Future Update

May 13, 2028 — The SETI Institute reported yesterday that after 44 years of seeking first contact, it has finally received a message from an alien race.  The organization, which seeks to find life elsewhere in the universe, said it received a transmission April 15 from a species requesting additional episodes of I Love Lucy.

“This is a day we’ve been dreaming of for years,” said SETI spokeswoman Stella Beam. “And it appears these aliens share our sense of humor – or at least the sense of humor we had 60 years ago.” 

SETI scientists spent 12 days decoding the message. They say the transmission came from a planet about 100 trillion miles away.  They estimate that it took roughly 59 years and 364 days for the signal to reach that world, but that the aliens apparently had a sophisticated technology that allowed them to respond within one day.

Today, most video and audio signals are captured in fiber optic wires and narrow beams, so they don’t leak into space. But when the old CBS television network first aired I Love Lucy in 1951, some of the electromagnetic signals from the premiere broadcast traveled into space at light speed, Beam explained. Astronomers have long believed that the signal would dissipate as it traveled past our solar system.

“Apparently we were wrong,” Beam said. “This is the greatest cross-cultural bridge to be built since the French discovered Jerry Lewis.”