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Stars exhibit nonuniform brightness. No, it isn't aliens.

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Ether_Snake

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https://www.google.ca/amp/phys.org/news/2016-10-stars-strange-aliens-contact.amp?client=safari


The two astronomers used data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and analyzed the spectra of 2.5 million stars. Of all those stars, they found 234 stars that are producing a puzzling signal. That's only a tiny percentage. And, they say, these signals "have exactly the shape of an ETI signal" that was predicted in a previous study by Borra.

The 234 stars in Borra and Trottier's study aren't random. They're "overwhelmingly in the F2 to K1 spectral range" according to the abstract. That's significant because this is a small range centred around the spectrum of our own Sun. And our own Sun is the only one we know of that has an intelligent species living near it. If ours does, maybe others do too?

The authors acknowledge five potential causes of their findings: instrumental and data reduction effects, rotational transitions in molecules, the Fourier transform of spectral lines, rapid pulsations, and finally the ETI signal predicted by Borra (2012). They dismiss molecules or pulsations as causes, and they deem it highly unlikely that the signals are caused by the Fourier analysis itself. This leaves two possible sources for the detected signals. Either they're a result of the Sloan instrument itself and the data reduction, or they are in fact a signal from extra-terrestrial intelligences.

To sum it all up, the two astronomers have found a tiny number of stars, very similar to our own Sun, that seem to be the source of pulsed signals. These signals are the same as predicted if a technological society was using powerful lasers to communicate with distant stars.

They plan to use the Automated Planet Finder telescope at the Lick Observatory to further observe some of Borra's 234 stars.

Curious to see what comes out of this.
 

Neoweee

Member
Answer: Stars are strange.

There's a ton of known, demonstrated reasons for stars to have non-uniform "brightness".

From the article:

The Breakthrough team don't seem that excited about Borra's findings. They've already poured cold water on it, trotting out the old axiom that "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" in a statement on Borra's paper. They also give Borra's findings a score of 0 to 1 on the Rio Scale. The Rio Scale is something used by the international SETI community to rank detections of phenomena that could indicate advanced life beyond Earth. A rating of 0 to 1 means its insignificant.
Better reign in the headline writers.
 

Ether_Snake

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Answer: Stars are strange.

There's a ton of known, demonstrated reasons for stars to have non-uniform "brightness".

From the article:



But I guess you wanted to shitpost.


That's not what the paper is saying. It''s not just "non-uniform brightness.

And shitpost? Really?
 

Neoweee

Member
That's not what the paper is saying. It''s not just "non-uniform brightness.

And shitpost? Really?

Yes. You cherry-picked from the article to give the exact opposite impression from the article's conclusions, because of an existing interest in ETI.
 
Yes. Bad science reporting and clawing for the extraordinarily unlikely explanation, is shitposting. It is nothing but fuel for crackpots. You cherry-picked from the article to give the exact opposite impression from the article's conclusions, because of an existing interest in ETI.

You should probably go double check with a mod, because I'm pretty sure your posts are the actual shit posting here.

OT:
I'm all for cool new findings regarding potential ETI but it's going to take something really substantial + NASA etc jumping into it with press conferences before I get even mildly excited. Especially considering how often we get our hopes up for nothing.
 

Crayon

Member
Yes. Bad science reporting and clawing for the extraordinarily unlikely explanation, is shitposting. It is nothing but fuel for crackpots. You cherry-picked from the article to give the exact opposite impression from the article's conclusions, because of an existing interest in ETI.

Thanks, thought police.
 

qcf x2

Member
1. Here we go again.
Likelihood is these kind of reports only intensify until we confirm a "hit" :)
2. Lick Observatory huh...

3. How far away are these bad boys
 

Neoweee

Member
You should probably go double check with a mod, because I'm pretty sure your posts are the actual shit posting here.

OT:
I'm all for cool new findings regarding potential ETI but it's going to take something really substantial + NASA etc jumping into it with press conferences before I get even mildly excited. Especially considering how often we get our hopes up for nothing.

People get their hopes up for nothing because people take legitimate scientific data and topics and portray it completely out of context in the media and on the internet, like this entire thread.

Billions of stars and exoplanets!
Some look weird, and there's a bunch of well-known reasons that could explain it!
What if it is actually aliens? Here's a reason why something alien could be causing it!
HEADLINE: Aliens!
 

Razorback

Member
People get their hopes up for nothing because people take legitimate scientific data and topics and portray it completely out of context in the media and on the internet, like this entire thread.

Billions of stars and exoplanets!
Some look weird, and there's a bunch of well-known reasons that could explain it!
What if it is actually aliens? Here's a reason why something alien could be causing it!
HEADLINE: Aliens!

What OP did is still not shitposting.
 

Elandyll

Banned
giphy.gif
 

Crayon

Member
What is the proper term for posting an article, but titling it and selectively quoting it to give the opposite impression of the actual article's title? There probably is a better and more specific term for it, I guess.

I think "fun" is the word you are searching for.

The article says one possibility is et. They take it for the headline because it's fun. People like fun. Sorry.
 

kaching

"GAF's biggest wanker"
People get their hopes up for nothing because people take legitimate scientific data and topics and portray it completely out of context in the media and on the internet, like this entire thread.

Billions of stars and exoplanets!
Some look weird, and there's a bunch of well-known reasons that could explain it!
What if it is actually aliens? Here's a reason why something alien could be causing it!
HEADLINE: Aliens!
OMG, My HOPES! They run away with me! Help us, Neoweeeeeeeee... This will absolutely crush my soul if this story clearly labeled as being about possible alien signal, but that could very well be something else doesn't turn out to be THE ONE that uncovers the existence of Aliens once and for all.
 

Drazgul

Member
It's aliens
Yasss

We'd just fuck it up if some alien civ were to contact us.


And in case those alien overlords are somehow monitoring these messages, I'd be glad to betray my own kind in exchange for my personal planet and some sweet alien murder weapons!
 

Ether_Snake

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What is the proper term for posting an article, but selectively quoting it to give the opposite impression of the actual article's title? There probably is a better and more specific term for it, I guess.

The article is about the research paper from the university. I could have very well posted a direct link to the study which would have had no quotes from people who didn't participate in the study to begin with.

https://arxiv.org/abs/1610.03031

A Fourier transform analysis of 2.5 million spectra in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey was carried out to detect periodic spectral modulations. Signals having the same period were found in only 234 stars overwhelmingly in the F2 to K1 spectral range. The signals cannot be caused by instrumental or data analysis effects because they are present in only a very small fraction of stars within a narrow spectral range and because signal to noise ratio considerations predict that the signal should mostly be detected in the brightest objects, while this is not the case. We consider several possibilities, such as rotational transitions in molecules, rapid pulsations, Fourier transform of spectral lines and signals generated by Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI). They cannot be generated by molecules or rapid pulsations. It is highly unlikely that they come from the Fourier transform of spectral lines because too many strong lines located at nearly periodic frequencies are needed. Finally we consider the possibility, predicted in a previous published paper, that the signals are caused by light pulses generated by Extraterrestrial Intelligence to makes us aware of their existence. We find that the detected signals have exactly the shape of an ETI signal predicted in the previous publication and are therefore in agreement with this hypothesis. The fact that they are only found in a very small fraction of stars within a narrow spectral range centered near the spectral type of the sun is also in agreement with the ETI hypothesis. However, at this stage, this hypothesis needs to be confirmed with further work. Although unlikely, there is also a possibility that the signals are due to highly peculiar chemical compositions in a small fraction of galactic halo stars.

So, some people said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence", and I left that out because that's obvious and said comments make absolutely no contribution in explaining anything away, and you say it's shit posting. Give me a break.
 

Neoweee

Member
Yeah, I probably overreacted. Sorry. But as somebody with a science background, I find it irritating to no end how much fringe topics and hypothesises get 99% of the science coverage on the internet. It's insane how much wildly disproportionate the coverage is to the odds if something actually being correct. It is how pseudo-scientific crap spreads.
 
Just finished a bowl so excuse me if I sound stupid, but

Say there is life on a planet using our same sun. Now let's say the IMPOSSIBLE in that their species began evolution at the same time as ours.

How alike would the creatures be? If it's significantly further than our sun, is it absurb to think of humanoid beings that may have evolved specifically to, say, ice? Are there any theories on what we would look like if we evolved into a sognificantl different climate?
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
This leaves two possible sources for the detected signals. Either they're a result of the Sloan instrument itself and the data reduction, or they are in fact a signal from extra-terrestrial intelligences.

I think I can apply Occam's razor here and be correct...
 

Monocle

Member
I am most definitely not saying it's aliens you guys, but it is 100% for dead certain aliens, no question about it, and ain't no smartypants scientician gonna tell me differentwise.
 
I hope for the sake of humanity we never make contact with ETI. The last time one human discovered a whole new piece of land with undiscovered civilizations they didn't choose to cooperate and grow together. They enslaved, rape and murdered millions and reigned over them for a couple hundred years.

Now imagine this on an intergalactic scale.

We would be wiped out.
 

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
I hope you all support my new game company 234 Securities. The game will focus on a fresh and original story the space voyage of a Sargent tasked to save the universe from a giant space oval with 234 parts controlled by a space cult.

I'm suing any Gaffer that even attempts to steal this idea.
 

Mortemis

Banned
What if the aliens are actually trying to send us their nudes, and we just can't decipher and display them. 🤔
 

hipbabboom

Huh? What did I say? Did I screw up again? :(
Denial is the first stage of discovering aliens.
You're not wrong. There's decades old video evidence of aliens coming out of Egypt.

We should just assume any time we think we've found aliens that it isn't alien.
The scientific method would demand that you should set out to prove that you didn't find aliens right...

So assuming is practically a more efficient alternative but not as satisfying if you aren't the scientist that made the discovery.
 
You're not wrong. There's decades old video evidence of aliens coming out of Egypt.


The scientific method would demand that you should set out to prove that you didn't find aliens right...

So assuming is practically a more efficient alternative but not as satisfying if you aren't the scientist that made the discovery.

27537_142172979128247_8599_n-270x270.jpg
 

Crayon

Member
What if the aliens are actually trying to send us their nudes, and we just can't decipher and display them. 🤔

Then we need to put aside all our differences and work together as citizens of the earth to decode those. To see nekid aliens. And possibly beam our indecent pics back.
 
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