A fast radio burst (FRB) is “a transient radio pulse of length ranging from a fraction of a millisecond to a few milliseconds” from high-energy astrophysical activity of unknown origins. The first FRB was discovered in 2007 (by Duncan Lorimer and his student David Narkevic) but there have been many since then—and one especially active burst pulsates every 16.35 days. Recently, another highly active FRB, …
On 15 August 1977 at 10:16PM EST, Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope scanned the Sagittarius constellation and detected a signal that was 20 times stronger than average, background emissions. When astronomer Jerry Ehman reviewed the findings the next morning, he wrote “Wow!” next to it, unknowingly naming the signal and its subsequent mystery. Since its discovery, scientists have not been able to determine …
In a new study, scientists have found the remaining two of the five informational units—known as nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil)—of DNA and RNA that were still to be detected in meteorite samples, adding evidence to the theory that life began in space. The study, led by associate professor Yasuhiro Oba of Japan’s Hokkaido University, has revealed the elusive cytosine and thymine within …
