|
'Good evening, and welcome to "SETI
Watch", the programme that keeps you right up-to-date
with what's happening in the Space Agency's Search
for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence.
'Tonight we are with Professor Hession, head of the
Searcher III project.
'Professor, would you please tell the audience something
about the work you and your colleagues carry out here at the
SETI Institute in Mount View, California?'
'Well John, as you know Search III is an orbital radio
telescope. Our project involves using Search III to scan the
heavens for natural and artificial radio signals.'
'And you have been making some remarkable discoveries
over the past few months, is that not so?'
'Yes. Approximately ten weeks ago we began to receive
signals from the direction of 51PEG, a star, similar to our
own sun, in the Pegasus constellation.'
'What was so remarkable about these signals?'
'51PEG, as some of your viewers will know, has a solar
system. In fact it was only the third solar system, including
our own, to be discovered. It is now eighty-two years since
the discovery of this solar system back in 1995.'
'And what has this solar system to do with the signals
you've been receiving?'
'Well, back in 1995 the discovery of a planet orbiting
a star similar to our own revitalized speculation regarding
the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life. With
51PEG being only forty light years away it was conceivable
that, if indeed there was intelligent life in the new solar
system, it would be possible to communicate using radio messages.
While the gap between sending and receiving a message would
be eighty years, this was still regarded as feasible. Eighty
years did not seem that long to wait when compared to the
dimensions of the galaxy and the universe beyond.'
'So we sent a message?'
'Yes. In fact we sent a whole series of messages. The
first task for any message to an unwitting recipient is to
attract attention and hold interest. To this end a pre-defined
sequence of radio bursts was sent out in such a fashion that
no natural phenomena could be the source. We used short wavelength
signals called microwaves as this portion of the electromagnetic
spectrum contains the fewest natural signals and thus reduced
the chances of confusion with non-artificial sources. This
sequence of messages was repeated at regular intervals.'
'Then what happened?'
'Once you have attracted someone's attention you
must try to communicate. Given that it would take eighty years
for an acknowledgement of our initial sequence of signals
it was decided to advance to the next level of signalling.
This would involve trying to establish a common language.'
'How does one do that with an intelligence whose nature
can't possibly be imagined?'
'Not an easy task, I admit, but we had been discussing
this very point for many decades at that time. You must remember
that it was in the late twentieth century that man was starting
to make major advances in conversing with sea-mammals and
many of the principles learned in that process were brought
to bear on the 51PEG messages transmitted.'
'So Professor, are these signals you've been receiving
the eagerly awaited response?'
'That was not absolutely clear at first. The initial
signals received ten weeks ago were exact copies of the first
signal we had sent all those years ago. Some of my colleagues,
and other sceptics, tried to explain away these messages as
reflections.'
'But you don't believe these were reflections?'
'Reflections, my foot. They were re-transmissions of
our signal. Someone was returning our wave. This was an acknowledgement
of receipt.'
'And then what happened?'
'Well, after our original signal was repeated several
times a more complex signal was received. This was new. It
was not a signal we had sent.'
'And could your people make sense of this message?'
'It turned out not to be a message as such, but a response
to our attempts to establish a language, a means of communication.
'Our people have worked night and day on these signals
and I believe we have the rudimentary elements of a language
that we can use to talk with our nearest known interplanetary
neighbours.'
'And, Professor, what is the latest news you have for
us?'
'Earlier today we received a different signal. It was
repeated several times, and we expect it to be repeated for
the rest of today.'
'When you say 'different', what exactly
do you mean?'
'It was a true message. It appears to be an attempt
to use our newly established language to communicate meaningful
information.'
'And what did this message to humankind say?'
'Well, John, that is why we are all here. The elements
of this new language are being used by our linguistic computers
this very moment to decipher the communiqu茅.'
'When do you think this might be achieved?'
'I am hopeful that our computers will come up with the
translation any minute.'
'In fact, Professor, one of your colleagues is gesticulating
quite frenetically just off-camera. I wonder if this is significant.'
'Ah! Yes. This is Helga Thorensen. Come and join us
Helga.'
'Hello, Professor. Hello, John.'
'Well, Helga? Have you any news for us?'
'Yes, Professor. The deciphering is complete. The text
will be displayed on this video screen.
Here it comes now.'
'Professor. At this historic occasion, would you read
the message out to the viewers as it appears?'
'Yes. Certainly. Now, let me see.
'Thank you, for calling 51PEG. All our operators are
busy right now, but if you hold on your call will be answered
in strict rotation.'
|
