a strong probability of an aberration occurrance in Brooklyn on Saturday. This is both exciting and troublesome. The society believes that the aberrations are related to the rise in levels of anxiety and insecurity in the social atmosphere caused by current economic conditions. Samples taken from a previous aberration contained trace amounts of a derivitive of norepinephrine, the hormone which causes stress in humans. While we know that human activity can have adverse affects on our natural environment (i.e. global warming, acid rain), we never imagined that our emotional and psychological activity might also impact our physical surroundings, literally the foundations of our built environment.

If these occurrences are indeed a kind of physical stress symptom, we have much to learn about them. We should also be concerned about the increasing frequency. We will report soon on any sightings.

- JG

Aberration Spotted!

A large sidewalk aberration was spotted today on the waterfront of Governors island's northeast harbor.


Fortunately, a team of trackers were on sight to record the event and document reactions from available witnesses.


Trackers examined the aberration's structure and documented its features.


Particulate samples from the aberration were collected to be brought to the lab for testing.


Witnesses gathered to observe the aberration. We shared our theories with them and eagerly recorded their reactions, many of which are posted below. We invite you to share your reactions and theories as well.


Witness reactions to the aberration were mixed- from curious to amused, concerned to dismissive.


If you witnessed this or other aberrations today, we invite you to share your reactions and theories in the comments section.


Curiously, this child appeared unafraid of the aberration and bravely set about testing its structural integrity.

Trackers Theodore, Matt and Jessica pose with aberration.

Clearly, it was very exciting day for the ATS and more importantly a great day for the advancement of aberration studies.

We will share our findings soon and will continue to monitor the area for future aberrant activity. Please share your theories with us in the comments section and join us for our next field study.

Reactions and theories collected from available witnesses:

"I haven't seen anything like this before" - Doug

"What if one occurs where someone is standing?" - Jorge

"The city is trying to tell us something." - Sarah

"It's due to global warming." - Oscar

"Sign of the times." - Ben

"Maybe the concrete has anxiety." - David

"A lesson in biostratigraphy; a reminder that we are physical beings in a physical planet." - Rebecca

"[It's a response to] stress of government bureaucracy" - Maureen

"Infrastructure spending, [i.e.] the city needs extra sidewalks" - Greg

"A sprawling population is expressing itself."- Maria

"Too much pavement, too much development. It's all piling up." - Ed

"Someone was running because he was going to miss the ferry. He was a very fat man. He skidded along the sidewalk and it curled up the ground" - Nico

"The earth is trying to tell people to get on their skateboards..." - Jake

"Attention from the public is feeding it. Maybe it wants to be ignored."- Steve

"I have no idea. I thought it was part of the art festival." - Alice

"Was that a joke?" - Dan

"I can imagine the sidewalk rebelling. It has a certain violation [quality]." - Kate

"A really, really nice monster wants to give kids something to play on." - Riley

"It has to do with the folding of time..." - Ann

"Large moles are causing this." - Bill

"[It's caused by] built up levels of norepinephrine from the days when this [island] was a military base" - George

"An act of God." - Ted

"It makes you feel a little better." - Wayland

"Extraterrestrials are testing how tough earthly materials are." - Mario

"The earth threw it up."- Julie

"A leak in the sidewalk factory." - Betty

"It's a reaction to the people on the island; a mixing of hot and cold energies, anxiety build up and release."- Kyle

"Definitely the economy... and a shortage of anxiety meds." - Phil

"Harbor indigestion." - Carl

"Maybe someone dropped it here." - Vanessa

"Tides from river pollution seeping into soil."- Chris

"Dharma Initiative gone awry."- Lou

"It's from the weight of new condos in neighborhoods that aren't designed for them." - Mike

"It's trying to make it's way to the lower east side." - Alex

"It's a very pretty aberration. I'm glad to see it." - Chloe

Add your own comments or theories.