Perhaps she was just listening to her I-pod for entertainment. Pink Floyd is good astronomical music, super nova have been discovered with their music in the background.
I don't recall if Jodie Foster's literary counterpart listened to the
stars the same in the book as in the movie - it's been awhile since I read the story. And, I must admit that I kind of liked the character in both the book and film, even if Jodie did sit on the hood of her car in the desert among the radio dishes listening to the hiss of the universe the way I doubt any astronomer ever has.
I think "listening" to the stars is great - just another form of sensory input for us biologicals. Some of the extraterrestrial EM signals that I've heard before have been very intriguing. I also think I know how a star might feel (a trifle on the warm side), but I'm curious to know how a star might smell or taste.
If a supernova pops off and there's no one there to hear it, does it really exist?
Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of John R. Peterson Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 8:34 AM To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Radio Astronomy Question
To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Radio Astronomy Question I wouldn't be too harsh on the creators of "Contact". They did after all hire Carl Sagan to help them >get the science at least close to right, though I doubt Carl had final review on screenplay.
Let's not forget that Carl Sagan wrote the novel from which the movie was created. As much as I like the movie, the novel is far superior, as usual. While we're on it, all em astronomy outside of the visible region depends upon false color images. With low frequency radio waves, there's no reason that we shouldn't use another one of our sensory organs (i.e., our ears)and make "false pitch" sound waves. The hum one hears near an electric power station really starts as 60 Hz em waves, doesn't it? It seems to me that in the last few years I've read of "sound" propagating through the interstellar medium due to supernovae. If we can turn the infra-audible talking of whales or elephants, or even the cables of the Golden Gate Bridge, into something we can hear, why not do the same with stars? John R. Peterson
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