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SETI picks up ET signal?

RichardR

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RichardR
Joined
Nov 21, 2001
Messages
2,274
From CNN:

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- An unexplained radio signal from deep space could -- just might be -- contact from an alien civilization, New Scientist magazine reported on Thursday.

The signal, coming from a point between the Pisces and Aries constellations, has been picked up three times by a telescope in Puerto Rico.

...

It was broadcast on the main frequency at which the universe's most common element, hydrogen, absorbs and emits energy, and which astronomers say is the most likely means by which aliens would advertise their presence.
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If it was at the frequency at which hydrogen emits, how do they know it wasn't just the relaxation of a packet of hydrogen?
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They are studying it to rule out other possibilities. See what the article said:
From the CNN article
There are other explanations besides extraterrestrial contact that may explain the signal. New Scientist said the signal could be generated by a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon or even be a by-product from the telescope itself.
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Re: Re: SETI picks up ET signal?

pgwenthold said:
If it was at the frequency at which hydrogen emits, how do they know it wasn't just the relaxation of a packet of hydrogen?
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It's assumable that the answer to your question is because the pattern of the broadcast doesn't occur without some kind of intelligent intervention.

I thought Seth Shostak once said that when we get an alien signal, there will be nothing short of complete assurance as to what it is, so what's with all the tentative, wishy-washy talk?
 
NS emphasised the ET aspect for the headline but the article talks more about possible natural causes (cf pulsars). Seems unlikely it comes from a planet as the source seems to be spinning at too high a frequency. They also think it's possible it's an artefact of the antenna so want to look at the source with a different one. And the signal was found by SETI@home people. Which was nice.
 
I just caught that article myself.

Very interesting.


Still, as much as the romantic in me would love to see us 'make contact', the skeptic (and realist) in me sas there is no intelligent life off this rock, and some would debate if it even exists here.
 
Well, they should start aiming more telescopes in that direction and see what develops. It's kind of exciting, though. Based on the scientific odds of other life in the universe, this could actually happen some day, maybe in the not-too-distant future.

If it does happen, I say we should clone Carl, bring him back, just so we can tell him the good news!!!!!! :D :D :D :D
 
Just a few journaists getting over excited. The overwelling odds are that this has nothing to do with ets
 
No SETI news

This seams to be on the News channels, but I couldn't find any thing on the SETI home page....

Weird.
 
Gary Gordon said:
Well, they should start aiming more telescopes in that direction and see what develops. It's kind of exciting, though. Based on the scientific odds of other life in the universe, this could actually happen some day, maybe in the not-too-distant future.

If it does happen, I say we should clone Carl, bring him back, just so we can tell him the good news!!!!!! :D :D :D :D
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if it does happen.. I say we build big starships and send them out to wipe out those buggers before they have a chance to infest all the usable resources in the universe because it just so happens that it is our god given right to use those resources for ourselves.
 
I wish SETI would find a signal, but I think the chance of it happening it slim to none in my life time.

It would be nice to rub it in the face of all the religious nuts.
 
THE BUGS ARE COMING FOR US! SOMEONE NOTIFY BUENOS AIRES!

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Astronomers deny ET signal report.

Thursday, 2 September, 2004, 12:30 GMT 13:30 UK

By Dr David Whitehouse
BBC News Online science editor

Astronomers have moved swiftly to quell speculation they may have received a deep-space radio signal from ET.

It was reported on the internet that the signal had been found using the Seti@home screensaver that uses computer downtime to analyse sky data from telescopes.

But researchers connected with the project told BBC News Online on Thursday that no contact with extraterrestrials had been made.

"It's all hype and noise," said its chief scientist, Dr Dan Wertheimer. "We have nothing that is unusual. It's all out of proportion."
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