Most of the fans of Lost, which are not yet lost in the details of every new enigma, still remember the strange distress signal presented during the first season. A radio emission where the omnipresent numbers were broadcasted and we could hear a woman speaking in French. The thing is that this is a clear example of actual numbers stations. Today I came across with a great entry in cabovolo, related to our previous entry, that tells the strange case of one of these stations: a unknown shortwave station that has been broadcasting from Russia since 1982. The emission has been, and still is a buzz, and something else...
Shortwave stations are popular among radio amateurs because they are low-cost and their emissions can bounce in the ionosphere, therefore allowing inter-continental transmissions. However, this kind of emissions is affected by several factors as day-night cycle and the weather. Which bring us to the topic at hand: numbers stations.
Number stations seems to be halfway in between urban legend and cold war legacy, as their programme usually involves synthetic voices in different languages (normally a woman or a child), series of numbers (sometimes in other numeric systems such as Chinese numerals) and even some background songs to avoid suspicions. Why should I be suspicious if I hear French mixed with German and Chinese numbers with the ING tune in the background?
Regarding the case of the UVB-76 station, its story and anecdotes, I redirect you to read from the source in [ES] cabovolo or, if you prefer it in English, you miss most of the charm but still have the wikipedia. To put you in situation, here you have the dramatisation of number stations in Lost (4:35).
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You really know how to capture our attention to your blog, you just have to bring Lost up! :P
ReplyDeleteI try to do my best on that regard. I know my current audience, so I try to grip you all :-P
ReplyDelete¿Have you listened about HAARP? High Energy radio waves focused on the ionosphere, trying to change the global weather, because they supose that the weather under that ionosphere modified region changes. The urban legend says this emissions are hidden like this other radio emissions you're talking about. The mistery starts in a field filled with giant radio antennas in Alaska. Also there is another legend about this numbres and languages. It explains that this aparently repetitive and unsense number series and combinations of languages is codified information from inteligence agencies. Who cares if you can heard them if you can't understand it.
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't, maybe it's time for a revival of your "exile" and write a post about it ;-). And regarding your last question, I would care. If you can hear them you can question yourself about what they are and where they are. Anyway, you just gave me the perfect excuse to bring up the topic of cryptography and to recommend you all a book titled "The Code Book" ("Los Códigos Secretos" in Spanish) which relates anecdotes throughout all the history of cryptography.
ReplyDeleteOne I recall right now is that, as every country, Spain had its own "bureau" of cryptanalysis during the empire of Philip II (aka "the Prudent", a very religious person). However, we were thinking and investing more in colonisation and the navy than in science and maths. In resume, our codes where so naive, simplistic and outdated that every other country was able to decypher them and we couldn't do the same with theirs. Instead of trying harder, our King just said: "They made a pact with the Devil, there is no other way they could read our communications!"
Comments are getting even more interesting that the entry!
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