Research debunks alien signals linked to Papua New Guinea meteor

In January 2014, a meteor fireball entered the atmosphere and landed in the Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea. The event gained public interest, especially regarding reports of potential 'alien signals' being detected from the meteor. A Harvard academic, Avi Loeb, collected metallic spheres from the seafloor in 2023, asserting their composition indicated an interstellar origin, due to the unusual presence of beryllium, lanthanum, and uranium and their distinct iron isotope ratios. His findings fueled speculation about extraterrestrial implications. However, this assertion faced skepticism from academics at Johns Hopkins University. Benjamin Fernando, a planetary seismologist, reviewed the claims made by Loeb and suggested that his findings stemmed from misinterpreted data. Fernando stressed that the location where the metallic spheres were retrieved was far removed from the meteor's actual entry point, discrediting any correlation between the two. He pointed to a lack of evidence for seismic waves from the meteor, indicating that any signals analyzed did not originate from it. Instead, he noted, the nature of the signal changed direction in alignment with a nearby roadway, plausibly linking it to vehicular traffic rather than cosmic phenomena. While Loeb remains firm in defending his claims, stating that Fernando’s research did not influence the location selection for his expedition, the implications of this debate highlight the split between interpretations of data within the scientific community. Fernando's thorough analysis concluded that what was retrieved from the ocean floor was irrelevant to the meteor, regardless of its origin, implying it was not from an alien source. This development raises questions about the initial reports and the criteria employed when discerning extraterrestrial signals. As this argument unfolds, both parties are actively contributing to the discussion regarding the search for extraterrestrial life. The contrasting views from the Johns Hopkins University team and Harvard University reflect the ongoing exploration of space phenomena and the need for robust methodologies in evaluating such findings. While science often ventures into speculative territories, evidence and data interpretation play crucial roles in asserting factual conclusions.