Weird signal

[rvastro]

Read here:<br /><br />http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996341<br /><br />May not be anything, than again it could be a new type of object, or ........

 

[gpurcell]

From Seti @ Home...<br /><br />Same signal repeats three times...<br /><br />fingers most DEFINITELY crossed!

 

[a_lost_packet_]

More discussion here in SETI Forum. (believe it or not <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> )<br /><br />SETI@Home Finds Signal<br /><br /><br />I still cant get to Newscientist for some reason. Site keeps timing out.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[spacehappy]

Its the title from a alien cook book. "How to serve Humans"

 

[igorsboss]

<font color="yellow">Same signal repeats three times... </font><br /><br />This signal?<br />short short short long long long short short short<br />short short short long long long short short short<br />short short short long long long short short short

 

[odysseus145]

Its difficult no to get too excited about this <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Oh my goodness....<br /><br />*trying not to get too excited*<br /><br />Even if this turns out to be natural, the implications could be substantial. It would mean discovery of a completely new type of object! But if it isn't natural.....<br /><br />I'm not going to get my hopes up too much. At least, I'm going to try not to get my hopes up too much. It's gonna be hard. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> Especially since Newscientist is apparently getting overwhelmed with hits. I wonder if they've been slashdotted? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[kelle]

Im' sure it's just some kind of interference from a weather balloon, or some seti-guy having fun, or perhaps a data-bug or something. But we can hope that it's something exciting, of course. *hopes that it's something exciting*

 

[tom_hobbes]

"To serve Man" by Damon Knight. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[robnissen]

Just think it is now possible that in the same year we could prove existing life on Mars (if the Methane is from a biological source) and we found evidence of intelligent life in the universe. Both are certainly long shots right now, but MUCH shorter odds than when this year began.

 

[tom_hobbes]

What do you guys make of the tone of this article?<br /><br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3621608.stm<br /><br />Paul Horowitz - "It's not much of anything at all. We're not investigating it further."<br /><br />Dan Wertheimer - "We have nothing that is unusual. It's all out of proportion. At the moment, we have no candidates that we are particularly excited about and the new 'signal' is not a priority." <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[redracer02]

Not to mention the 127 planets out there.

 

[astrophoto]

That article seems to contradict itself. It goes on multiple times to dismiss the signal as nothing special, then he says:<br /><br />"Speaking to BBC News Online from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, where he is preparing an observing run to follow up Seti@home analysis, Dr Wertheimer said: "It's all hype. We don't have anything we are excited about.""<br /><br />If it's nothing to be excited about, is 'definitely not a signal', etc, then why are they following up on it with Arecibo?

 

[steve01]

As was said earlier, perhaps they want to "be sure" before they go public stating its a real off-world signal.<br /> Their credibility would be squashed if it were a hacker or a terrestrial source.

 

[steve01]

Why would they say they aren't excited about it and that its not a high priority. Even if its not an artificial signal its a new phenomenon. Isn't that worth getting excited about?????????

 

[astrophoto]

You took my quote out of context -- it wasnt simply "Why are they following up on it with Arecibo?" it was "Given multiple statements that this is nothing to be excited about, is not a signal, etc, why would they followup with Arecibo?" Totally different question. To say it more plainly -- They are stating over and over in multiple articles that this is a false signal and is not interesting to them, and one quote went so far as to say they will NOT be following up on it, .... then they turn around and followup on it. They are contradicting themselves.

 

[robnissen]

I think they are very concerned about their credibility. I think they are very excited about finding a new phenomena but are worried that everyone is getting carred away with this being proof of alien contact. So, to try to dampen the excitement, they claim it is nothing worth getting excited about, although obviously any potentially totally new discovery whether of aliens or a new physical phenomena is something to get excited about. But the problem is, it most likely is neither a new phenomena, nor an alien contact. So, unless and until, they have stronger proof that this is something significant, we can expect to hear lots of "Nothing to see here folks, please move along."

 

[a_lost_packet_]

I believe that, in general, the SETI community was blindsided with the media hype. This went public on the SETI @ Home site in April. Nothing was said anywhere else. However, the SETI Conference was recently held in August. All of a sudden, Sept 1 you have "SETI finds signal!"<br /><br />Until SETI.org or SETI @ Home makes a public statement specifically concerning this, I think that some SETI peeps got together at the conference and decided that this was a newsworthy event.... contrary to SETI @ Home's wishes on the matter.<br /><br />SETI Forum Discussion on the Signal<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[thalion]

I think SETI could take a serious credibility dive due to all this, and for something that was largely not their fault. Carl Sagan must be rolling over in his grave...

 

[spacehappy]

Thanks for that update. I couldn't remember the exact quote. I remember seeing it on TV back in the early to the mid 60s. It was either the Twighlight Zone or the Outer limits. The final part in the show really freaked me out, very lame and mild kind of ending compared to today's shows. The idea that after first contact with aliens from a different world the Humans were actually thinking that the aliens were sent to earth to serve man, when what they were sent to Earth to do was to fatten humans up before the herding them onto the spaceship. Here the humans thought they were going to the aliens planet for a vacation. The ending is what got me the most as a kid. I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone else who hasn't read the book or watched it on TV by now, I already gave a lot of the plot away .<br /><br />Back to the subject<br /><br />Here is a wild guess-The signals could be absorption of radio frequencies of hydrogen atoms and re-admittance off one of the gas giants from a signal from one of our probes that are headed out of our solar system.<br />

 

[a_lost_packet_]

<b>SETI MAKES AN OFFICIAL STATMENT - Seth Shostak speaks out on New Scientist's Sept. 1'st article! </b><br /><br />Has SETI @ Home found a signal?<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>..Sadly, the New Scientist, while it implies that a detection of an extraterrestrial signal is imminent, has inadvertently wandered into a sticky vat of hyperbole. - Seth Shostak<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><applause/on /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[tom_hobbes]

Just heard from my friend Paddy, he's been at Arecibo over the last week, arrived back this morning. He was there for a big conference unrelated to SETI, and was sitting right behind Dan Wertheimer!<br /><br /><b>However</b>, he only heard about the fuss over the SETI signal this morning upon his return!<br /><br />Since the conference was about other matters it's understandable that he didn't hear of it. But what a missed opportunity!<br /><br />Damn! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>