A mystery signal in space has shocked scientists, what could have been? Imagine listening to the universe, yes, as if it was a radio, and suddenly you receive a sound that it is so quick (a few seconds) but so powerful that it could be the same as the energy the Sun emits.

This is what happened to a group of scientists and astronomers who detected a signal known as FRB (Fast Radio Burst), which is very strange because of how intense it is and the place where it comes from (somewhere in space where there’s nothing called the Void).

I know the universe has been studied a lot, and scientists have found so many crazy things, but this signal is totally different from what they have ever found and it has left even veteran researchers scratching their heads. So, let’s find out more about this mystery signal, shall we?

FRB and why it’s rare

They are fast radio bursts that are so intense. The first one to be detected was back in 2007 and since then astronomers have found more, but there is not a clear explanation for their origin.

In most cases, these signals come from extreme events like supernovas or objects called magnetars, who are neutron stars with very powerful magnetic fields. However, there’s one that doesn¡t follow the common pattern and it also comes from a place that’s supposed to be empty, we are talking about the FRB202X-13, the signal detected at the end of 2024.

What’s the Void?

In terms of astronomy, a void is a huge region in the universe where there are hardly any galaxies, stars or matter. Scientists already examined this void and confirmed that this place has little activity, but it ended up emitting a strong signal that travelled millions of light years until reaching us.

This is the most striking thing: how could it be possible for something with so much energy and strangeness to come from a place where nothing should happen?

The cause behind it

Of course, theories soon arose. Some said it could be a natural phenomenon we don’t know yet whereas others suggested the signal could be something more exotic like energy that remains from an event that happened before galaxies were formed. However, there are bolder theories:

  • It could be the technology of an advanced civilization that uses these signals to communicate or travel.
  • It could also be kind of like an echo of a black hole.
  • It could be a crack in space-time connecting to another universe.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it’s remarkable how much we know about the universe and still there are new discoveries that don’t match our knowledge. For many scientists, this is a reminder that the cosmos still holds secrets bigger than our imagination. This makes this case so fascinating!

What this signal means for science

Every time something breaks the rules of what we thought we understood, science makes progress. FRB202X-13 is an opportunity to rethink how the universe works.

Astronomers have been almost two decades studying these signals and they can’t find all the answers. That’s what makes science so exciting: every new discovery makes scientists look for more and see the cosmos in a whole different way.

Maybe we will understand what is going on now with these signals, until then the only thing for sure is that even in places where there’s nothing (or at least supposedly) the universe never stops surprising us. Do you support any of the theories we previously mentioned? Or do you think they are too crazy to be true?