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The Electromagnetic Spectrum

LIFE v1.0 maps acoustic frequencies to visible light - the range human eyes can perceive, from approximately 380nm (violet) to 700nm (red). But the electromagnetic spectrum extends far beyond what we can see.

This is an open question at the heart of the project.

What we targeted in v1.0​

Visible light was the natural starting point. It is the most immediately perceivable part of the spectrum. It allows the codec to be demonstrated visually - music becomes colour, colour becomes music.

The scaling constant 2⁴⁰ was chosen specifically to bridge the audible range to visible light.

What lies beyond​

The full electromagnetic spectrum includes:

  • Radio waves - Hz to MHz. What SETI listens to.
  • Microwaves - GHz range. Used in radar, communications, cosmic background radiation.
  • Infrared - THz range, just below visible light. Heat signatures. Night vision.
  • Visible light - 430 to 770 THz. What LIFE v1.0 targets.
  • Ultraviolet - beyond violet. Energetic, ionising at high frequencies.
  • X-ray and Gamma - extreme high frequency. Astronomical phenomena.

The implication​

If harmonic ratios are universal, then the scaling constant is a choice - not a constraint. Different constants bridge the audible range to different parts of the spectrum.

A codec targeting radio frequencies would use a different constant. The mathematics is identical. The medium changes.

This matters for one reason in particular: radio waves are what SETI listens to. A LIFE-encoded signal transmitted in the radio spectrum would look like structured mathematics to a receiver scanning for non-random signals - because it is.

What this means for the specification​

Version 1.1 of the LIFE specification will address multi-spectrum encoding - the ability for a single .life file to target multiple frequency ranges simultaneously, with different scaling constants per channel.

This is listed as an open question. Contributions welcome.