Fast Radio Bursts: a galactic highway for interstellar travel? (science video)
SFcrowsnest readers, have we got a real treat for you today. Thanks to the Angry Astronaut, we’re diving into the world of fast radio bursts, alien spaceships, and the possibility of interstellar travel. So, buckle up, and let’s take a slow journey through the cosmos.
“If aliens are indeed paying us a visit from Star systems a few light years away, how are they getting here?” you might ask. Well, we’re talking about civilizations that may be many thousands or even millions of years ahead of ours in terms of their technical development. So, don’t be surprised if their Uber ride is a bit more advanced than ours!
There are indications that we have observed throughout the universe that suggest someone may indeed be using a method of propulsion to fly between the stars. And guess what? It may be a very common thing. Yes, you heard it right! Alien spaceships might be as common as pigeons in a city park.
Some fast radio bursts detected are 10 billion times more powerful than a typical Pulsar’s radio signal, making them detectable from billions of light years away. That’s like having a flashlight that can be seen from the other side of the universe. Talk about a long-distance call.
Fast radio bursts repeat very predictably, which is mysterious if they are caused by random asteroid impacts. It’s like they’re sending us a Morse code message, but we left our decoder ring at home.
According to Dr. Loeb and Dr. Saraj’s paper, fast radio bursts could potentially handle a payload of a million tons and travel at 50% of the speed of light. That’s like driving a massive Mothership weighing a million tons to our solar system in a mere eight years. Who needs a warp drive when you’ve got radio bursts?
But here’s a thought to chew on: What if we detect a fast radio burst coming from a particular system sometime in the future? That would be very strange and a little bit alarming because this could be used not only to propel large million-ton alien motherships to our planet, they could also be used to destroy us. But hey, no need to panic! We’re sure the aliens are just popping over for a cup of tea and a chat about quantum physics.
The presence of unexplained fast radio bursts (FRBs) suggests the possibility of artificial sources, leading to the question of whether these FRBs are a commonly used method of interstellar travel by advanced civilizations. So, next time you’re looking up at the night sky, remember: those twinkling stars might just be the headlights of an alien spaceship on its way for a visit.
