From Steve Miller, University College London
It would appear that the only hope for radio astronomy is to set up receivers
on the Moon, clear of the interference from the proposed global network of
cellphone satellites. But how to pay for this expensive project?
The answer is obvious: blackmail. A few years of using the world’s radio
telescopes to eavesdrop on indiscreet cellphone conversations should easily
provide enough saleable material to cover the costs of a few trips to the Moon
and the necessary construction work. And should there be ethical objections to
such a scheme, radio astronomers can claim the moral high ground. What could
possibly be fairer than asking the polluters of radio astronomy to pay for its
relocation?
