Fast Radio Bursts = Aliens? Maybe? Perhaps?

[bornagainathiest]

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2017-09

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_radio_burst

 

This will be the second time in recent years that scientists have looked to the idea of advanced aliens to explain something that seems to defy explanation.

 

The first occasion concerned Tabby's Star.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIC_8462852

 

Thanks,

 

BAA.

 

 

 

 

 

[Thurisaz]

Dunno... I'm not an expert but to me as interested layman the idea of neutron star collisions or similar sound more convincing.

 

If these are of extraterrestial sentience origin, they can hardly be meant for communication (what information would you pack into such a millisecond-pulse?), so what would be the reason for them?

[bornagainathiest]

7 hours ago, Thurisaz said:

Dunno... I'm not an expert but to me as interested layman the idea of neutron star collisions or similar sound more convincing.

 

If these are of extraterrestial sentience origin, they can hardly be meant for communication (what information would you pack into such a millisecond-pulse?), so what would be the reason for them?

 

These bursts are theorized to be about power, not communication, Thuriasz.

 

Loeb and his co-author Manasvi Lingam (Harvard University) examined the feasibility of creating a radio transmitter strong enough for it to be detectable across such immense distances. They found that, if the transmitter were solar powered, the sunlight falling on an area of a planet twice the size of the Earth would be enough to generate the needed energy. Such a vast construction project is well beyond our technology, but within the realm of possibility according to the laws of physics.

Lingam and Loeb also considered whether such a transmitter would be viable from an engineering perspective, or whether the tremendous energies involved would melt any underlying structure. Again, they found that a water-cooled device twice the size of Earth could withstand the heat.

They then asked, why build such an instrument in the first place? They argue that the most plausible use of such power is driving interstellar light sails. The amount of power involved would be sufficient to push a payload of a million tons, or about 20 times the largest cruise ships on Earth.

[Thurisaz]

Okay that would make sense, kind of. Thanks

[pantheory]

Yeah,  I saw this report, but in my eyes it's just wishful thinking. I would like it to be true -- but not Stephan Hawking who posited that an alien visitation would put Earthlings in the same position as Native Americans were when Columbus landed on their shores. "Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach," Hawking speculated. If I were a professional astronomer or mainstream practitioner I wouldn't speculate on such things openly. There's enough layman  to imagine such fanciful things and openly use their imaginations without fear of criticism . Maybe I might make a humorous comment to a colleague such as:  "Wouldn't it be cool if .........................." or, do you think this or that is possible? But Stephen Hawking is almost beyond reproach. 

[Joshpantera]

I always have to ask myself why people think that an advanced alien civilization would be akin to nomads pirating their way through space. And the answer I come up with is fear. People love to fear the unknown. Why not speculate that such an advanced race of beings would be way beyond that. That they'd come with no harm and have the ability to prohibit us, lesser evolved beings, from hurting them? That seems just as likely if not more likely. 

[Thurisaz]

An interstellar civilization would have to be so advanced, it's kind of... hard... to find a reason why they'd want to harm us. What would one more planet mean to them? They sure wouldn't have to dabble with Earth for ore or such, there are soooo many planets without annoying local lifeforms they could literally take apart. Unless there's something ginormously valuable about earthly life... why would they even slow down to take a closer look at us?

I mean, unless ancient cheesy Scifi is right after all and "our" women are simply the hottest in the galaxy