Introduce CD to aliens
CD, also known as Compact Disc, is a tool which humans use to store audio information. Since human oral languages are identical with the written languages, audio information is often as important as the printed ducuments. Moreover, audio information can sometimes carry more sensitive and subtle meanings than silent word symbols.
The invention of Compact Disc challenged humans imagination since nothing similar was widely seen before. After the invention, when the first compact disc was manufactured, it has been a new era for the civilization because from then on, humans could record anything they hear and store it into a little portable disc.
The technology applied here is amazing. That is also why in order to receive the audio information you need to decode the record first.
Take the Voyager Golden Record as an example. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form who may find them. The records are a sort of time capsule.
The Golden Record cover shown with its extraterrestrial instructions. Credit: NASA/JPL “This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours.” — NASA President Jimmy Carter
First look at the picture in the lower right corner. The two circles and a line represent the self-learning transition of the hydrogen atom. It means that when the electrons and protons of hydrogen atoms transition from opposite directions to the same, they will release electromagnetic energy of about 7.04/10 billionths of a second.
And this formula of 7.04/10 billionths of a second is the key to unlocking the next layer of password. As long as you understand the properties of hydrogen atoms and can calculate the spin period, it will be possible to unlock the rest of the code. With the basic information, you are required to look at the top view of the album in the upper left corner, which represents the correct use of the album.
The outer ring is composed of binary horizontal and vertical lines. Authorization represents one, and the horizontal line represents zero. After piecing together, such a string of binary is obtained. The number is the result in decimal, and then multiplying the result by the first layer of the password will yield a time unit of 3.6 seconds. This answer represents about 3.6 seconds per lap of the record.
We consider binary code and hydrogen atoms we mentioned above as two universal languages. For the former one, it is widely used in our electronic devices. It has high reliability. Because only two numbers are used in binary, which is not prone to errors during transmission and processing, thus ensuring high reliability of our devices. And its operation rules are simple. This feature not only simplifies the structure of the operator, but also helps to improve the speed of operation. When it comes to hydrogen atoms, we know that they are present throughout the universe. You might also know them and have a clear understanding of other atoms. Thus, these things provide us a common language as a bridge for our communication. Although we might have different speaking and writing systems, we can have the same knowledge about hydrogen.
Music has the ability to bring us joy and comfort, to motivate us and to help us relax. It has the power to transport us back in time, to calm our worried minds or boost our moods. There really is a song for every emotion. Besides, we also think that it is a great way to share the information about one of our most important sensory systems—the listening with you. You’re also welcomed to share your thoughts concerning the way you perceive things.