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The Weak Signal Challenge - Decode and Win $100

superid writes "Several years ago while reading comp.dsp I found a link to The Weak Signal Challenge. On that page is a .wav file of a morse code signal bounced off the moon. The page author Mike Cook is offering $100 to the next person to successfully decode the morse code. Since I was the one who originally solved this, I promised Mike that I wouldn't divulge the answer or provide any clues. I can say thought that I didn't use anything special other than traditional signal processing techniques, octave, matlab, and patience. I think that overall I spent about 24 hours total sitting at my '486. I think it would be great to generate some interest in this. Maybe someone could come up with a novel solution and win $100!"

26 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. Partial translation by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 5, Funny

    It starts out, "ALL YOUR BA--"

    I'll finish up translating the rest tomorrow.

    --

    How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    1. Re:Partial translation by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      It starts out, "ALL YOUR BA--"....I'll finish up translating the rest tomorrow.

      The complete message is: "ALL YOUR BAD JOKES GET YOU MODDED DOWN".

    2. Re:Partial translation by kurosawdust · · Score: 4, Funny
      "Be...sure...to...drink...your....Ovaltine?!?"

      Cripes! It's a crummy commercial!

    3. Re:Partial translation by Dorothy+86 · · Score: 2, Funny

      I, for one, welcome our new bad joke overlords.

  2. The joke's on you, Gary. by xenoweeno · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is nothing more than a recording of a McDonald's drive-through speaker.

  3. Contract rate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Man $100 for 24 hrs of work? Is that even minimum wage?

    - Moomin

  4. $100??!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    sorry, i don't work that cheaply.

    1. Re:$100??!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      No - but I bet your sister does ....

  5. Easy money by calcifer · · Score: 5, Funny

    "I think that overall I spent about 24 hours total sitting at my '486." With my Intel Pentium II processor, with the power to make the internet come alive, i should be able to complete the problem in one tenth the time of your 486! and since this is multimedia, my MMX processor should really speed things up!

  6. Code Broke by CherniyVolk · · Score: 5, Funny


    "This should send the guys at SETI on a wild goose chase."

  7. Interesting that he mentioned the '486 :) by JessLeah · · Score: 4, Funny

    On a gamer forum, mentioning a '486 would get you laughed out in about ten seconds.
    On a non-technical forum, mentioning a '486 would get a bunch of (the digital equivalents of) blank stares.
    On SlashDot, only a couple of people think it's anything out of the ordinary...

    It would seem that the Internet has a wide variety of computing cultures ;)

    1. Re:Interesting that he mentioned the '486 :) by tomakaan · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah. He'd only get the blank stares if he mentioned he was using Windows ;)

  8. Translated Message by Herkum01 · · Score: 4, Funny

    50 SWM, seeking 30-40 SWF for laughs and good times. Please contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX.

  9. How to deal with weak signals: by WegianWarrior · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe someone could come up with a novel solution...

    Turn the volume up - a lot.

    --
    Everything in the world is controlled by a small, evil group to which, unfortunately, no one you know belongs.
  10. Not given it away? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I promised Mike that I wouldn't divulge the answer or provide any clues. I can say thought that I didn't use anything special other than traditional signal processing techniques, octave, matlab, and patience.

    Why, you've given it all away! I can tell that since you mentioned traditional signal processing techniques that the answer is clearly not in the neural network in front of you but being that you know that I know you're a Sicilian you obviously wouldn't put it in a simple band pass filter in front of me! Aha ha...Aha ha ha *clunk*

  11. WTF? by Wakko+Warner · · Score: 4, Funny

    You spent 24 hours trying to win $100?

    Dude, you could make more than that working at Wendy's.

    - A.P.

    --
    "Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
  12. "Do you want fries with that?" by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is nothing more than a recording of a McDonald's drive-through speaker.

    It is the repetion in the message that allows humans to know what they are really saying. Thus, we hear, "Vu Vu Von Vie Vih Vah", and know from prior experience that they are saying, "Do you want fries with that?" Otherwise, I often would not know what the hell they are saying.

  13. Don't forget... by CritterNYC · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... to drink your Ovaltine.

  14. moon messages by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny


    Reminds me of story somebody told me once, but I have yet to verify it.

    During preparations for the Apollo moon missions, some members of NASA were sent out to record greetings messages from various communities to be included on a recording that was to be left on the moon by the astronauts.

    After visiting a Native American tribe, one Native American man refused to tell NASA what he had just said into the recorder in his native tongue. So, they eventually found a translator, and the message said something like, "Watch out for these guys. They will take your land too. Explorers, my ass".

    1. Re:moon messages by aceat64 · · Score: 1, Funny

      Oh, sorry about that, I ate the steak...

  15. Re:I'm sure it will say by ScottSpeaks! · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Watson come here, I want you."

  16. Re:Money well earned. by kfg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, but Wal-Mart doesn't let you stock shelves in your underwear while eating Doritos and chugging Mountain Dew.

    No, I don't want to talk about it.

    KFG

  17. I got it! by MongooseCN · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Please send help! Drowning! Will not last much longer!"

  18. i downloaded the zip by wmaker · · Score: 2, Funny

    i downloaded the "zip" file and ran mplayer on it... it's BITTERSWEET by FUEL... WTF

  19. Re:motivation? by mlush · · Score: 2, Funny
    Well, there's one guy who set the competition, and there's one guy who won it, and is telling is.
    And then there's you.

    Is this another compertition to extract meaning from obscure data???