Alien-Hunting Artificial Intelligence Detects “Mysterious radio bursts” from “Advanced Civilization”
September 13, 2018
Unusual and “mysterious radio bursts” have been detected 3 billion light-years away from Earth, thanks to an artificial intelligence program at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
Researchers at SETI used a machine-learning algorithm to uncover 72 new “fast radio bursts” (FRB) previously unidentified. The FRBs are coming from a location deep in space known as FRB 121102, that is continuously streaming radio bursts as if there is something communicating. When combined with the 21 FRBs previously found on Aug. 26, 2017, the total now comes to new 93 FRBs discovered.
The cause of the FRBs is unclear, with SETI describing their source and mechanism as “mysterious.” Theories include “highly magnetized neutron stars, blasted by gas streams near to a supermassive black hole, to suggestions that the burst properties are consistent with signatures of technology developed by an advanced civilization.”
What makes the FRBs that are emanating from FRB 121102 interesting is that these are usually one-time events. However, FRB 121102 has been unusually active since it was discovered in 2012, with researchers calling it a “repeater.”