F or most of the past century, humankind has been sending out a calling card of our existence throughout the cosmos in the form of radio waves. Somewhere among the stars, civilizations are assessing Planet Earth based on such things as our music, talk shows, news broadcasts, and most of all, commercials.
Radio is, in many ways, the redheaded stepchild of advertising.
Here s a scary thought. Advanced extraterrestrials are picturing us as a primitive, belligerent people who scream at one another in big, booming echo-filled voices. Odds are, they re aiming the laser cannons at us right now, ready to obliterate us for the sake of the universe s well being. If these same aliens have been picking up Atlanta radio broadcasts, however, their thinking may be changing. These clever commercials may some day be credited for saving the planet.