sorry for posting so much my mind is working this morning a lot. do radio waves ever really go away after bouncing back and forth from the earth to the atmosphere. i know that the signal loses energy after bouncing but is it possible that some of the earliest radio signals are still in the air even if *very* low in energy? it would be cool to somehow pick up some of these reflection signals sort of like going back in time.

If that were possible I think someone would have done this by now. Think about it this way too, stations across the country using the same frequency would also be there so how could it be possible to discriminate which signal to get?

:sorry for posting so much my mind is working this morning a lot. do radio waves ever really go away after bouncing back and forth from the earth to the atmosphere. i know that the signal loses energy after bouncing but is it possible that some of the earliest radio signals are still in the air even if *very* low in energy? it would be cool to somehow pick up some of these reflection signals sort of like going back in time.

Sure would make for an interesting sci-fi/mystery/fantasy radio program, wouldn't it? Or maybe it's already been done.
Actually, with my US History students I pretend that "catching" old radio signals is possible as I tune in one of my vintage radios. Fun!

:If that were possible I think someone would have done this by now. Think about it this way too, stations across the country using the same frequency would also be there so how could it be possible to discriminate which signal to get?
:
::sorry for posting so much my mind is working this morning a lot. do radio waves ever really go away after bouncing back and forth from the earth to the atmosphere. i know that the signal loses energy after bouncing but is it possible that some of the earliest radio signals are still in the air even if *very* low in energy? it would be cool to somehow pick up some of these reflection signals sort of like going back in time.

Remember that the signal weakens by the square of the distance, e.g. if you have a signal of one at one mile from the antenna, you will have one fourth of the signal at two miles, one nineth at three miles, one sixteenth at fout miles etc, etc. ergo, as the signal keeps expanding, it keeps weakening. Also, at the speed they travel, the radio signal is gone from the earth instantly, and forever, say, by the time it gets to Pluto.
Lewis

:Sure would make for an interesting sci-fi/mystery/fantasy radio program, wouldn't it? Or maybe it's already been done.
:Actually, with my US History students I pretend that "catching" old radio signals is possible as I tune in one of my vintage radios. Fun!
:
::If that were possible I think someone would have done this by now. Think about it this way too, stations across the country using the same frequency would also be there so how could it be possible to discriminate which signal to get?
::
:::sorry for posting so much my mind is working this morning a lot. do radio waves ever really go away after bouncing back and forth from the earth to the atmosphere. i know that the signal loses energy after bouncing but is it possible that some of the earliest radio signals are still in the air even if *very* low in energy? it would be cool to somehow pick up some of these reflection signals sort of like going back in time.