Can Wireless Communication Be Achieved Without EMF?

[Theldiot]

Is there any theoretical room for wireless communication that does not require EMF and would be unhindered by RF blocking materials or Faraday cages?

 

[tionis]

Hi. How about sound?

 

[Theldiot]

Hahaha That's embarrassing. I was wondering about digital communication, though.

 

[tionis]

A neutrino beam could do the job. They aren't stopped by Faraday cages or RF blocking materials.

 

[Theldiot]

However, at this stage a neutrino beam can't transmit a significant amount of data. Is there anything that could?

 

[tionis]

Not that I'm aware of. But maybe others know. Good questions.

 

[Dale]

Hahaha That's embarrassing. I was wondering about digital communication, though.

Digital or analog has to do with your message encoding/decoding scheme, not the medium of transmission. You could certainly use acoustic waves digitally.

 

[Nugatory]

I was wondering about digital communication, though.

That's not a meaningful distinction - all communication is analog at the physical level.

For an example of sound used to carry digital data... Google for "acoustic coupler"... actually quite dangerous to use, as the buzzing sound of 110 bps traffic sounded enough like the distress cries of a wounded Diplodocus to attract the attention of any large carnivore in the area... I only narrowly escaped once when a raging T Rex tore my data shack apart in search of a meal.

 

[Theldiot]

That's not a meaningful distinction - all communication is analog at the physical level.

For an example of sound used to carry digital data... Google for "acoustic coupler"

That's incredibly interesting. Do you know the sound level acoustic couplers would make when they were used for cordless phones?

 

[jtbell]

Is electromagnetic radiation in the visible frequency range, i.e. light, acceptable? Modulating light to carry a digital signal is well-established technology.

 

[Theldiot]

Is electromagnetic radiation in the visible frequency range, i.e. light, acceptable? Modulating light to carry a digital signal is well-established technology.

I see. But visible light communication, I assume, would be completely blocked by opaque matter. Correct?

Would it be theoretically possible for quantum tunnelling to enable digital communication? And could this be used over long distances?

 

[tionis]

Would it be theoretically possible for quantum tunnelling to enable digital communication? And could this be used over long distances?

Quantum tunneling is a random event. There is no way to know precisely when it's going to happen, though you can assign some probability to it.

 

[russ_watters]

Digital or analog has to do with your message encoding/decoding scheme, not the medium of transmission. You could certainly use acoustic waves digitally.

Ahh, what's old is new again:

For those too young to remember, the thing on the left is called a "telephone" and the thing on the right is a "modem" - used for converting audio signals to data and back.

 

[Vanadium 50]

That's no phone! How do you text?

There were various methods of wireless signalling that do this: semaphore, Aldis lamps, etc.

 

[russ_watters]

That's no phone! How do you text?

Very, very slowly. Google: hipster douc -- er, "retro" rotary phone:
http://www.cnet.com/news/a-mobile-phone-with-a-rotary-dial-retro-cool-or-retro-fool/

There were various methods of wireless signalling that do this: semaphore, Aldis lamps, etc.

Some even digital!

 

[jtbell]

semaphore, Aldis lamps, etc.

Native American smoke signals...

 

[Delta Kilo]

Gravitation? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_experiment