Sending communications on light waves

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the stability of light waves for interstellar communication and the potential impact of interstellar mediums on data transmission. It raises concerns about interference from celestial bodies like suns and asteroids, suggesting that a network of satellites could facilitate communication across star systems. The conversation also touches on the complexity of wave equations needed to model these communications, questioning whether a simple equation suffices given the effects of Doppler shifting. While some participants speculate on the possibility of advanced civilizations using stealth communication methods, others emphasize the importance of maintaining a serious scientific focus. Overall, the thread explores the challenges and theories surrounding the use of light waves in transmitting information across vast distances.
Petyab
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
Here's a quick question...though it may stick on your mind for a while and become a long question. Are all light waves going to be stable for sending communications or is...this is semi rhetorical...the freqeuency of the light going to make the communication of data subject to interstellar mediums. Also, an interesting thing to think about is that if you sent data in a straight line many many light years away what is the probability that the communication will or won't be interfered with by suns and path crossing asteroids. Perhaps a series of satellites and refocusers could be used to move communications around star systems. Imagine if they were stealthed too. One of the only ways to intercept these communications would include having knowledge of the language or being able to decipher the intercept. Then you'd need to triangulate the source and destroy the satellite; or in a cunning show of evil genius transmit communications with a synthesizer that mimic the voice of the communication to set traps...I know...I know...theory crafting is semi frowned upon here. However, it seems plausible a highly intelligent race may be doing this for security out there somewhere, and really, the foundation for such claims that this may be occurring are based on real possible science. For anybody that doesn't know that reads this we have a satellite that has left the solar system that still sends communications back to earth.

More on topic with my initial question. Would the wave group equation for interstellar communications turn out to be a complex matrices with material equations in it to determine the effect of the mediums between origin and destination or do you think it could be justifiably and accurately represented by one simple classical equation...once again...partially rhetorical because I don't see how with all the evidence of doppler shifting we could expect w(f(i)) to be the same as w(f(f)). Let's try to get a good discussion going on this.
 
Science news on Phys.org
You're getting way ahead of yourself, man.
Almost all of our communications these days are on light waves. Broadcast TV (as opposed to cable), radio, cordless and cellular phones, WiFi... they're all radio based, and radio is just another part of the EM spectrum as are the various frequencies of visible and near-visible light.
Your assumptions about evil aliens have no place in a serious science forum. It might be interesting if moved to General Discussion.
 
I once read a review of a history book that referred to a remark in the history book to the effect that hundreds of years ago, new could not travel faster than a fast horse. The person writing the review pointed out that this was not true. News could be sent very fast through the use of "semaphore towers" (with large vanes that could be moved so that a person far away could see the position of the vanes and "read" the message, or by "dot-dash" light signals or even sending "yes-no" information by setting up a series of bon-fires that could be lit to send a signal.

All of those are "sending communications on light waves"!
 
I would like to use a pentaprism with some amount of magnification. The pentaprism will be used to reflect a real image at 90 degrees angle but I also want the reflected image to appear larger. The distance between the prism and the real image is about 70cm. The pentaprism has two reflecting sides (surfaces) with mirrored coating and two refracting sides. I understand that one of the four sides needs to be curved (spherical curvature) to achieve the magnification effect. But which of the...

Similar threads

Replies
6
Views
3K
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
22
Views
4K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
3K
Back
Top