China so committed to finding aliens they’re turfing 9,000 people out of their homes

Not content with hosting a population of over 1.3 billion, China really wants to find life beyond our own planet - so much so that they're moving 9,110 people to make way for this ridiculous alien-hunting telescope.

Measuring 500 metres across, costing some 1.2 billion yuan (£1.3 billion), the Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) is the world's largest radio telescope.

Nestled in the stunning, remote hills of the southwest province of Guizhou, despite its remote location the FAST project needs total radio silence - meaning the local population need to be relocated in order to provide the telescope with a "sound electromagnetic wave environment".

It's hoped the vast telescope could pick up any radio waves given off by distant life, passing UFOs or... you know, space stuff.

"A radio telescope is like a sensitive ear, listening to tell meaningful radio messages from white noise in the universe," said Nan Rendong, chief scientist of the FAST project with the National Astronomical Observatories. "It is like identifying the sound of cicadas in a thunderstorm."

The official Xinhua news agency reports that provincial officials will relocate 9,110 residents living within five kilometres of the listening device by September, with relocated residents receiving 12,000 yuan (£1,280) by way of compensation. There are no current reports on how the local population is reacting to the news, though given that construction began on the telescope back in 2011, residents have had a long time to adjust to the news.

Give it a few years and it'll be the perfect location for an evil lair of yet another Bond reboot. 

(Images: Rex)

[Via: BBC]