Why Was the Discovery of Pulsars Initially Misinterpreted as Evidence

question 52

Multiple Choice

Why was the discovery of pulsars initially misinterpreted as evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe?

• A) It was not thought possible for a "natural" radio source to produce the rapid and extremely regular radio pulses detected from space.
• B) Radio telescopes occasionally detected the same sequence of five musical notes, which were then whistled or hummed regularly by all the people associated with these telescopes (D, E, C, lower C, and G on a piano).
• C) Pulses arriving from several nearby star systems showed Doppler shifts of frequency apparently caused by orbital motion of their source around the central stars, as if coming from planets.
• D) The rate of pulses detected from space appeared to contain primitive coding similar to a crude Morse code.

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Definitions:

Cultural Hegemony

The pervasive and excessive influence of one culture throughout society.

Examples

Concrete instances or cases that illustrate or explain a general concept, idea, or phenomenon.

Cultural Values

The deeply held beliefs that guide behaviors and choices, shared by members of a cultural group, and transmitted across generations.

Social Stability

pertains to the state of society where social structures, practices, and institutions maintain equilibrium and resist sudden change, contributing to the orderly functioning of a community or society.