Scientists have said that speculation about alien civilisations is understandable after the detection of mysterious fast radio bursts (FRBs) from deep space. Writing in the journal Nature, researchers in Canada reported the second-ever detection of repeating FRBs, which are intense, rapid-fire beams of electromagnetic waves.
Astronomers have yet to fully explain what produces these signals. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb has suggested they could be energy beams used to propel alien spacecraft. Chris French, head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of London, said humans have an 'intentionality bias' that leads them to assume events have a purpose, often attributed to aliens.
Duncan Lorimer, the astrophysicist who discovered the first FRB in 2007, said his team considered the possibility of extraterrestrial origin. However, many astronomers now favour the idea that FRBs come from strongly magnetised neutron stars. Lorimer added that while alien theories help sell stories, he now 'rolls his eyes' at them, but does not rule out aliens completely.
