Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

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NASA remotely reprogramming Voyager 1 also means that aliens can reprogram all of our satellites. (lemm.ee)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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NASA remotely reprogramming Voyager 1 also means that aliens can reprogram all of our satellites.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 4 months ago (2 children)

This is assuming that they would know and understand the code. Also, that nothing is encrypted but I guess encryption can be broken.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (3 children)

I would doubt they would have encrypted anything on the probe back in 1977 when it launched.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The ultimate security by obscurity. Do you have a 30m antenna? Can you point it exactly at the space ship with almost no error? Do you know what it's code and protocols are? OK, please reprogram Voyager

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 months ago

Stick with the plan.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

OP says reprogram all of the satellites. So I would assume that would include the modern ones with encryption as well.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I cannot confirm or deny any such arrangement exists with an existing alien species.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

Call the FBI! We found the alien!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (4 children)

I would hope there is at least authentication of some kind...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Admin

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Actually it's Admin47 now because of the yearly password change requirement.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I would guess not. Any authentication scheme would just be another risk point to not be able to talk to the thing from earth.

But I'm just guessing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I wouldn’t be so sure. They were probably scared the Russians might sabotage it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

That's actually a good point. However, the technology and conceptual understanding of encryption was not really a thing in 1970

Sure encryption was around but it was mostly people with code books

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

when these were launched in the 70's authentication wasn't a concern, getting it up, and reporting back was

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

It is from the 1970's