small logo SETI Songs Aplenty
It Takes Time To Talk To ET
lyrics © 2007 by Dr. H. Paul Shuch
Sung to the tune of "Lucille," © 1976 by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum

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SETI's a science that places reliance on radio signals in space.
Wave propagation of ample duration is likely to reach any place.
If we receive, understand, and believe any message that falls from the sky,
Flirt with disaster, and craft a good answer, it still may be futile to send a reply.

CHORUS:

It takes a long time to talk to ET.
EM velocity can't exceed c.
Waves go the distance without much resistance.
They get there eventually,
But it takes time to talk to ET.

It's a tradition in hard science fiction to write of a two-way exchange
Crossing the cosmos. I surely enjoy those, but there are some things you can't change.
There is no photon that we pin our hopes on that ever can try to compete
With tachyon waves as they're said to behave, but if those aren't fictitious, they're surely discreet.

CHORUS

You say, "I don't care about waves. I'll go there in person at warp factor ten."
That's merely ruminal. Speeds superluminal can't be accomplished by men.
If we can't fly there, I think it is most fair to say they can't reach us as well.
So we try radio. Even though very slow, such one-way messages volumes can tell.

CHORUS

Performed by Dr. SETI ® on the CD "Sing More Songs of SETI" Sing More Songs of SETI CD

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