The team of the international project Breakthrough Listen analyzed several petabytes of data, among which the researchers found 11 events that may be probable manifestations of the activities of extraterrestrial civilizations.

The analyzed information was obtained with the help of ground-based telescopes GBT (Green Bank Radio Telescope, USA), Lick Observatory's Automated Planet Finder (USA) and Parkes Radio Telescope (Australia). Data analysis was carried out by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, USA).

As noted by the project participants, artificial signals differ from natural ones by such radiation features as narrow bandwidth, irregular spectral behavior patterns, ripple or modulation, and the presence of broadband spectra with unusual characteristics. The algorithms developed by scientists allow to distinguish terrestrial (including from artificial satellites of a planet) and extraterrestrial signals and to trace in the latter case its position in the celestial sphere.

According to scientists, it is unlikely that any of the 11 detected signals are evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, but it is not excluded.

Previously, Stephen Hawking stated that extraterrestrial civilizations can turn out to be militant nomads and enslave the Earth in case of contact with them. The scientist believes that if aliens still visit the Earth, the consequences for earthlings can be the same as the discovery Columbus of America for Native Americans.