Fast Radio Bursts, often referred to as FRBs, are known for being very intense bursts of radio waves that last just mere milliseconds. While the source of these bursts has not been definitively identified, most are thought to be natural in origin. Yet some scientists are under the impression that they could be from an advanced extraterrestrial civilization. While it is true that FRBs have been among the most notable cosmic mysteries for a while now, we have been able to learn a lot about them in recent years. In fact, in 2012 we were finally able to observe a signal, and then for the first time, we saw a repeated signal from the same source as a 2012 burst, this time in 2017.
[Image via Jingchuan Yu, Beijing Planetarium]That allowed us to narrow down localization, helping us slowly track down the initial area an FRB came from. Then in January 2020, a second repeating burst happened with FRB 180916 which we managed to get a precise location on. This was from the same place we detected a gamma-ray burst, which is pretty big. We’ve been able to figure out that when FRBs are polarized, this tells us they are from a source within an incredibly powerful magnetic field. This could mean they are rotating a neutron star or even a black hole. Yet some believe this only helps to prove they are forms of alien communication. You can see how they have remained cosmic mysteries for so long, right?