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Leaving aside the question of whether we exist; if we do, we must allow for the existence of others like us on other planets in the universe. They probably won't look like us, their sensory apparatus may have different capabilities, their intellectual advancement may be ahead or behind our own, but they are out there. "Cosmic Call" is an undertaking by two Canadian physicists to communicate with these extraterrestrials. The physicists created a new symbol system, based on ideographs for objects and concepts, tied to a decimal number system, and with a heavy emphasis on mathematical relationships. Created as 23 separate panels, in bitmap format, the message was broadcast into deep space in 1999 from a 70 meter radio telescope located in Ukraine, near the town of Evpatoria. Some of these panels are recreated here in textile format. There are those who worry that this effort may attract hostile beings to our small place in the universe, but one should ask what such advanced life forms would want from us? Our water? Our DNA? Our women? (and I don't want to be chauvinist here, so change that to "Our men?" if you wish). But (as to this later idea) remember that we see beauty within the context of our own existence, and a race of 15-foot creatures with eight legs, grey scales and which ooze sulfurous goo from multiple orifices may see things quite differently. The universe is too rich in resources to have such concerns. Moreover, any race advanced enough to reach us as a result of our signal could doubtlessly find us whether we signalled them or not. Perhaps our thought waves are message enough. So let's keep sending messages by whatever means we have available to life on other planets. And hope we live to see the day when they are answered.
W. Logan Fry |