How to send a message to another planet
By including a clock, some trigonometry and some Jean-Michel Jarre
IN 2029 the inhabitants, if any, of the planet GJ 273b will receive a message that will change their lives forever. Encoded in radio signals emanating from an innocuous-looking blue-green planet 12.4 light-years away, will be tutorials in mathematics and physics, followed by a burst of music. The import of the message, however, will be clear: “Let’s talk.”
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Nanoo nanoo”
From the November 18th 2017 edition
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