TIL about a weird radio signal that came from a microwave oven

I was reading about the 'Peryton' signals that confused astronomers for years. They were fast radio bursts picked up by a telescope in Australia that seemed to come from our own galaxy. For a long time, people thought it might be some strange space weather or even secret tech. The real answer is way more simple. A grad student finally figured out that the signals happened when someone opened the door of the staff kitchen microwave before the timer finished. The magnetron inside made a burst of radio waves that the big dish picked up. It's funny how a big mystery can just be a normal thing in the wrong place. Has anyone else run into a conspiracy theory that turned out to have a really boring, everyday fix like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_robinson13d ago

Wow, that's like when my car's weird noise was just a loose hubcap!

val_wilson13d agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, been there with the mystery car sounds!