Could 2019 be the year we finally make contact with aliens?

After scientists discovered a radio signal from billions of light years away, it’s possible, says David Barnett. But we’re more likely to find microscopic bugs than little green men

Tuesday 19 February 2019 10:38 GMT
Comments
What used to be cause for ridicule now seems to be much more widely accepted as not just true, but inevitable
What used to be cause for ridicule now seems to be much more widely accepted as not just true, but inevitable

A few weeks ago the journal Nature published two peer-reviewed reports put together by scientists at the Chime radio telescope project, situated in the Okanagan Valley in Canada’s British Columbia.

Chime – which stands for Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment – maps the universe by using thousands of antennae to collect signals emanating from the night sky, and then uses the biggest processing system in the world to build up a picture of the galaxy… and beyond.

The reports published on 9 January caused a measure of excitement first in the academic world – the findings were simultaneously presented to the American Astronomical Society – and then in the wider media.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in