Did China just detect signals from an alien civilization? Probably not

Werthimer threw cold water on the possibility that the FAST signals were produced by advanced aliens.

“These signals are from radio interference; they are due to radio pollution from Earthlings, not from ET. The technical term we use is ‘RFI’ — radio frequency interference. RFI can come from cell phones, TV transmitters, radar, satellites, as well as electronics and computers near the observatory that produce weak radio transmissions,” Werthimer said.

“All of the signals detected by SETI researchers so far are made by our own civilization, not another civilization,” Werthimer added. “It’s getting hard to do SETI observations from the surface of our planet. Radio pollution is getting worse, as more and more transmitters and satellites are built. Some radio bands have become impossible to use for SETI.”

Werthimer said that Earthlings might eventually have to go to the far side of the moon to do SETI work.