Space signal studied for alien contact

[Cicero]

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.

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.

But the mystery beam has excited astronomers across the world.


http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/02/space.signals.reut/index.html


It also mentions the signal was discovered via the SETI@home project. Anyone out there running this on their home computers? (I am.)

Later,

[The Night Owl]

1. I hope we have finally made contact!

It also mentions the signal was discovered via the SETI@home project. Anyone out there running this on their home computers? (I am.)

Me too! I have been running SETI@home for years.

All DUers should run SETI@home.

[havocmom]

2. I suppose this would be a good day to be at VLA in New Mexico

Went by there last year. WAY cool.

Maybe some ETs have been watching our news and figure we could use a regime change?

[htuttle]

3. Yup

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Uh oh

Oh crap, what was that line again?

Klatu Barada Niktoo?

[Cicero]

10. Just remember to say it right...

...or you'll unleash the Army of Darkness!

Now, where's Ash when you need him...

Later,

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. Pray Bush is not the one who has to say the words

nt

[whistle]

4. Flash, the alien signal has been decoded.....

...and contains the following message: "Are all Americans totally insane? Depose your leader George Dubya Bush immediately and give up all WMDs or we will be forced to render all American institutions completely powerless, all American statesmen completely speechless and all American republicans totally altruistic!" MuwaaaaaaaDEEB!!!

[phantom power]

5. apparently this was dis-avowed by the SETI scientists

Story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/sci/tech/3621608.stm

Oh, well.

[mosin]

8. Too bad...

I was hoping to enjoy it a while before it was de-bunked.

Anyway, I've been running Seti@home for several years on every computer under my control.

[havocmom]

14. So if ET did phone, do we think the bozos wielding world power would

actually tell us the truth? :shrug:

OK, where's that picture from the movie Signs where the kids look like Hershey Kisses? I love that look.

No! No! Don't got on that space ship! It's a cook book!

[JohnnyRingo]

6. But there's always some party poopin' astronomy geek putting things...

...into perspective. And by proxy, a wet blanket like me to pass it on:

The magazine quoted Dan Wertheimer, the chief scientist on the SETI@Home project, as saying that the signal was the most interesting yet identified by the project. He remarked: "We're not jumping up and down, but we are continuing to observe it."

Despite the otherwise sceptical tone of the article, his comments sparked speculation that we had actually made contact with another world. Sadly, this does not appear to be the case, and Wertheimer told ther BBC today that the idea of contact was "all hype and noise". "We have nothing that is unusual. It's all out of proportion," he said.

So the armies of the world can stand down - it was all a false alarm. There are no aliens trying to contact or destroy us, and we can all relax again. Phew.

More:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/09/02/alien_no_no/

[denverbill]

9. Oh great. Now W is going to have to save the world from aliens.

I saw the movie Independence Day, and that's how it all started.

[Cicero]

11. E.T. phone home???

Just don't try to reverse the charges...

Later,

[Boomer]

12. If Dubya wins in November...

...we won't have to worry about alien contact. I'm sure they only bother with planets that contain sentient lifeforms.

[Dogmudgeon]

13. Oh, well ...

With something like intelligent life on other worlds, nothing less than a grand-slam-out-of-the-ballpark will do.

We may also have to face the fact that we really are alone.

--bkl

[ThoughtCriminal]

16. Message - three words.

It decodes as either either:

"To Serve Man"
or
"Mars Needs Women"

[NNadir]

17. I missed this one. I hope we don't have to explain George Bush to aliens

from outer space. I can say from experience it's hard enough to explain him to Europeans.