BBC Focus Magazine

[MikeG]

Does anybody know if any exoplanets have been detected in the general direction where this so-called "WOW: signal was received from?

Thirty-five years ago this week, an unexplained signal was detected by scientists engaged in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, or SETI. Using Ohio State University's Big Ear radio observatory, astronomer Jerry Ehman noticed an unusual spike of six letters and numbers on the computer printout.

This strong, 72-second radio signal, emanating from the general direction of the Sagittarius constellation, was so odd that Ehman wrote the word "Wow!" in the left margin of the sheet, as pictured above.

The signal never reappeared, so scientists couldn't confirm if it was, in fact, a message from an extraterrestrial source. And a "response" to it was never attempted.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/0 ... 62118.html

[Lateralman]

It cost a small fortune to set up and thirty-five years is a long time ago.

[Shadowwolf]

Nope, none I'm aware of or found and I don't know if anyone ever looked for any. Additionally the closest of the stars in the region (Tau Sagittarii) at roughly 120LYs is approximately 1.2-5 billion years old, and that's only a third to a quarter the age of Sol. A bit young for technologically advanced species to arise and transmit whilst humans were still in the mid-nineteenth century. Of course that's just Tau, still a few other possible source stars if it even had anything to do with anything specific to that region.

It also has never been repeated that we have detected with far more discriminating equipment, whatever the source it was an apparent one off event. If it was from another intelligence it was not intended for us but was an accident of circumstance that put us in the path of a random communication be it ground to orbit / ship or ship to ship.

It cost a small fortune to set up and thirty-five years is a long time ago.

Lateral, if you're going to contribute try at least to be clear and on-topic once in a while, there's no need for always plumbing for cryptic throw away comments and stabs at humour.

[MikeG]

It also has never been repeated that we have detected with far more discriminating equipment, whatever the source it was an apparent one off event. If it was from another intelligence it was not intended for us but was an accident of circumstance....

Even with our own efforts, I think we try to cover as much "sky" as possible. Signals are sent once off in different directions to target as many different planets, so Im not surprised that we haven't picked up the same signal. I wonder if that signal was ever recorded, or its been lost?

[Shadowwolf]

Signals are sent once off in different directions to target as many different planets, so Im not surprised that we haven't picked up the same signal.

But to be a useful declaration of an intelligent source then the signal must last long enough, certainly longer than barely over a minute. Otherwise there is too little to work with, the question is left up in the air as it is with the WOW and fails to achieve its goal. If I can see that tiny random apparently non-natural signals won't do the job then I'd be fairly certain any other intelligence would realise the same.

I wonder if that signal was ever recorded, or its been lost?

Don't think it was recorded like that, so no, no audio to be heard.

[MikeG]

If I can see that tiny random apparently non-natural signals won't do the job then I'd be fairly certain any other intelligence would realise the same.

Maybe this was a test of their system and the actual message was broadcast somewhere more promising.

As the message on a well known T-shirt says, "Beam me up Scotty. There's no intelligent life down here"

[M Paul Lloyd]

I do wonder at times if this wasn't a bit like one of those occasions when you sent an email or text to the wrong person by mistake?

Grovelling alien servent enters his masters chamber.

Ah Mighty Grendor ....... forgive this intrusion but a minion hit the PA button during your last public address ............... What should we do?

Grendor speaks... Flail the infernal moron to death and instal protocols that ensure it never happens again!! And flail yourself for your stupidity.

Your wish is my command your excellency. etc.....

[Shadowwolf]

If it truly is the work of some other intelligence and not some as yet undiscovered naturally occurring signal, accident of whatever stripe would best describe our reception of it.

aybe this was a test of their system and the actual message was broadcast somewhere more promising.

Despite our own often deprecating attitude towards ourselves, Terra would look like a promising candidate for harbouring life due to its position and composition. Nothing would or could be known of whether intelligent life even exists never mind how human society operates to act as just cause to pass us by. Besides, other intelligent life may behave in scarcely differing ways and find little or nothing surprising about what humans have done or do.

A more likely reason for avoiding hollering out that you're there is the possibility of attracting the kind of attention you don't want.

[Jamie]

I kind of fail to see the point of targeting a system and sending some kind of message there. Fair enough, you can point at somewhere you think there might be life and launch off a signal of some sort. Seems a bit like guess work to me.

Given that we've had at least 70 or so years of terrestrial TV and radio broadcasting, it gives us about 70 light year sphere of systems that could detect us anyway. So anyone who might be looking for the 20 minutes we target them would already have picked up some Charlie Chaplin or Audrey Hepburn.

You know, maybe there are systems within 20 light years who've just seen Eastenders and avoided us altogether!

[Shadowwolf]

Most of that is leaked and thus probably significantly weaker than a direct and intended attempt at communication; the further it goes the weaker it becomes until it gets lost in the background noise. It's not impossible that such leaked signals would pass unnoticed before the deliberate and powerful signal arrives.

You know, maybe there are systems within 20 light years who've just seen Eastenders and avoided us altogether!

Either they cannot decode the signal or they're not there, even a benign race would incinerate the source of such awfulness. If in The Day the Earth Stood Still the alien had said we humans are responsible for that abomination I could understand their actions a whole lot more

[M Paul Lloyd]

Or we could just be those really noisy neighbours that evevryone wishes would just go away?