The Hercules Text
Encyclopedia
The Hercules Text is a 1986 science fiction novel by Jack McDevitt
. It tells the story of a message of intelligent extraterrestrial origin received by SETI
-scientists. The Hercules Text was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award in 1986.
The novel is set in an ongoing Cold War
scenario. Unlike other First Contact
stories, there is no dialogue between the senders of the message and mankind, as the received radio signals have travelled through space for several thousand years.
, the fictional Hercules Array, which was built on the far side of the Moon
. It is later discovered, that the message was sent with an artificial Pulsar
built by the alien race. This pulsar with the name Althea
has been known by the scientists for years. It was believed to be a normal pulsar. However, what made it special was its almost perfectly regular interval between the observed pulses.
One day some of the pulses suddenly fail to appear. This incident draws more attention to this particular pulsar, as the newly discovered gaps show a remarkable pattern.
The first gap consists of one missing pulse, the second of two missing pulses and the third gap consists of four missing pulses. The following gaps also consist of numbers representing powers of 2
(2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, ...). The transmission of these numbers goes on for a couple of days until the pulsar falls completely silent.
The silence lasts for several weeks until it breaks again. This time, not just a simple sequence of numbers is received by the Hercules Array. Now, a very large and complex amount of binary data is sent from somewhere close to Althea. Scientists are able to decipher this data. It consists of several mathematical and physical formulae and simple graphical information. Later, more complex information is found, e.g., parts of the sender's DNA
, schematics for very advanced technology, philosophical texts or poems.
or the Internet
.
Jack McDevitt
Jack McDevitt is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology....
. It tells the story of a message of intelligent extraterrestrial origin received by SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
-scientists. The Hercules Text was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award in 1986.
Plot summary
The story emphasizes the various characters' reactions to the event, according to their specific scientific background. For example a priest's speculations on the implications for religion, a psychologist's theorizing about the aliens' psyches, the scientists' consideration of the implications of the new knowledge for their own specialties, and the president's concern for the implications for national defense.The novel is set in an ongoing Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
scenario. Unlike other First Contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
stories, there is no dialogue between the senders of the message and mankind, as the received radio signals have travelled through space for several thousand years.
The Extraterrestrial Message
The message is received with a large radio telescopeRadio telescope
A radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
, the fictional Hercules Array, which was built on the far side of the Moon
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
. It is later discovered, that the message was sent with an artificial Pulsar
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the lighthouse effect and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name...
built by the alien race. This pulsar with the name Althea
Althea
Althea is an English female personal name, originally a variation of the Greek name Althaea. Althea in Greek means "healer".Richard Lovelace used the name in a poem that John Milton later alluded to in Lycidas....
has been known by the scientists for years. It was believed to be a normal pulsar. However, what made it special was its almost perfectly regular interval between the observed pulses.
One day some of the pulses suddenly fail to appear. This incident draws more attention to this particular pulsar, as the newly discovered gaps show a remarkable pattern.
The first gap consists of one missing pulse, the second of two missing pulses and the third gap consists of four missing pulses. The following gaps also consist of numbers representing powers of 2
Power of two
In mathematics, a power of two means a number of the form 2n where n is an integer, i.e. the result of exponentiation with as base the number two and as exponent the integer n....
(2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, ...). The transmission of these numbers goes on for a couple of days until the pulsar falls completely silent.
The silence lasts for several weeks until it breaks again. This time, not just a simple sequence of numbers is received by the Hercules Array. Now, a very large and complex amount of binary data is sent from somewhere close to Althea. Scientists are able to decipher this data. It consists of several mathematical and physical formulae and simple graphical information. Later, more complex information is found, e.g., parts of the sender's DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, schematics for very advanced technology, philosophical texts or poems.
Addressed Questions
Jack McDevitt addresses a couple of questions which are likely to arise if mankind should receive a message of extraterrestrial origin someday.Announcement of Receipt to the Public
The protagonists discuss the possible impacts on mankind following the announcement of the receipt of the message.- How would religious groups react upon coming to know of a second creation?
- How would the proven existence of extraterrestrial life affect our daily life and culture?
- What would be the reaction of people who do not believe in the authenticity of the message?
New Knowledge
The deciphered message contains a lot of information about advanced technology. How do people deal with this newly discovered advanced knowledge?- What ideas on using it do scientists, politicians, and the military have?
- Would mankind be prepared for the great responsibility that would come together with this powerful technology?
- How risky would it be for mankind to play with these totally new and not yet fully understood technologies?
Publication history
The Hercules Text has been rewritten by Jack McDevitt before being re-published in the year 2000 as part of the two-novel-book Hello Out There (book) (ISBN 1-892-06523-1). The story received some changes taking into account the end of the Cold War and some technical developments like the Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
or the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
See also
- ContactContact (novel)Contact is a science fiction novel written by Carl Sagan and published in 1985. It deals with the theme of contact between humanity and a more technologically advanced, extraterrestrial life form. It ranked No. 7 on the 1985 U.S. bestseller list....
by Carl SaganCarl SaganCarl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books... - Communication with Extraterrestrial IntelligenceCommunication with Extraterrestrial IntelligenceCommunication with extraterrestrial intelligence is a branch of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence that focuses on composing and deciphering messages that could theoretically be understood by another technological civilization. The best-known CETI experiment was the 1974 Arecibo message...
External links
- The Hercules Text at Worlds Without End