It is not a colonization plan from outer space. The Chinese government is relocating the villagers as it finishes building the world’s biggest radio telescope, one of whose purposes is to detect signs of extraterrestrial life. The telescope will be 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, in diameter, making it by far the largest instrument of its kind in the world. It is called FAST, short for 500-meter aperture spherical telescope, and will cost an estimated 1.2 billion renminbi, or $184 million, to erect. The government hopes to complete it by September.
Key Takeaways:
- The wok is the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope, and it officially began operating on Sunday, accompanied by jubilant national television coverage, after more than five years of construction.
- The telescope, which is in a majestic but impoverished part of Guizhou Province, embodies China’s plans to rise as a scientific power.
- China’s history of subjugation to the West in previous centuries reinforced the belief that scientific prowess is essential for any modern power.
“The dish is made of 4,450 intricately positioned triangular panels and has a collecting area of 2.1 million square feet, equal to almost 450 basketball courts.”
Read the full article here: China Hunts for Scientific Glory, and Aliens, With New Telescope
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