I’m excited to share a fresh perspective on the Contact Project. While many gaze into the vast expanse of space, searching light-years away for evidence of extraterrestrial life, I believe we should look closer to home. Yes, radio astronomy may one day unveil the whispers of alien civilizations beyond our solar system, but in my view, Earth is already a crossroads for extraterrestrial visitors.
We don’t need to venture far to find “ET.”
THE E.T. MOVIE PHONE
Radio amateur Henry Feinberg explains the communicator he built for the movie “ET: The Extraterrestrial.” Have you ever wondered how quickly the mothership responded to ET’s call? The E.T. movie phone can transmit actual messages into space to orbiting saucers. Doesn’t that sound ludicrous?
E.T.’s mothership wasn’t actually very far from Earth. That’s how he was rescued so quickly.
The banner for the Contact Project embodies this very idea. What many see as a simple child’s toy, reminiscent of the beloved movie “E.T. The Extraterrestrial,” is, in fact, a working communications device capable of sending signals into Earth orbit.
I’m not saying that we should build this contraption. But the idea that it may be possible to contact ETi by sending radio signals is the core idea of this website, the “ContactProject.Org.”
In the world of science and technology communication, Henry Feinberg shines brightly. A true innovator at heart, he crafted the remarkable communicator featured in the film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”
Using everyday household items, Henry pieced together an ingenious device that could transmit E.T.’s iconic “phone home” signal.
The communicator consists of three distinct components. At its core lies a modified Speak and Spell, with its keys reconfigured to form an entirely new alphabet. From each key, Henry connected wires to another pivotal piece—the programmer.
This unconventional programmer is built atop a turntable, but instead of a record, it features a saw blade adorned with multiple coats of insulating spray paint.
Henry crafted openings in the saw blade that correspond to specific letters. As the turntable spins, the saw blade passes under a row of Bobby pins, which contact and activate the Speak and Spell just as if one were pressing the buttons directly. Adding to the complexity of this creation, Henry ingeniously fashioned a ratchet system using a knife and fork hinged together. As the turntable rotates, the knife and fork pivot back and forth, precisely indexing the saw blade to generate the next letter of the message.
To further enhance his creation, Henry attached a rope to a nearby tree branch in the forest. As the wind rustled through the trees, it pulled the branch back and forth, gently advancing the saw blade tooth by tooth. With this setup, he not only programmed a message but also needed to transmit it across the cosmos.
For the transmission, Henry utilized a speaker-microphone from a CB walkie-talkie that belonged to Elliott. He ingeniously routed the signal to a UHF TV tuner—an ingenious piece that E.T. had “borrowed” from Elliott’s mother’s television set. This tuner elevated the signal from the CB frequency into the microwave range, channeling it into a coffee can that vibrated to amplify the transmission.
Finally, the message was funneled through an umbrella lined with a reflective coating, which directed the signal outward into the vastness of outer space. Each component harmonized beautifully, showcasing not only Henry’s talent as an inventor but also the enduring possibilities of communication across galaxies.
