In th? h???t ?? th? K?nn??? S??c? C?nt?? in C??? C?n?v???l, ?l??i??, ? ???ic?t?? t??m ?? sci?ntists ?n? ??s???ch??s ?t N?S? w?s in th? mi?st ?? ? ???tin? sc?n ?? th? c?sm?s. Th? s??c? ???nc?’s c?ttin?-???? t?l?sc???s w??? ?lw??s ?n th? l??k??t ??? c?smic ?h?n?m?n?, ??t ?n this ???tic?l?? ???, th?? st?m?l?? ???n s?m?thin? th?t w??l? l??v? th? w??l? st?nn??.
?s th? ??w????l t?l?sc???s ?????? ???? int? th? v?st ?x??ns? ?? s??c?, th?? c??t???? ? si?ht th?t ???i?? ?ll ?x??ct?ti?ns—?n ?ni??nti?i?? ?l?in? ??j?ct (???) ?? c?l?ss?l ??????ti?ns, ?nlik? ?n? ???vi??sl? ??c?????. This ?n??m??s c???t, ????n?? with shimm??in? m?t?llic s????c?s, ???????? t? ?? in ? st?ti?n??? ??siti?n, ????in? th? l?ws ?? ???vit? ?n? ?h?sics. Th? ?isc?v??? s?nt sh?ckw?v?s th????h th? N?S? c?nt??l c?nt??, wh??? s??s?n?? sci?ntists ?n? ??s???ch??s st????l?? t? m?k? s?ns? ?? th? ?xt?????in??? ?in?.
Th?? w?tch?? in ?w? ?s th? t?l?sc???s z??m?? in cl?s??, ??v??lin? int?ic?t? ??t?ils ?? th? ?ni?m?tic v?ss?l. Wh?t w?s ?v?n m??? ?st?nishin? w?s th? ???s?nc? ?? ? h?m?n?i? ?i???? insi?? th? ???. Th? N?S? im??? sh?w?? ? ??in? with ?l?n??t?? lim?s ?n? ? ?istinctl? n?n-h?m?n ???????nc?. Th? ?i???? s??m?? t? ?? ?????tin? int?ic?t? c?nt??ls, m?ni??l?tin? th? c???t with ?n ?th??w??l?l? ?in?ss?. Th? w??l? h?l? its c?ll?ctiv? ????th ?s th? n?ws ?? th? inc???i?l? ?isc?v??? s????? lik? wil??i??. Th? im??? w?s sh???? ?n N?S?’s ???ici?l ch?nn?ls, ?n? it ?i?n’t t?k? l?n? ??? it t? ??c?m? ? vi??l s?ns?ti?n. S?ci?l m??i? ????t?? with s??c?l?ti?n ?n? ?xcit?m?nt, whil? ?x???ts ?n? c?ns?i??c? th???ists ?lik? ??????? th?i? th???i?s ?n th? n?t??? ?? th? c???t ?n? its ?cc???nts. Th? sci?nti?ic c?mm?nit? w?s ???zz with ????t?s ?n? ?isc?ssi?ns ????t th? im?lic?ti?ns ?? this ?n???c???nt?? ?in?. W?s it ????? ?? ?xt??t????st?i?l li??? ?? ???h??s ?n ??v?nc?? civiliz?ti?n ???m ?n?th?? c??n?? ?? th? ?niv??s?? Sk??tics c?ll?? ??? m??? ?vi??nc?, whil? ??li?v??s s?w it ?s ? t??ns???m?tiv? m?m?nt in h?m?n hist???. In ??s??ns? t? th? ?l???l c??i?sit? ?n? ?ntici??ti?n, N?S? c?nv?n?? ? ??n?l ?? ?x???ts ???m ????n? th? w??l? t? ?n?l?z? th? im??? ?n? th? ??t? c?ll?ct??.
Th? ?x?min?ti?n ??v??l?? n? ?vi??nc? ?? m?ni??l?ti?n ?? t?m???in?, ???th?? l?n?in? c???i?ilit? t? th? ??th?nticit? ?? th? ?in?. In ? hist??ic ???ss c?n????nc?, N?S?’s s??k?s???s?n, ??. ?mil? ???ms, ?????ss?? th? w??l?. Sh? c?n?i?m?? th?t th? im??? w?s ??n?in? ?n? ?x?l?in?? th?t N?S? h?? initi?t?? c?mm?nic?ti?n with th? ???, s?n?in? ??t si?n?ls ?? ???c? ?n? c??i?sit?. Th? ?li?n ?i???? ?n ????? h?? ?ls? ???n ??s??v?? ???ctin? t? th?s? si?n?ls, s????stin? ? willin?n?ss t? c?mm?nic?t?. Th? im??? ?? th? ?n??m??s ??? with th? ?li?n ?i???? ?n ????? h?? c??t???? th? c?ll?ctiv? im??in?ti?n ?? h?m?nit?. It w?s ? m?m?nt th?t t??nsc?n??? n?ti?n?l ??????s, ?nit?? ????l? in ? ???st ??? kn?wl????, ?n? ?????in?? ??? ?l?c? in th? ?niv??s?. ?s th? w??l? l??k?? ?? t? th? st??s with n?w???n? h??? ?n? c??i?sit?, it w?s cl??? th?t this ?isc?v??? m??k?? th? ???innin? ?? ?n ?xt?????in??? j???n??—? j???n?? th?t w??l? l??? h?m?nit? t? th? st??s ?n? t? ? ?????? ?n???st?n?in? ?? th? c?sm?s ?n? its m?st??i?s.
