by Advanced aliens could hear humans on Earth despite being light years away, scientists have suggested — if extraterrestrial life exists, that is.
Did you know that humans have been involuntarily transmitting signals into space for almost a century?
Experts think that if there are intelligent aliens on nearby stars with advanced technology, they could detect life on Earth through leaked radio signals and other transmissions from our daily lives.
From radio and television to radar, these high-frequency signals can reach into space.
More recently, cell phones have also contributed to the loss.
How was the study conducted?
For the study, scientists at the University of Manchester used crowdsourced data to simulate radio leakage from mobile towers.
The researchers wanted to determine what alien civilizations might have detected from various near-Earth stars, including Barnard’s Star, which is six light-years away from Earth.
To conduct this study, the models were generated by Ramiro Saide, an intern at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institution’s Hat Creek Radio Observatory in the United States.
The results also showed that the Earth’s mobile signature includes substantial contributions from developing countries such as Africa.
The team said this is exciting because it highlights countries’ success in moving directly into the digital age.
“We may become easily detectable”
Professor Mike Garrett, project leader at the University of Manchester, said: ‘I have heard many colleagues suggest that the Earth has become increasingly quiet in recent years – a claim I have always contested.
“While it is true that today we have less powerful TV and radio transmitters, the proliferation of mobile communication systems around the world is profound.”
Professor Garrett said that while each system represents low radio powers, ‘the spectrum of billions of these devices is substantial’.
He added: “Current estimates suggest that we will have more than 100,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and beyond before the end of the decade.
“Earth is already extraordinarily bright in the radio end of the spectrum; if the trend continues, we could become readily detectable by any advanced civilization with the right technology.”
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“I believe there is every possibility that there are advanced civilizations out there”
So, could this mean we are one step closer to finding extraterrestrial intelligence?
Dr Nalini Heeralall-Issur, an associate professor at the University of Mauritius, said: ‘I believe there is every possibility that advanced civilizations are out there and some may be able to observe man-made radio leakage from the planet Earth”.
What’s next?
The researchers will examine other sources of Earth’s radio dispersion signature as they try to build on the findings.
This includes military radars, new digital broadcast systems, wi-fi networks, individual cell phones and satellite constellations.
