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News Of SETI Signal Just Bad Reporting

The Bad Astronomer writes "Rumors have been flying in recent days that the SETI project has received a strong signal from space, indicating the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Bad Astronomy breaks down the origins of this (false) claim, which mostly amounts to a heaping helping of shoddy journalism. 'I just talked to Dan Wertheimer, the astronomer quoted in the article. He told me that the original interview was about sending signals into space (so-called active SETI) as opposed to just listening for aliens. After the interview, he talked to the reporter about some of the astronomy he does, including looking at what are called radio transients: bursts of radio waves that are seen once and never repeat. These may come from one-off events like colliding neutron stars, exploding stars, and so on. Somehow, in the article the reporter mixed up the observation of the transient signals with detecting a signal from E.T.'"

5 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Welcome by S.O.B. · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one welcome our incompetent journalist overlords.

    --
    Some of what I say is fact, some is conjecture, the rest I'm just blowing out my ass...you guess.
  2. Conspiracy by Freeside1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    It really was alien, but the aliens are already here, and they're covering it up so they can terraform our planet with global warming.

  3. Incompetence by nonsequitor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to incompetence.

    That saying proves itself everyday. I know most people don't understand science, but if you are reporting on it at least pay attention long enough to accurately report what you were told by someone who does understand. Why do people think it's ok to be proud of their ignorance? Its one thing to own your weaknesses having tried and failed, but it seems like most non-technical people stopped trying.

    1. Re:Incompetence by B3ryllium · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I see why your stint was short. You were a good journalist, rather than an idiotic sensationalist one ... there's just no market for that any more. :(

  4. Re:Next assignment by Pojut · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I was 16 (I'm 23 now) I did a one year stint in a McDonalds. I don't know if it's the same now as it was then, but when I was working there the boxes that the meat came in were all stamped USDA Grade A Beef. The problem is that for potential lawsuit reasons, McDonalds cooks all it's burgers to well done. When I worked there, for my dinner I would make one medium rare. This will sound crazy, but when they are cooked right (at least back then...again, don't know if this applies now) it made for one of the best burgers I've had anywhere.

    The beef is actually very high quality...it just gets cooked into oblivion (and cooked very quickly, at that...from walk-in refrigerator to ready-for-burger in about a minute and a half...not the best of ways to cook meat if taste is of any concern.)