In 2016, Canadian researchers reported strange observations. Dozens of distant solar-type stars blinked at almost the same speed. This is interesting, but scientists also suggested that the 234 blinking stars are the result of highly intelligent aliens using stars to communicate.
After the announcement, many doubters arose. Among them were the leaders in searching for extraterrestrial intelligence SETI. We can recall the senior astronomer SETI Seth Shostak and director Andrew Siemen. In addition, representatives of the Stephen Hawking team on the Breakthrough Listen project responded, assessing the discovery as “insignificant”.
However, many are in no hurry to refute the theory of aliens. In fact, SETI will still have to conduct a detailed study to confirm or deny the theory with the strange twinkling of stars.
METI President (Alien Transmission) Douglas Wakoh agrees that it is too early to say that aliens are trying to contact us. He believes that it is necessary to conduct a detailed review of the stars and check the methods of the research itself.
Telescope of Sloan Digital Sky Survey
This is an important point. If the results are due to human error, then there is no point in discussing the aliens. For example, many scientists believe that Canadian researchers obtained their conclusions because of an error in the operation of the tools. Star impulses were observed using the Sloan Digital Celestial Survey (SDSS). If there is an error, you will have to recalibrate the SDSS.
But the researchers point out that if there was an error, they should have seen more signals, rather than specific 234 of the 2.5 million stars observed. In addition, the pulses were not captured in whole galaxies or quasars, but only in individual stars.
The biggest problem is that all of these signals operate at the same pulse frequency. That is, we have 234 independent strange stars who decide to transmit the same type of signal. This moment increases the chances that the cause will be extraterrestrial, but also increases the likelihood of error in research. SETI searches often focus on finding the specific frequency on which aliens can communicate. Perhaps these researchers managed to find it?
Graphic representation of the pulsar PSR J1921 + 2153
But Wakoh says that we should not go on about the imagination. He recalls the situation with the opening of the first pulsar PSR J1921 + 2153, when they thought that these were signals from little green men. A few months later, they found the second pulsar and abandoned the hypothesis with the newcomers.
Wakoh believes that 234 signals can be the same error. Perhaps we have yet to expand the amount of data, and then we will understand that this is a common phenomenon, and not signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. He calls it a “new natural phenomenon.”
There is no reason to grieve. Of course, I would like to finally find hints on the existence of an extraterrestrial civilization. But even the discovery of a new phenomenon will make it possible to take another step towards understanding the universe.
