Mystery Intergalactic Radio Bursts Detected

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Mystery Intergalactic Radio Bursts Detected

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 4, 2013 @08:02AM from the fireworks-duh dept.

astroengine writes "Astronomers were on a celestial fishing expedition for pulsing neutron stars and other radio bursts when they found something unexpected in archived sky sweeps conducted by the Parkes radio telescope in New South Wales, Australia. The powerful signal, which lasted for just milliseconds, could have been a fluke, but then the team found three more equally energetic transient flashes all far removed from the galactic plane and coming from different points in the sky. Astronomers are at a loss to explain what these flashes are — they could be a common astrophysical phenomenon that has only just been detected as our radio antennae have become sensitive enough, or they could be very rare and totally new phenomenon that, so far, defies explanation."

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First post by PPH · 2013-07-04 08:07 · Score: 5, Funny

And perhaps the last when the alien invasion force, of which we observed the launch, reaches earth.

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Have gnu, will travel.
1. Re:First post by auric_dude · 2013-07-04 08:11 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Good morning. Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind, that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences any more. We will be united in our common interest. Perhaps it's fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live, to existand should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, 'We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on, we're going to survive.' Today we celebrate our independence day!" President Thomas Whitmore July 4th, 1996
2. Re:First post by PPH · 2013-07-04 08:18 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "Oh, and you aliens. Your browsers have a back door for which we discovered a zero day exploit. You should have given the adoption of IE some careful thought."
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
3. Re:First post by turgid · 2013-07-04 08:24 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Yes, those pinko-commie left-wing nutjob foreigner-appeasing presidents are alien magnets! And they're in league with the 12-foot shape-shifting blood-drinking lizards who are from Zeta Reticuli and controlled by Phil the Greek from the panel behind Liz's throne.
  
  --
  Stick Men
War! by JWSmythe · 2013-07-04 08:08 · Score: 5, Funny

The intergalactic war is getting closer. We can hear the explosions now. It's only a matter of time before they get here. It's a good thing our space program has done so well, and we've started colonizing other planets, otherwise our species would be lost forever.
Oh .. fuck .. We don't have a space program, only a high altitude orbital flight program. Well, it's been nice knowing you all.

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Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
1. Re:War! by Black+Parrot · 2013-07-04 08:55 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  why would they bother with Earth ? Deep gravity well, close to the sun and plagued with solar flares, full of microbes ...
  'Cause free-range brains taste better.
  
  --
  Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
2. Re:War! by Em+Adespoton · 2013-07-04 10:00 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Clearly, Pluto.
  Oh, is it a planet again this week?
3. Re:War! by swalve · 2013-07-04 14:48 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Man, we think we have trouble getting the right answers out of the internet. Imagine some poor space geek trying to get calculations out of Mainframe Earth, and all he keeps getting is porn, fart jokes and funny hats that start wars.
4. Re:War! by Greyfox · 2013-07-04 16:09 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Robots aren't quite as delicious.
  
  --
  I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Required by CohibaVancouver · 2013-07-04 08:11 · Score: 5, Funny

"I for one welcome our new..."

Ah, nevermind.
Get your speakers out, everyone... by sidthegeek · 2013-07-04 08:27 · Score: 3, Funny

It's time to start playing Indian Love Call.
It's the Doctor's fault by ArcadeMan · 2013-07-04 08:34 · Score: 4, Funny

It's the TARDIS causing cracks in the space-time continuum.

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Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
Re:What? by Black+Parrot · 2013-07-04 08:59 · Score: 3, Funny

That's a third of a million years worth of the energy output from the entire sun in milliseconds and no corresponding light flash or other radiation?
It will take the thunder a lot longer to get here.

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Re:What? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-07-04 09:23 · Score: 5, Funny

It was a million voices crying out then suddenly silenced.
Remember, this flash came from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
And todays random unit of measurement is.... by Thiarna · 2013-07-04 10:30 · Score: 3, Funny

Mosquitoes.

They have come such a long way that by the time they reach the Earth, the Parkes telescope would have to operate for 1 million years to collect enough to have the equivalent energy of a flying mosquito