Tech

CSIRO Telescope’s “Bionic Ear” hears more of the Universe

If a tree falls in the forest and no-one is around does it make a sound? What if a tree exists and falls on another planet – does it make a sound? Well if anything was ever able to hear you scream in space, it would be the CSIRO’s latest toy.

The CSIRO’s Parkes telescope has recently received quite a sizeable upgrade with the installation of a new receiver which will let astronomers ‘hear’ a wider range of radio waves from objects in space, opening the way to new discoveries in the world of science.

The $2.5 million instrument was developed by CSIRO and a consortium of Australian universities led by Swinburne University of Technology, with associated funding from the Australian Research Council, Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The technology essentially acts as a ‘bionic ear’ for the cosmos which catches radio waves and turns them into electrical signals for astronomers to analyse and collect information from.

The new receiver paves the way for further research into groundbreaking areas of astronomical science like searching for gravitational waves from black holes in the early Universe, studying the insides of neutron stars, and mapping the many magnetic fields that run through our Galaxy.

“Stars and galaxies ‘sing’ with different voices, some high, some low,” CSIRO astronomer Dr George Hobbs said. “Until now we’ve had receivers that heard just one part of the choir at a time, this new one lets us listen to the whole choir at once.”

This comes as another addition to the Parkes telescope which has for decades been a world leading radio telescope. The telescope is now 10,000 times more sensitive than when it was built in 1961 and has found most of the known pulsars and most of the ‘fast radio bursts’ that still puzzle astronomers around the world.

“While some of us are timing a pulsar, other astronomers could be looking for the signs of newborn stars,” Dr Hobbs said. “The expertise built up in these technologies will enable Australia to compete effectively into the era of the Square Kilometre Array, the world’s largest radio telescope.”

Great to see the CSIRO leading the charge in the world of astronomical exploration.

Recent Posts

  • Motoring

The stunning new BMW iX3 is a vision for the future realised as Neue Klasse comes to market

BMW has revealed the first new model to be designed and engineered under their 2025…

2 hours ago
  • Tech

Best in Smart Home – The SwannBuddy 4K Video Doorbell with AI wins at the IFA Innovation Awards

The SwannBuddy4K Video Doorbell with SwannShield™AI Voice Assistant has been given an Honouree accolade for…

9 hours ago
  • Tech

360 degree security camera coverage and smart AI capabilities come to Reolink security lineup at IFA 2025

Reolink is a bit of an upstart when it comes to home security but having…

12 hours ago
  • Lifestyle

LG unveil its AI plans for your home appliances at IFA 2025

LG has announced its vision for AI-powered living at IFA 2025 under the moniker “LG…

18 hours ago
  • Tech

NBA 2K26 review: a hugely popular game just got even better

To say that NBA 2K is an institution is an understatement of significant proportions.  Even…

22 hours ago
  • Tech

Samsung unveils new Bespoke AI Washer with A-65% Energy Efficiency and Second Generation Bespoke AI Laundry Combo at IFA 2025

The appliance news keeps coming from Europes largest consumer electronics show, with Samsung showing off…

1 day ago