than balloons have heretofore gone. We shall take along the wireless receiving instrument and try to intercept messages from Mars, Venus or any other of the planets.
“The planet Venus defies the telescope. All we get from Venus is a reflection from the planet's atmosphere or gaseous envelope. This very atmosphere of Venus is a sign of probable life on the planet.
“We cannot presume to send messages to Mars on this coming trip, but will only try to receive. The question has been raised of how we should get our grand connection necessary for telegraphy.
“There are several answers. We will use what is practicable. If, in the meantime, it is established that a thousand foot wire banging from the car with surrounding atmosphere forms a ‘grounding,’ we will use that.”
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When asked about the practicability of recent plans for establishing communication with Mars, Professor Eric Doolittle of the Flower astronomical observatory, University of Pennsylvania, said: "The idea of signaling to Mars with the object of determining whether or not the planet is inhabited is practical and might be easily carried out by the construction of large geometrical reflectors in the plains of Siberia. The triangle, the square and the circular plane could be used. Were we now on Mars with our telescopes, such a set of figures would be distinctly discernible. If Mars is inhabited by intelligent men, and if among them there are astronomers watching this earth, those men would see these geometrical figures, and they would communicate by constructing similar devices.”