Your phone can receive messages from around the world. But how about emanations from beyond our solar system?

Scientists from the University of California (UC) have launched an effort to use smartphones to detect signs of cosmic rays, a form of high-energy radiation that sends subatomic particles zipping through space.

The CRAYFIS (Cosmic Rays Found in Smartphones) project is aimed at using the cameras in smartphones and tablets to detect the lower-energy particles that are produced when cosmic rays strike the Earth’s atmosphere. The goal is to further understanding of what is producing cosmic rays and help figure out where they come from.

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