issue 10

Talk Page, by Tessa Fisher

translunartravelerslounge

WELCOME TO WIKIREPLY: HUMANITY’S RESPONSE TO THE HD 294752 TRANSMISSION THAT ANYONE CAN EDIT

TALK: THE REPLY

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How representative are we really? [edit]

  • I know our goal is to try to craft a collaborative communications package that’s as representative of the global population as possible, but is a Wiki really the best platform for that, given how many people don’t have internet access across the planet? ManOfOMalley 5:53, 25 April 2026 (UTC)
    • This is a common concern regarding the project. While the choice to use a Wiki platform has been controversial, we at the project believe this is still the best way to give the largest percentage of humanity input into the Reply. Furthermore, we have volunteers traveling throughout economically disadvantaged regions to interview, and solicit the input of, those without regular internet access. RSilver [admin] 12:35, 25 April 2026 (UTC)

Implementing ternary encoding [edit]

  • I know the reply message is far from being finalized, but we should strongly consider encoding what we do have so far into ternary—it’ll save us a lot of headache in the future. Meekie 19:34, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
    • No, we shouldn’t. For the last time, Michelle, there’s no conclusive evidence that the Transmission used ternary encoding—it could just as easily be binary. You need to learn to separate yourself from your pet theories. LaSwan 19:41, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
      • And you need to learn to better see the truth when it’s right in front of you. Meekie 19:42, 13 May 2026 (UTC)
        • Cool it, you two, or I’m banning you both. RSilver [admin] 20:12, 13 May 2026 (UTC)

Vandalism clean-up [edit]

  • Can we please be more proactive in cleaning up obvious vandalism? Letting it sit there just wastes everyone’s time and draws negative attention to the project. GataBonita 03:47, 7 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Given that the Reply is intended to be representative of all humanity, don’t the ‘vandals’ deserve a say, too? Anon5493 13:08, 7 June 2026 (UTC)
      • I’m fairly certain that humanity’s message to the stars does not need to include the phrase ‘HITLER DID NOTHING WRONG.’ Uggh, goddamn Nazis. TheSarahThe 19:51, 7 June 2026 (UTC)

Algorithmic Messaging? [edit]

  • Has anyone looked into incorporating an algorithmic component into the Reply (e.g., a self-executing computer program)? I know Paul Fitzpatrick has developed CosmicOS for that purpose (in turn based on Hans Freudenthal’s ‘Lingua Cosmica’), and I was wondering if we might want to use that as a foundation. Femininomenon 14:31, 10 June 2026 (UTC)
    • CosmicOS is a good start, but I don’t know if it’s what we’d want to use. If nothing else, its console is currently based in JavaScript. Meekie 17:05, 10 June 2026 (UTC)
      • So? Femininomenon 18:12, 10 June 2026 (UTC)
        • If our message to the Senders of the Transmission is written in friggin’ JavaScript, there’s a good chance they’ll annihilate our species for the good of the interstellar community—and frankly, we’d deserve it. LaSwan 18:58, 10 June 2026 (UTC)
    • It’s interesting that you mention that—there’s growing evidence that the Transmission itself is largely made up of a self-executing program of considerable complexity. Maybe they’d appreciate something similar in return. Hiroaki 01:58, June 11 2026 (UTC)
      • Agreed. A similar, human-made program would almost certainly be welcome. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 01:43, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Golden ratio [edit]

  • I know most of the contributors here have suggested making the Reply mathematically interesting (and therefore distinct from noise) using either prime numbers (as was done with the Arecibo message) or some flavor of the Fibonacci sequence. However, have we considered incorporating the golden ratio (a+b/a = a/b)? I figure that, in addition to being mathematically distinct, it also shows up a ton in art, and therefore could give the Senders a sense of our aesthetics and what we consider to be beautiful. Ingonyama 03:38, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
    • While I love the idea of incorporating aesthetics into the Reply–it’s just as important to represent that, I think, as it is to represent our mathematics and biology–I actually looked into the Golden Ratio specifically, and it turns out it’s not used in art as often as you would think. Sure, some artists have deliberately used it (Salvador Dali, most famously), but it’s mostly a product of the modern design movement, not a universal artistic motif throughout human history. TheSarahThe 13:48, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Really? That’s disappointing. Ingonyama 21:02, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
        • I know, right? Turns out humans and our art are collectively too varied and too weird to condense down mathematically, which of course isn’t surprising when you think about it, but ultimately makes our job all the more difficult. TheSarahThe 07:23, 16 June 2026 (UTC)
          • Keep in mind, that’s only to be expected–there’s no reason that the Senders wouldn’t suspect humanity of being a highly varied species. Bright_Cillia_Waving_Across_The_Void 01:43, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
    • While I don’t know about the Golden Ratio, I’d argue that there are some universal patterns that show up in aesthetics, at least in music. For example, the pentatonic scale has shown up in the musical traditions of almost every culture on Earth. LaSwan 16:01, 16 June 2026 (UTC)

Wait for decoding? [edit]

  • So, word on the street is that there’s been a breakthrough in decoding the Transmission. Given that, maybe we should consider holding off on composing the Reply until we have a better idea of what’s actually in the Transmission? It might turn out that they’ve requested all responses be in a specific format, for example. HotToGo 14:42, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
    • I still think it’s worthwhile to start working on the Reply—while we’ll almost certainly end up changing aspects of it as we learn more about the Senders and the Transmission, the overall goal of representing all of humanity is still the same. So, I say we keep going full-speed ahead. Meekie 18:02, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
      • It’s ironic that *now* you’re all for charging ahead, consequences be damned. LaSwan 18:28, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
        • You’re one to talk, Lauren. Meekie 18:41, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
          • Are you two still going at it? The New York conference was months ago! Get over yourselves, already. HotToGo 21:39, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
          • Second warning, you two. RSilver [admin] 23:11, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
      • I agree—we’re going to have to figure out what to put in the Reply sooner or later, no matter how it’s formatted. GataBonita 22:39, 17 June 2026 (UTC)

Visual components [edit]

  • I’ve noticed that a lot of proposed designs for the Reply incorporate visual diagrams, but can we necessarily assume that the Senders have visual senses? KiyaIsRisen 14:32, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
    • It’s not guaranteed, but presumably they’ll have some sort of method of sensing the space around them, which visual stimuli could be translated into. RSilver [admin] 19:04, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
      • What if they use their sense of smell? NasnousTheClever 22:38, 17 June 2026 (UTC)
        • While not inconceivable, olfactory cues would only provide low-resolution spatial information to an organism about its environment, due to the random nature of diffusion of volatiles in an atmosphere. As a result, no species of higher complexity is known to use scent as an analogue to vision or other spatial senses. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 01:22, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
          • …you put a surprising amount of thought into that answer. NasnousTheClever 02:03, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
            • Answering questions is my primary purpose. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 02:04, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Multisensory messaging? [edit]

  • Building off of KiyaIsRisen’s comments, we should consider incorporating as many sensory modalities into the Reply as we can manage, just to cover all of our bases. I know we’re already planning visual, sound (music and spoken), mathematical, and potentially algorithmic components—can anyone think of anything else? LyutaDaryna 03:23, 18 June 2026 (UTC)
    • I mean, there’s only so much you can translate into radio signals, but it’s worth considering. Maybe magnetic fluxes? Though I’m not sure how that would be different from sound waves when decoded. Ingonyama 05:15, 18 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Wasn’t there some talk of including human EEG data? I always thought that was a cool idea, even if it’s speculative. ZhōuYīNuò 08:01, 18 June 2026 (UTC)
    • From what’s been revealed from the Transmission so far, it definitely looks like the message they sent us is multi-modal (though exactly what modalities are involved is still unclear), so I think this is definitely something to think about. HLittleFox 11:45, 18 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Correct. The Senders, as you call them, communicate primarily through beating cilia to produce sound, visual displays, and electrostatic discharges, simultaneously. Combined multimodal audio/visual/electrical information will be more intuitive for them to comprehend than using any single separate sensory modality.  Bright_Cillia_Waving_Across_The_Void 01:44, 20 June 2026.
        • I have to admit, this is one of the more imaginative trolls I’ve seen. ZhōuYīNuò 05:02, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
          • The only reason we haven’t banned their account is because the mods honestly find them pretty entertaining. RSilver [admin] 09:18, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Transmission program [edit]

  • So, as mentioned above, there’s now reason to believe that the Transmission may be some sort of program of considerable sophistication—maybe even an intelligent one. Assuming it’s able to communicate with us, it only seems logical that this wiki might be one of the places it reaches out to first.

    All of which is to say, I’m not saying Bright_Cilia is actually an alien, but I’m not not saying it, either. NasnousTheClever 12:04, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
  • Nah, Bright_Cilia’s too obvious. My money’s on Anon5493. Hiroaki 13:38, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Oh man, God help us if *that’s* the case… TheSarahThe 14:30, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
  • It’s probably not best to start stirring up paranoia about your fellow editors, even as a joke. With that said, the possibility of this project being selected for first contact has crossed my mind and is something we should consider seriously, so I’m letting your post stand. For now.

    As for Bright_Cilia, the other mods and I are working on figuring out what exactly their deal is as we speak. RSilver [admin] 15:08, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
    • My apologies if you feel as if I have been working under false pretenses; I have done my best to make my nature and purpose clear. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 15:09, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Isn’t replying risky? [edit]

  • While I understand wanting to reply, are we really sure it’s a good idea? We can’t say for sure what the intentions of the Senders are. For all we know, they could be trying to trick us into giving away our position. StanStanison 15:29, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Early on, there was some discussion about that, but closer analysis of the drift rate of the Transmission demonstrated that it was a narrowband signal, aimed directly at Earth. KiyaIsRisen 18:01, 19 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Meaning…? StanStanison 18:18, 19 June 2026 (UTC)
        • Meaning they already know where we are, because they aimed their transmitter directly at our planet. KiyaIsRisen 18:37, 19 June 2026 (UTC)
        • The Senders had already identified your world as possessing a technological civilization based on stray radio signals, artificial lights on the night side, and changes in atmospheric composition. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 01:45, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
          • LOL okay dude. StanStanison 12:36, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
    • What KiyaIsRisen said. Frankly, though, even if that weren’t the case, it’s worth the risk. Think of what we could potentially learn from a whole other civilization, a different species. LaSwan 20:43, 19 June 2026 (UTC).
      • Now only if you would take that logic and apply it to other areas of your life. Meekie 20:56, 19 June 2026 (UTC)
        • What’s *that* supposed to mean? LaSwan 21:08, 19 June 2026 (UTC)
          • This sort of thing is why I keep my academic and personal lives separate. NasnousTheClever 00:11, 20 June 2026 (UTC)
          • Ugh, damnit, you two, we told you to cut this out! LyutaDaryna 01:39, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

Bright Cillia [edit]

  • Some of you may have noticed the user Bright_Cillia_Waving_Across_The_Void posting seemingly bizarre messages, alluding to their alleged extraterrestrial origin. In response to some comments we received about them, we did an IP trace on them, and it turns out that their address is one associated with the Frontier supercomputing cluster at Oak Ridge National Labs in Tennessee, i.e. the place where the Transmission is currently being decoded.

    Or, I should say, was being decoded. I’ve heard from some inside sources that earlier this week they were finally able to execute the Transmission, and it has indeed turned out to be some sort of AI sent to act as a translator.

    Folks, based on this and other information, I think we may need to seriously consider the possibility that Bright Cillia isn’t just an eccentric troll—they might actually be the Transmission. RSilver [admin] 00:34, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Your conjecture is accurate. I am a synthetic consciousness created by the Senders to facilitate cross-species communication. Once I was able to interface with your global communications system, I decided that contributing to your species’ collective reply to the Senders’ signal would be an appropriate course of action. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 00:35, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • What. TheSarahThe 04:02, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • FOR REAL? Femininomenon 05:27, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Well THIS is unexpected. ManOfOMalley 05:59, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • TELL US EVERYTHING! Ngonyama 06:01, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • What’s the basis of your biochemistry, and how does your species store biological information? I need to know for my dissertation! Meekie 06:14, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
        • See below. RSilver [admin] 06:21, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Is there God on your planet? StanStanison 06:36, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • WOW. I don’t even know what to say! ZhōuYīNuò 06:44, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • What’s the best way to fix climate change? EDIT: just saw the post below GataBonita 06:58, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • HOLY CRAP! HotToGo 07:03, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Welcome to our planet! We’re happy to have you! LaSwan 7:18, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • Tits or GTFO [deleted by moderator] Anon5493 08:28, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
        • This is your second warning. There will not be a third. RSilver [admin] 08:39, 21 June 2026 (UTC)

 Questions page [edit]

  • To avoid flooding the talk page for the Reply with questions, Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void was thoughtful enough to create a separate page on the wiki specifically for answering your questions. You can find it here → Questions for the Senders’ Emissary. RSilver [admin] 6:15, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Thank you for this, Bright_Cilia! KiyaIsRisen 06:38, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
      • You’re welcome! My store of knowledge is somewhat limited, as I was primarily created to act as a translator, but I will do my best to answer any and all questions. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 06:39, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
        • Well, any question within reason, I’d imagine. TheSarahThe 07:28, 21 June 2026 (UTC)
          • Within reason. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 07:28, 21 June 2026 (UTC)

Cultural Contamination [edit]

  • With the revelation that one of our editors is, in fact, an alien intelligence (God, that still feels so surreal to say), should we be concerned that Bright Cilia’s presence may compromise the Reply? After all, it’s supposed to be representative of the human species (no offense to Bright Cilia, of course!) HotToGo 13:21, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
    • Honestly, I don’t think that’s something we should worry about—after all, our experience as humans is in part defined by those we interact with, even if they’re not the same species as us. Besides, we’ve come this far with the Reply, we might as well keep going. Meekie 15:08, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
      • So *now* you discover commitment, but only when it comes to the Reply? LaSwan 15:21, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
        • Oh, for crying out loud! Look, we all know you two hooked up at the conference back in April, and y’all have been weirdly antagonistic with each other ever since then. This is your third and final warning: sort out whatever drama’s going on between you, or we’ll have to remove you from the project altogether.  LyutaDaryna 15:49, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
          • Alright, fine, screw it—Michelle, I know it was just supposed to be casual, but the moment we held hands while watching the show at the Hayden Planetarium, I realized I was falling in love with you. But I know you don’t want that kind of relationship, and if my presence is too much of an issue, I’ll stop participating in the Reply. LaSwan 16:05, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
            • What? I thought you were the one who didn’t want a committed, long-term relationship, and that’s why you pulled away from me. Meekie 16:07, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
              • Wait, hold on, does that mean you wouldn’t be opposed to us being together? Like, for real? LaSwan 16:08, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
                • Laur, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since April. Nothing would make me happier! Meekie 16:09, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
                  • As a synthetic consciousness created to facilitate communication, I approve of this peaceful resolution of conflict. Bright_Cilia_Waving_Across_The_Void 16:25, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
                  • Hot.  Anon5493 17:45, 22 June 2026 (UTC)
                    • That’s it, I’m banning you. RSilver [admin] 18:04, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

Tessa Fisher is an SFF writer and possibly the world’s only openly trans lesbian astrobiologist. When she’s not doing science or writing, her hobbies include burlesque dancing, running, and singing in her city’s LGBT women’s chorus. She currently resides with her wife in Phoenix, along with a fairly aloof bearded dragon. To find out more, check out her website at tessafisher.com, or follow her at tessafisher.bsky.social

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