2020-04-02_Science_Illustrated

1

1.008

H

Scientists translate

universal message

Previous messages to aliens focus on culture and symbols.

The METI organisation will send a new message focusing on the

universe’s common characteristics, such as maths and chemistry.

The message relies

on other planets

having the same

atoms as Earth.

Rød

1

89

234567

MESSAGE

The contents are chosen

1

The elements and their

chemistry are the same

throughout the universe,

so the periodic table is an obvious

choice. Any civilisation that can

capture the signal can probably

recognise the table’s contents.

The message is encoded

2

The table is converted into

black frames around white

fields. Red boxes represent

each element’s atomic number as a

binary number. Hydrogen’s No. 1

corresponds to the binary number 1.

Lithum (No. 3 ) has binary 11, etc.

Colours become signals

3

In order to send the table,

each colour must first be

converted into radio waves.

One frequency represents the black

frame, another one the white field,

and a third one the red number. A

radio telescope can send all three

frequencies simultaneously.

TIME 6

HE

RT

Z

789101112

Frequencies show colours

4

The modulation method is

used to raise each colour’s

frequency for a tenth of a

second to indicate that a box must be

red. The other colours’ frequencies

remain unchanged. piece by piece,

the three signals can be combined into

the columns of the model.

Line 1 Modulation

Atomnumberic

Atomnumber ic

in binary code

Radio waves

Symbol

Atommassic

Hydrogen

1.008

Name

Line 2

LOT

TE (^) F
RED
SLU
ND
/HE
NN
ING
(^) DA
LHO
FF/
SPL
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