# Phantom Radio Signals

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-radio-signals/5330>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 13, 1999, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-radio-signals/5330 "1999-12-13T21:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-radio-signals/5330/21 "2014-02-10T10:58:08Z")

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> [@Timothy\_Campbell](#):
>
> There is a layer of the ionosphere called the “Heaviside” layer (named after the guy of that name, I think).

I always wondered how it got that name. Is that the heavyside layer mentioned in Cats?

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-radio-signals/5330/22 "2014-02-10T15:38:39Z")

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> [@Timothy\_Campbell](#):
>
> There is a layer of the ionosphere called the “Heaviside” layer (named after the guy of that name, I think).

> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> I always wondered how it got that name. Is that the heavyside layer mentioned in Cats?

zombie or no

Ollie is the one.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-radio-signals/5330/23 "2014-02-10T18:06:57Z")

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The atmospheric layer was named before _Cats_. I’m guessing that the lyricist for that song (one of the few not written by T. S. Eliot) had heard the term used for an atmospheric layer, and decided it sounded neat as a way of saying “above the sky” for “heaven”.

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**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\
**Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phantom-radio-signals/5330/24 "2014-02-10T20:44:49Z")

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> [@aruvqan](#):
>
> I always wondered how it got that name. Is that the heavyside layer mentioned in Cats?

Yes. Named after [Oliver Heaviside](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Heaviside), a brilliant guy.

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