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17-Year-Old Radio Astronomy Mystery Traced Back To Kitchen Microwave

Posted by samzenpus on from the give-it-another-30-secs dept.

New submitter Bo'Bob'O writes: The BBC reports that the scientists at the Parkes and Bleien Radio Observatories in New South Wales, Australia, have tracked down earth-based signals that had been eluding observation for 17 years. These signals, which came to be called Perytons "occurred only during office hours and predominantly on weekdays." The source, as it turned out, was located right inside the antenna's tower where impatient scientists had been opening the kitchen microwave door before its cycle had finished. As the linked paper concludes, this, and a worn magnetron caused a condition that allowed the microwaves to emit a burst of frequencies not expected by the scientists, only compounding the original mystery.

5 of 227 comments (clear)

  1. Brand? by nospam007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd like to know which brand of microwave lasts 17 years?

    1. Re:Brand? by Defenestrar · · Score: 4, Funny

      In college I lived with a few guys who had one (brand unknown - nameplate had fallen off) built when faux wood and analog control dials were the thing of the future. It still worked just fine - whether or not the door was open.

    2. Re:Brand? by HornWumpus · · Score: 4, Funny

      Only two more payments and it's all hers.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  2. NEW SOUTH WALES, you insensitive clod! by Ann+O'Nymous-Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thar she blows! Typo off the starboard bow! Give it the trusty nitpick, er, harpoon...

  3. Re:Hmmm .... by Tablizer · · Score: 4, Funny

    A professor once told the class he was tasked with finding the source of intermittent "garbage" characters emanating from a data entry work-station. After checking and swapping all the hardware, IT staff couldn't find the cause. So he sat to observe the work-station in action. Turns out the data entry lady had large bosoms that occasionally bumped the keyboard.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.