3 ms·
One thing is Bluetooth. Imagine spending 4 years trying to figure out the source of some mysterious signals registered by your giant radio telescope, only to fi
by magicalhippo 3y ago
One thing is Bluetooth. Imagine spending 4 years trying to figure out the source of some mysterious signals registered by your giant radio telescope, only to find it was due to the microwave[1][2] used by the operators to heat hot pockets or whatever.
[1]: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/may/05/microwave-oven-caused-mystery-signal-plaguing-radio-telescope-for-17-years https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/may/05/microwave-ov...
[2]: https://www.nature.com/articles/521129f https://www.nature.com/articles/521129f
- racl101 3y ago"Honey! I'm detecting some some major CMB! You gotta see this! Can you pop my lunch outta the micro too?! Thanks!"
- basementcat 3y agoI had a colleague who "discovered" a pulsar that later turned out to be a radar at San Francisco International Airport. I occasionally still text them photos of the "pulsar" when I have a layover at SFO.
- ethbr1 3y agoCan I interest you in some land in western Virginia? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Radio_Quiet_Zone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Radio_Q...
- klyrs 3y agoNow I'm imagining a collaboration among radio-astronomers to microwave their lunches at the same time around the globe. Who would set up the prank: grad students making a secret pact at a conference to prank their professors, or vice verse?