Radio scans find no alien techno alien tech in 3I/Atlas
Scientists analyzed radio observations of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas and found no signs of alien technology. The work, reported on June 3 and June 4, adds to the study of technosignatures by showing that even unusual visitors from beyond the solar system can look natural.
It matters because the search for life elsewhere depends on testing unlikely objects as carefully as familiar ones.
- Only two interstellar visitors have been widely confirmed before 3I/Atlas: 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
- Comets from outside the solar system can preserve chemistry from their home star systems for billions of years.
- SETI research often checks natural objects first, because many apparent anomalies turn out to have ordinary explanations.
