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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!"
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?
This is nothing more than a recording of a McDonald's drive-through speaker.
http://www.rathergood.com/moon_song/
"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!
"This should send the guys at SETI on a wild goose chase."
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
Honey, I shrunk the Cygwin
50 SWM, seeking 30-40 SWF for laughs and good times. Please contact me at XXX-XXX-XXXX.
I can clearly hear the morse code beeps. With some head phones (if I knew morse code) - I could decode this using only the world's most powerful real-time signal processing and pattern recognition device - the human brain.
-josh
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.
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*
Umm.. thats not quite the point. The page says this:
Do you think you are good at copying weak signals? Well here's a test for you. I am posting a zipped 1 minute wav file of a VERY weak EME station calling me. I am offering $100 and a free copy of the FFTDSP42 to the first person who can tell me the call sign of the calling station. The signal is strong enough to just copy my call (AF9Y) near the middle of the 1 min period. The mystery station is sending a simple repeat of his call and my call. The characters "DE" may or may not be between the two calls.
So you CAN hear one of the call-signs... its harder than just listening carefully. Otherwise it would make no sense.
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?"
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.
Table-ized A.I.
... to drink your Ovaltine.
Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
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".
Table-ized A.I.
Here: Morse Code info.
Now all you need is a pair of headphones. I'm sure you can find a decent pair for less than $100 and make some quick money.
Try it. I'm betting it's harder than it sounds, but hey: people's hearing does vary. You might just be good at this.
'Sensible' is a curse word.
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