I remember someone (perhaps it was Carl Sagan) noting that long before
Voyager gives other intelligent beings knowlege of our existence, our
early radio and televion brodcasts will be available for their
perusal. They noted that their first impression would be shaped by,
among other things, early brodcasts of Howdy Doody and I love Lucy. I
am looking for a quote and a citation.

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 03 Mar 2004 21:57 PST

Here's a quote from astronomy professor Nick Strobel: 

" Messages have been attached to the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft,
but they will take thousands of years to reach the nearest stars. Our
main mode of communication is the inadvertant messages we have been
transmitting for several decades now: some of the signal in television
and radio broadcasts leaks out to space and rushes outward at the
speed of light. It takes many years for the radio and television
signals to reach the nearest stars because of the great distances to
even the nearest stars. So perhaps radio astronomers on other planets
are watching the original broadcasts of 'Gilligan's Island' or
'Three's Company' and are seriously reconsidering their decision to
say hello. "

http://www.astronomynotes.com/lifezone/s6.htm

A similar quote from astronomy professor Barbara Ryden:

" In fact, we have been (inadvertently) beaming radio messages into
space for three-quarters of a century, since large-scale commercial
radio broadcasts first began in the 1920's. An expanding sphere of FM
and TV broadcasts surrounds the Earth. (They become increasingly faint
with distance, however, so it's not likely that other civilizations
are intently watching the original broadcasts of 'I Love Lucy''.) If
we ever succeed in detecting radio waves from an alien civilization,
it will probably be the result of the civilization deliberately
broadcasting a very strong signal into outer space saying 'WE ARE
HERE! WE ARE HERE!' "

http://www-astronomy.mps.ohio-state.edu/~ryden/ast162_10/notes45.html

A quote from Dr. Robert Jastrow, founder of NASA's Goddard Institute:

" ...the TV and FM broadcasts, let alone the radar from our defense
installations, are sending out a signal, a shell of radio energy that
signals that there is life on this planet, and that started in
intensity, oh, about 30 years ago, I would say, in the 1960s. And all
those I Love Lucy and Jack Parr shows are spreading out into the
cosmos, and it's been going on for thirty years at the million watt
level. So it's spread out thirty light years. And within thirty light
years there are some dozens of stars. And if they got the word thirty
years ago, they would be sending a reply back to us. And those who are
only fifteen light-years away, will have sent a message back fifteen
years ago, which should just about be reaching us today... I think
that mankind is on the threshold of entering a large cosmic community.
"

http://www.daystarcom.org/interview/08interview.htm

Do any of these quotes ring a bell?

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Clarification of Question by zwick7-ga on 04 Mar 2004 10:17 PST

I think the Jastrow quote was probably the one I was misquoting.

Thanks

z

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 04 Mar 2004 12:11 PST

May I repost the Jastrow quote as the official answer to your
question, or are you seeking additional suggestions from other
Researchers?

---

Clarification of Question by zwick7-ga on 04 Mar 2004 14:36 PST

Yes  - I consider the question answered.

Thank you


z

Thank you for accepting my suggestion as the answer to your question.
I've reposted the material below.

A quote from Dr. Robert Jastrow, founder of NASA's Goddard Institute:

" ...the TV and FM broadcasts, let alone the radar from our defense
installations, are sending out a signal, a shell of radio energy that
signals that there is life on this planet, and that started in
intensity, oh, about 30 years ago, I would say, in the 1960s. And all
those I Love Lucy and Jack Parr shows are spreading out into the
cosmos, and it's been going on for thirty years at the million watt
level. So it's spread out thirty light years. And within thirty light
years there are some dozens of stars. And if they got the word thirty
years ago, they would be sending a reply back to us. And those who are
only fifteen light-years away, will have sent a message back fifteen
years ago, which should just about be reaching us today... I think
that mankind is on the threshold of entering a large cosmic
community."

DayStar: Interview of the Week
http://www.daystarcom.org/interview/08interview.htm

I believe Dr. Jastrow has voiced this thought more than once. I recall
seeing a similar quote from him that was published in OMNI Magazine in
the late 1980s. I have not been able to locate that version of the
quote.

This is the search string that brought me the best results:

Google Web Search: "light years" + "i love lucy"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22light+years%22+%22i+love+lucy

I hope this information is useful. If anything is unclear or
incomplete, please request clarification; I'll be glad to offer
further assistance before you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

How about "Oh my god, we are ripe for the pickin" and "How
imbearassin" said by yours truly... No? ...Shucks!