Arecibo answer

{{ufology}}
The "'''Arecibo answer'''" is a [[crop circle]] (well, crop rectangle, to be accurate) that is purported to be a response to the "Arecibo message", a piece of coded information about [[Earth]] and humanity which was first beamed into space in 1974.<ref>{{see-wp|Arecibo message}}</ref> It appeared in 2001 near the [http://www.stfc.ac.uk/Chilbolton/ Chilbolton radio telescope] in Hampshire, [[United Kingdom|UK]]. Despite the fact crop circles are ''known'' to be [[hoax]]es, people still believe that this is key evidence of [[extraterrestrial]] presence on Earth.<ref>[http://www.rense.com/general13/arc.htm Answer To 'Arecibo' Crop Circle? - A Clever Hoax?], Bill Hamilton, [[Rense.com]]</ref> At the time of this hoax, the [[Crank|usual suspect]] came out of the woodworks to claim that this is "undeniable proof!!!!" that aliens have contacted us.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alien Messages|url=https://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens/season-9/episode-7|access-date=2019-11-19|series=[[Ancient Aliens]]|work=[[History Channel]]|date=2014-12-26|season=9|number=7|lang=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=[[Richard C. Hoagland|Richard Hoagland]]|title=The Chilbolton Crop Glyphs - A Message Finally Received|url=https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/circulos_cultivos/esp_circuloscultivos12.htm|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref> Amidst all this madness, [[SETI]] had to actually come out and spell it out that the obvious hoax is indeed an obvious hoax.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Is the Latest Crop Circle a Message from E.T?|work=[[SETI|SETI.org]]|url=http://seti.org/general/ao_message_crop.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041013062350/http://seti.org/general/ao_message_crop.html|archive-date=2004-10-13|access-date=2019-11-19}}</ref>

==The response==

The crop circle is a near replica of the Arecibo message, which contained various pieces of information such as the numbers of chemical elements, the composition of [[DNA]], the position of [[Earth]] in the [[Solar System]], and a depiction of a human being. The "answer" itself doesn't expand much upon this and still forms the same 23 x 73 grid (because these numbers are primes) and most of the chemical data remains the same. The changes to the message to create the response are straight from existing alien [[folklore]] and [[science fiction]]. In the section detailing important chemical [[element]]s, the main focus is altered from [[carbon]] to silicon, and the diagram of DNA is re-scribbled slightly. At the bottom, the pictogram of a human is replaced with a shorter figure with a large, bulbous head. This is a clear reference to the [[Gray aliens|"grey" type of alien]], and [[Alien#What_we_know_so_far|as a depiction ''could only be'' something that a human came up with]].<ref>[https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/circulos_cultivos/esp_circuloscultivos12.htm The Chilbolton Crop Glyphs - A Message Finally Received], Richard Hoagland</ref>

Note also the [[pareidolia|obvious representation]] of the [[Flying Spaghetti Monster]]… ''four years'' before Bobby Henderson’s letter to the [[Kansas]] School Board. ''Oo-wee-oo!''

==Reality check==
The likelihood of the Arecibo message ever being picked up is very, very low. It was aimed at globular star cluster M13, which is 25,000 light years away. In fact, it's so far away that in 25,000 years when it finally reaches its destination, its destination will have, in fact, moved slightly. The message was only intended as a demonstration of the transmission technology, not as a serious attempt to make contact.

The message does also pass close enough to a few nearby stars to have been potentially "received" in their vicinity. But why wouldn't the recipients simply send back a message via radio, instead of coming here and messing up some poor farmer's crops at night and then sneaking away?

{|
|-
| [[File:Arecibo message.svg|thumb|center|A colourised mosaic showing the Arecibo message. (The original was transmitted as a series of 1s and 0s, so a black-and-white image is more appropriate, but less readable).]]
| [[File:Arecibo reply message.svg|thumb|center|A colourised mosaic of the "answer". Again, a black-and-white mosaic would be more appropriate, but less readable, as the "answer" was made by flattening squares of crops.]]
|}

==See also==
*[[Alien abduction]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Hoaxes]]

Categories: Hoaxes