The next line is "How I wonder what you are?" Well I am not sure "what you are," but I know the number. It is HD 164595. Not very poetic for sure but that is the number given to the star the supposedly sent a signal our way recently.
I say
recently since it took 94 light years for it to get to us. If you want to do the math or even if you don't that is roughly 553 trillion miles away. The long distance bill would be staggering for such communication.
Some star gazers think this signal was sent by a very advanced civilization that would be far more sophisticated and knowledgeable than we are. The amount of energy it would take to get the signal to us is the sum total of all the energy presently produced on our planet and that is just for one text message.
I wonder what
they or
it is trying to say to us? And what would we say back? I sure hope this is not some "shot across our bow" to warn us of something like the
Independence Day movie. We have enough trouble of our own with the upcoming election. I hope they do not know what we are involved in down here.
Seems we have a choice between someone who should have left their cell phone at the office and a man who likes to fire people. It is a cosmic mess for sure.
We think we are so smart, what would they think about our present cultural situation? So if they do know what would the signal say if we deciphered it? Maybe it would go something like this:
What kind of species are you anyway? We've been watching and listening for a few hundred years which is not much time in the way we live our time. You creatures are supposed to be progressing but it seems you go backwards so much. You have such capacity for good things even at your limited evolution but you so often choose the wrong direction.
You can't seem to get along with each other because of all the labels you use to define one another. Are you not all of the same lineage after all? Why do you see only differences rather than the common pool from which you all come? Maybe you need to see all this from our perspective and then you would understand.
Why do your treat your planet like it is some commodity? Can't you see that your are a product of the very soil you seem to use up? You are the only species we know of, and we have studied many, who kill for something other than food. You have learned to kill each other for causes and your causes are often so very foolish.
We may send you another message soon to see if you have learned other ways to get along. We have not decided yet. It may be a waste of energy to do so. Anyway as you would say, "Have a good day." By the way for us that day lasts for centuries, but then what is time and space but concepts that can't hold the real meaning of life. Take care...and we mean that.
So I shall share some verse inspired by HD 164595:
Twinkle, twinkle little star
Now we know just what you are
Way above the sky so blue
Now you've got our number too
May your light shine on us now
To reveal a way to love and how
Send your wisdom with your light
Remind us all of what is right
To find the common good for all
Twinkle, twinkle thanks for the call
