There is still no definitive proof of extraterrestrial life. (Pixabay/Representative photo)
There are about four evil alien civilizations in the galaxy that could attack our planet, a researcher has claimed.
From ShameAlberto Caballero, a PhD student at the University of Vigo in Spain, has said he’d located the exact source of the “WoW signal,” which was detected in 1977 as a strange minute-long burst of radio energy.
Mr. Caballero explained that the Ohio State University Big Ear Telescope received a burst of radio waves that lasted a minute and 12 seconds. The signal contained an alphanumeric code and was called the “WoW signal”. It is considered the best candidate signal of extraterrestrial life since humans began searching more than 60 years ago.
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For decades, researchers tried to study the signal and its origin in more detail. Now, in his paper – titled “Estimating the Prevalence of Malicious Extraterrestrial Civilizations” – Mr. Caballero claimed to have pinpointed the exact source of this signal. He believes it comes from a Sun-like star 1,800 light-years from Earth.
Mr. Caballero’s research is considered more of a ‘thought experiment’. The researcher said the aim of his paper is to warn other scientists and number the civilizations that could potentially return to the messages we broadcast.
In compiling his study, Mr. Caballero counted the number of invasions that have occurred on Earth — including the Wow signal — and then applied it to the estimated number of exoplanets in the Milky Way. According to his calculations, the number of civilizations that could invade our planet is four. He warned scientists to exercise caution when using Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) for fear it could provoke an alien invasion.
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However, as perNew York Post, the researcher also concluded that the odds of aliens wiping out the human species are about the same as the odds of Earth being hit by a “planet-killer asteroid.” In his paper, Mr. Caballero wrote that such an event occurs once every 100 million years, so humans are most likely safe for the time being.
He also stated that there is probably less than one evil alien civilization in the galaxy that has mastered interstellar travel as well. Furthermore, the researcher said that as societies advance, they are less likely to conflict, suggesting to him that an alien force will also follow the same behavior as they advance technologically.
Caballero hopes his research will help spark a conversation about whether it’s really risky to send messages into space. His investigation comes at a time when the US government has taken the increasing signs of alien life seriously, although there is still no definitive proof.
