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Ohio State SETI Wow Signal Revisited and Debunked

An anonymous reader writes "SETI's famous 1977 'Wow' signal has been discredited in the Astrophysical Journal, using the University of Tasmania Hobart 26 m radio telescope to search for intermittent and possibly periodic emissions at the 'Wow' locale. Of the many 'maybes' that SETI has turned up in its four-decade history, none is better known than the brief, powerful one that was discovered in August, 1977, in Columbus, Ohio. Marked by the signal's rise from zero, to '30-sigma' over background noise, and back to zero in 37 seconds, the famous Wow signal was found as part of a long-running sky survey conducted with Ohio State University's 'Big Ear' radio telescope. To quote from their article in The Astrophysical Journal, Robert Gray and Simon Ellingsen, of Australia's University of Tasmania, 'no signals resembling the Ohio State Wow were detected...' So until and unless the cosmic beep measured in Ohio is found again, the 'Wow' signal will remain a 'What' signal."

5 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. after careful inspection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    i have determined the "Wow" signal to mean "First Post"

    this may actually be true. "Wow" was the first useful signal SETI received.

  2. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've recently discredited people who claim there used to be a TV chanel 66 broadcasting in my area. I fliped my TV to 66, and there was no picture, therefore there was obviously never any such chanel.

  3. WoW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's amazing how much fun you can have with a weather baloon and a radio transmitter.
    Next time I'll send prime numbers in base 14.

  4. Meanwhile, at the Wow location... by Dr.+Photo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Vorbak: Gleebok, quit leaning on the "transmit" button... they'll hear you!
    Gleebok: Yipes!

    [At this point, their civilization is wiped out by a pod of radio-hating space-slugs. Who then turn their attention on the last remaining radio-transmitting civilization in the galaxy...]

  5. matrix-esq by ee_moss · · Score: 2, Funny

    Did anyone else notice that the Wow Signal looks strangely like the Matrix?

    That's plain creepy, if you ask me.