The Wow! Signal After 45 Years

The Wow! Signal was a radio signal detected in 1977 that remains the most compelling candidate for an alien radio transmission ever received. 45 years later, and after dozens of failed hours spent trying to catch it again, can we conclude the Wow signal was bogus? Join us today as we discuss a new research paper from the Cool Worlds Lab that explores this question and everything Wow.

Written & presented by Prof David Kipping

THANK-YOU to our supporters D. Smith, M. Sloan, C. Bottaccini, D. Daughaday, A. Jones, S. Brownlee, N. Kildal, Z. Star, E. West, T. Zajonc, C. Wolfred, L. Skov, G. Benson, A. De Vaal, M. Elliott, B. Daniluk, M. Forbes, S. Vystoropskyi, S. Lee, Z. Danielson, C. Fitzgerald, C. Souter, M. Gillette, T. Jeffcoat, H. Jensen, J. Rockett, N. Fredrickson, D. Holland, E. Hanway, D. Murphree, S. Hannum, T. Donkin, K. Myers, A. Schoen, K. Dabrowski, J. Black, R. Ramezankhani, J. Armstrong, K. Weber, S. Marks, L. Robinson, F. Van Exter, S. Roulier, B. Smith, P. Masterson, R. Sievers, G. Canterbury, J. Kill, J. Cassese, J. Kruger, S. Way, P. Finch, S. Applegate, L. Watson, T. Wheeler, E. Zahnle, N. Gebben, J. Bergman, E. Dessoi, J. Alexander, C. Macdonald, M. Hedlund, P. Kaup, C. Hays, S. Krasner, W. Evans, D. Bansal, J. Curtin, J. Sturm, RAND Corp., I. Attard, M. Donovan, N. Corwin & M. Mangione.

::References::
► Gray R. H., 1994, Icar, 112, 485. doi:10.1006/icar.1994.1199
► Gray R. H., Marvel K. B., 2001, ApJ, 546, 1171 doi:10.1086/318272
► Gray R. H., Ellingsen S., 2002, ApJ, 578, 967. doi:10.1086/342646
► Harp G. R., Gray R. H., Richards J., Shostak G. S., Tarter J. C.,
2020, AJ, 160, 162. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aba58f

::Music::
► Chris Zabriskie - Cylinder Four (2:38)
► Falls - Ripley (4:41)
► Falls - Life in Binary (8:34)
► Chris Zabriskie - Stories About the World That Once Was (19:31)
► Joachim Heinrich - Y (23:51)

::Film/TV clips used::
► Wow Documentary (2017) Peacock
► Agora (2009) Focus Features International
► Contact (1997) Warner Bros.
► Independence Day (1996) 20th Century Fox

::Chapters::
00:00 Introduction
02:51 Four Facts
07:15 False Positives?
08:15 Four Unknowns
12:06 Black Swans
13:54 Observatory Emulation
16:01 Hypothetical Signals
18:51 Big Ear Results
19:52 Multi-Observatory Results
22:43 Wow's Properties
24:49 Robert Gray
26:12 Outro and credits

#WowSignal #AreWeAlone #CoolWorlds

[SkipMDMan]

I love how we say it can only be an alien signal if it repeats but our own signal we sent out was done once. That's all. So anyone who received our artificially generated signal and sat there waiting for it to repeat is going to be as disappointed as we are with the WOW signal. Perhaps once is all any civilization sends out a message.

[budbud]

It’s crazy to think the WOW! signal is still out there, traveling through space, now 46 light years away from us. It blows my mind to think about where it is from and how it came to us. And what are the odds that the telescope caught it when it did… wild.

[johndef]

The deep field pictures get me. Staring at all those galaxies we could be looking at millions of civilizations. And the fact that our observable universe is a miniscule fraction of whats supposedly out there gives me chills.

[Martz]

Rest in peace Robert Gray. I hope one day we find out what the “wow” signal was. We owe this one to Robert!

[mikesmith]

77 was an awesome year. We had the Voyager launches, Starwars, and the WOW signal!

[jademoon]

We can't say the WOW signal didn't repeat. It could've repeated ten times. The array that captured it was flat and scanned the sky using the rotation of the earth. So they had to wait a full 24 hours just to get back to that general region of space. We'll never know. It very well could've kept going or been going for some time before it was detected.

[CommanderSon]

I only understand maybe 10% of the content of Cool Worlds videos, but i am absolutely glued to the screen for 100% of my time watching them. I am so grateful that such diligence and brain power is given to these subjects, even if i struggle to immediately understand what i’m watching. Keep up the great work 👍

[czarlguitarl]

this video gave me goosebumps...RIP Robert Gray, excellent analysis. Let's get to 1500 hours of study on the Wow signal!!!

[vadim]

Little known fact: radio astronomer Jerry R. Ehman was looking at the printout upside down when he noticed the signal data. He then wrote ¡MOM, wanting to show his findings to his mother later. The rest, as they say, is history.

Joking aside, this was a fascinating topic that hopefully continues receiving attention from the scientific community.

[pavel]

This video is such a gem! Sorry to hear Robert Gray passed away. Respect for doing real science and publishing along with educating the public. It is one of the few, rare youtube channels in this regard. The quality of the video is exceptional, as always! Live long and prosper, prof. David Kipping!

[MeanBeanComedy]

You do a really great job of making science seem like a "collective human endeavour, " like it's a journey and process that we're all undertaking to some extent, and we're all progressing in.
It's nice. I'm not sure if I 100% agree, but it's a nice sentiment.

[geordiejones]

Amazing that you two were able to collab before he passed. I hope you and others are able to keep the dream alive, just as he and others have.

[aluisious]

It seems insane to me that we don't have observatories constantly scanning the same part of the sky.

[rickschrager]

This is the most comprehensive treatment of the WOW signal on YouTube. Geared for the non physicist.

Thank you for the great work!

[SpaceisAce]

I absolutely love your storytelling style. It really inspires me in my own videos. Thank you for bringing so much class to space-content creators👌

[anthonygross]

Thank you, Professor! My mind is challenged without being overwhelmed. The implications of the subject matter are some of the most profound questions ever asked. I thoroughly enjoy how much I learn with each and every video. With gratitude and admiration.

[CharleyBrown]

Since the 1970s we have spent about a week looking at this region of space for another signal. That is what’s WOW!

[mikem.s.]

You're just unbelievable, Professor.

In a technical, scientific video, you paid homage to Robert Gray.

Your sense of wonder and mission are invaluable to us.

Thank you.

[mackenzie]

The videos you produce to the standard that you do, bring me more peace and hope than words can articulate. I wish, when I was in high school, that science & physics were taught in the same engaging and awe inspiring format that you do.
Thank you so much, you’re a truly gifted educator 👏🏽
Rest easy Rob, you’ve got the best man on the job to take over your hard work and passion 🖤

[seditt]

Wait... You mean to tell me there has only been a relatively few HOURS of subsequent observation of the relevant area? WTF! Dude I would have never guessed that. We should have receivers pointed there at all times for at least 5-10 years minimum. If that is a directional transmitter on an Exoplanet it could take centuries before the planet comes back around to point towards us. At the very least they should give it a decade before giving up but it feels like they literally just gave up the moment it happened with just random observations here or there because someone was bored.