Did We Finally Solve The "Wow!" Signal Mystery?

Bright Side

New radio observations of a distant Sun-like star, once thought to be the likely source of the famous WOW! signal, have revealed no evidence of anything (or anyone) capable of sending such a signal. Despite this, astronomers are excited because this "null result" helps refine their search techniques. The WOW! signal, detected in 1977, has been one of the biggest mysteries in the hunt for extraterrestrial life. The latest discovery is a crucial step in a more focused approach to investigating nearby stars for any signs of this enigmatic signal. Let's look at this and other most mysterious signals in the Universe!  Credit:  CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Alien: by DJMaesen https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/alien-4028043549f64b40a14b6b12392663a7 Astronaut: by IvanPetrov https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/astronaut-d5a16f7ec11c4b1d876059cbf6adbf56 Animation is created by Bright Side.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music by Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV   Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other): https://www.depositphotos.com https://www.shutterstock.com https://www.eastnews.ru ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me

Transcript

00:00Remember that mysterious WOW signal astronomers have been wondering about for the past 40 years?

00:06Well, buckle up, because we have some interesting news about it!

00:11For those of you who may not know, the WOW signal was a radio sound detected back in 1977

00:18by an astronomer while working at the Big Ear radio telescope in Ohio.

00:23The signal was so unique and intense that the man scribbled WOW in the margin of the data printout

00:29and the name stuck ever since.

00:32But what made the WOW signal so special?

00:35Well, for one thing, it was never detected again.

00:38Despite astronomers pointing their telescopes to that same region of space numerous times over the years,

00:45the signal never reappeared.

00:47It was like a cosmic one-hit wonder.

00:50Now, for decades, scientists have been trying to decipher the mystery behind the WOW signal.

00:56Was it a message from an intelligent civilization living outside our planet?

01:01Or was it just some random cosmic noise?

01:04Years ago, one study claimed that the WOW signal was caused by a comet named 266P Christensen.

01:12It was passing through that same region of space back in 1977,

01:17and its hydrogen could have emitted a radio signal that just happened to be in the same frequency as the WOW signal.

01:24This information was soon dismissed by specialists, who claimed comets don't emit such radio waves.

01:31Another theory concerning the WOW signal was that it might have come from a sun-like star.

01:37This was based on the idea that the signal was indeed caused by a natural phenomenon,

01:42not by little green creatures wandering in space.

01:46This star is found in the constellation of Sagittarius at a distance of 1800 light-years.

01:52Now, this distance might sound like a long way, but in terms of the vastness of space, it's practically next door.

02:00It was promising because it had some interesting features too.

02:04It was very similar to our sun in terms of temperature, luminosity, and size.

02:09Sadly, after studying this sun-twin star a bit more,

02:13scientists couldn't pinpoint the WOW signal to it with complete certainty.

02:18There may be other stars in the same area that could have emitted the signal.

02:22We just don't know for sure.

02:25So, what does this mean for the search for life outside our planet through the WOW signal?

02:31Well, it means that we're back to square one for the most part.

02:35We still don't know what caused the WOW signal,

02:38and we don't know if it was caused by an intelligent civilization or a natural phenomenon.

02:44One of the ways that astronomers are searching for intelligent life in the universe is by looking for technosignatures.

02:51These are signs of technology that we can detect from here on Earth,

02:55which could indicate advanced activity in space.

02:59They couldn't be explained by natural phenomena.

03:02Some examples of technosignatures include laser emissions, radio signals, or signs of megastructures.

03:11Today's Outer Space playlist doesn't end with the WOW signal.

03:15Get ready to shake those hips and groove to the beat,

03:18because we're about to discover black holes and the funky sounds they make.

03:23Now, you may be wondering, do black holes make sounds?

03:27Well, it looks like they do, and it's like a cosmic symphony.

03:32First off, let's talk about what a black hole is.

03:36It's a spot in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape its pull.

03:43Think of it as a cosmic vacuum cleaner that sucks up everything in its path.

03:48Even though black holes don't emit any light, they can still give off some serious vibes.

03:53Scientists have been studying these vibes, or sounds, for years,

03:57using special instruments to pick up on their cosmic tunes.

04:02So, what does a black hole sound like?

04:04Well, imagine a bass guitar mixed with the sound of a giant burp.

04:08Weird, I know.

04:10This sound from black holes comes from the gas and dust swirling around them.

04:15As the material gets sucked in, it heats up and emits x-rays, which can be detected by our instruments.

04:22These x-rays are like the notes in a song, and they can tell us a lot about what's going in and around the black hole.

04:30But here's the craziest part.

04:32Scientists have found that different black holes have their unique tunes.

04:36It's like they have their own cosmic DJ spinning tracks for the universe to groove to.

04:41After studying colliding black holes, scientists have figured out that some are super chill and mellow,

04:47while others are wild and crazy with beats that'll make your head spin.

04:52Who knows, maybe one day we'll figure out a way to tap into that cosmic beat and use it to power our spaceships.

04:59If we can turn sound waves into electricity here on Earth, who's to say we can't do the same thing in space?

05:07The mysterious bloop sound baffled scientists for ages too.

05:12Only this one came from a completely different location, from deep within our Earth's waters.

05:18Picture this, you're chilling on your couch minding your own business,

05:21when suddenly you hear a loud, eerie noise coming from your speakers.

05:26Well, that's sort of what happened to a group of scientists back in 1997,

05:31when they stumbled upon the infamous bloop sound.

05:35Now, I know what you're thinking. Bloop? That's not very scary.

05:39But let me tell you, this sound was no joke.

05:42It was a deep, low-frequency noise that lasted for about a minute,

05:47and it was picked up by underwater microphones nearly 3,000 miles apart.

05:53Naturally, the scientists were like, what on Earth is making this noise?

05:58Fast forward a few years, and the Internet is overwhelmed with theories about what could have caused the bloop.

06:04Some people thought it was a giant sea monster,

06:07while others speculated it was some sort of weird civilization spaceship lurking in the depths of the ocean.

06:14And of course, some believed it was just a glitch in the recording equipment.

06:19Despite all the speculation, the mystery of the bloop remained unsolved for years.

06:24But back in 2005, scientists finally revealed the true culprit behind the spooky sound.

06:31Turns out, it was just an iceberg.

06:34When icebergs break off from glaciers and float around the ocean, they can make some pretty weird noises.

06:40And the bloop was nothing more than the sound of an iceberg cracking and shifting around.

06:46Just because we know the cause of the bloop doesn't mean it's any less fascinating.

06:51In fact, it's pretty amazing that a sound like that could travel thousands of miles and still be audible.

06:57Plus, the fact that it took scientists years to figure out what caused it,

07:02it just goes to show how much we still have to learn about our planet.

07:07No playlist is complete without a sad, heartbreaking song.

07:12And speaking of that, have you heard of the loneliest whale in the world?

07:16It's a fascinating story that starts back in 1989, when American specialists were looking for submarines.

07:23Instead of submarines, though, they stumbled upon a whale that had a uniquely high-pitched voice,

07:28which earned it the title of the loneliest whale.

07:33Why is it called the loneliest whale?

07:35Well, most blue whales speak at frequencies between 10 and 40 hertz.

07:40But this whale's voice is at a frequency of 52 hertz, which is a low bass note to human ears.

07:47Since it has a different voice than other blue whales,

07:50some scientists believe that it was unable to communicate with other whales.

07:54It's also believed that this whale may be a hybrid whale with one parent from a different whale species.

08:00This could cause a different body shape and a different call, which could explain its unique voice.

08:07Recent research suggests that the loneliest whale may not be so lonely after all.

08:11Many peculiar whale calls have been detected,

08:14and some studies suggest that groups of whales living in particular regions

08:18have distinct dialects of whale songs that often differ in frequency.

08:23To add to the intrigue, later recordings have found that the loneliest whale is now changing its tune.

08:29The whale's call has been getting deeper for several years.

08:33Maybe it's not so lonely after all and has some whale friends to hang out with!

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