Shining a Light on Interplanetary Communication

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at the MIT have developed a new device that they claim could one day boost interplanetary communication to broadband speeds. From the article: 'The new light detector improves detection efficiency to 57 percent at a wavelength of 1,550 nanometers--the same wavelength used by optical fibers on Earth to carry broadband signals to homes and offices. Currently, light detectors only absorb about 20 percent of the light they receive. "It can take hours with the existing wireless radio frequency technology to get useful scientific information back from Mars to Earth," said study team member Karl Berggren from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "But an optical link can do that thousands of times faster."'"

Comments

talk about priorities...

[thedletterman]

we don't even have broadband coverage in like 60% of the united states, and we are seriously talking about broadband access for martians.. c'mon..

just spin the laser

[maynard]

if we spin it around the beam will be going many order of magnitude faster than light when it reaches mars. That way the long latency is irrelevent. Also, it looks cool. Sorta like a fire engine.

I'm gonna go to the sandbox and play with my Tonka Firetruck now.

well, that's an argument

[maynard]

"um, no"

No what? That the spinning laser light won't be going faster than light when it reaches Mars? Of course it will! Duh. If you spin light around the farther out it goes the faster it goes until infinity. Then it starts going slower. That's relativity. Einstein said so.

"um, no"

I hear you. You're just not thinking nonlinearly. Stop walking straight and following the cracks in the sidewalk. Jump over them! That's thinking nonlinearly.

"um, no"

Look. What is Gravity? It's just the dents in the felt of a pool table caused by a ball. Sort of like a reverse nipple. Therefore, antigravity is the nipple!

Physics is a snap, dude. You just gotta think.

Re:well, that's an argument

[zolaar]

First, before I continue, I do encourage you to continue with your studies regarding pool tables and nipples. The benefits to society could be enormous.
That said, I was in complete and total agreement up until your last conclusion here.

...antigravity is the nipple...

Unfortunately, tests have shown that nipples, over time, are very much affected by gravity...