Today I Learned @lemmy.world ooli @lemmy.world 6 mo. ago

TIL that the telescope that capted the Wow! Signal (only likely candidate to be of ET origin) was razed to make room for a golf course

skeptoid.com Was the Wow! Signal Alien?

A signal received by a radio telescope in 1977 may be the best evidence yet for extraterrestrial intelligence.

50 comments

A bit of over exaggerating in the title (as per usual.) The frequency used is one that we would consider a good candidate for listening for alien signals.

That doesn't mean the wow signal had anything to do with extra terrestrial technology.

The article is decent, and covers a bit of the tech used in the radio telescope, but the parts about the alien signals are just pure speculation.
- You are right,that was not title I wanted to make initialy.. I will change that
  
  It’s too late I’ve already told everyone I know about this and asked them to spread the word
- Why are you letting facts come in between the truth?
- There is no non-intelligent actor explanation for it known at this time that accounts for the data. Which leaves us with 3 options
  
  Someone was breaking the rules and breaking the rules in a really weird way.
  
  Something happens in astronomy which we don't yet understand
  
  Aliens
  
  Now I don't think 3 is very likely, at all. Especially the way the events happened.
The problem is that the lack of replication of the Wow! signal does not give it credibility as an intentional message.
- Is this the new Fermi paracox: If there are life out there, why didnt we get many Wow signal by now?
  
  Part of the reason is the inverse square law, which essentially means that the further away you get from the source of the signal, the weaker the signal gets. So in order to get a signal from a distant planet to Earth, it has to be incredibly high-powered.
  
  My personal theory about the Fermi paradox either that a civilization around our level of technology just doesn't happen to exist within a reasonable distance of us at the same time as us or we just haven't been looking long enough.
  
  The galaxy is around 13 billion years old.
  
  The solar system is around 5 billion years old.
  
  Homo Sapiens have only been around for about 300,000 years.
  
  Our ability to scan the skies with a radiotelescope has only been for a little over 100 years.
  
  The Wow! signal was detected 40 years ago.
  
  If there is a technologically advanced civilization within a reasonable distance, have we really been looking long enough to find out?
  
  I'd love a fermi paracox
  
  "if there is life out there, why hasn't it noticed us, senpai, does it not like us??? Why don't they text us every night!"
  
  I always wondered if maybe they're everywhere, but we just don't know how to look for them yet? Like an uncontacted tribe surrounded by wi-fi signals or something.
  
  Low frequency of contact is entirely possible and perhaps probably. Expecting contact on human life time scales is a fallacy.
I don't know much about this telescope but fuck golfers
- I'd rather not buttfuck golfers.
  
  i'll take your share
- I'd you take a look at a satellite picture, most of the invaluable green space in urban areas is taken by rich golfing assholes and dead people.
We could do with less golfcourses. Especially in places where it's too hot for them to stay green in the summer.
- Make only the green have grass, everything else is rough weeds...insects and all. A real game of golf.
Everything I see a golf course I think the spaceccould be something useful. This case they deleted the useful. Such a waste.
- Every time I see a golf course I get the urge to do a praxis
The land the radio telescope that first detected the microwave radiation from the big bang was in private ownership for the longest time. Luckily, it was just bought by the township to be converted into a public park with the telescope itself being preserved when the whole site was at risk of being "developed".

edit: Source: https://holmdel-cilu.org/holmdel-horn-antenna When they open, please visit the Antenna, eat something local and let people know why you came. Make sure the township knows it was a financially good thing that they're preserving it.
To make room for a golf course... Yeees... definitely to make room for "a golf course", and abso-frigging-lutely not to prevent anymore transmission intercepts.

#tinfoilisagreathatmaterial
- conspiracy is always an easy answer. But overall I agree, it was despicable to raze it for any motif
  
  Permanently Deleted
Is this legit? Not really.

But fuck golf courses? Yeah fuck golf courses.

You earn an up vote.
Golf courses use more water as agriculture. They are truly the worse thing.
Wow!
- Woww
If this bothers you you can signup to make a monthly donation to SETI.
https://youtu.be/rLD-mSXXw9M?si=tJq0d9MtXIBe_o_4

We now know where that message came from
- I thought for sure this was going to be Owen Wilson.

You've viewed 50 comments.