# The Aether before Radio Transmissions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 7, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848 "2011-03-07T22:04:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simple\_Mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Simple\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Mind)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/1 "2011-03-07T22:04:08Z")
I was wondering what one would have heard say 1850 with a good 20th Century Receiver covering all Bands, I assume probably just static but I used Radios all my live and I noticed this noise like an increase and decrease of white noise when one rotates the Dial, would that be heard then as well? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/2 "2011-03-07T22:13:39Z")
Crackles and pops when lightning strikes. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/3 "2011-03-07T22:17:58Z")
noise in a receiver can be an artifact of that receiver. humans do generate a lot of radio noise. nature generates radio noise which will vary in time of day, season and year, besides thunderstorms. ---
**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:** [March 7, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/4 "2011-03-07T23:32:13Z")
At least some of what you hear will be the remnants of the fireball of the Big Bang. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/5 "2011-03-07T23:47:21Z")
The [sun](http://www.radiosky.com/suncentral.html) and [jupiter](http://www.spaceacademy.net.au/spacelab/projects/jovrad/jovrad.htm) emit radio waves which I expect predate the invention of wireless communication. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/6 "2011-03-08T03:54:39Z")
_This is Radio WGB playing the latest hottest tunes. You’ve just heard "My Grandfather’s Clock by the… Dammit, Wilbur, I give up. I told you that this here radio transmitter is worthless pile of junk unless someone invents a radio receiver._. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aether-before-radio-transmissions/573848/7 "2011-03-08T06:56:26Z")
In the February Sky&Telescope, there’s an article (which I could not find online) about a massive solar storm that happened in 1859. Telegraph communication was severely impacted, but otherwise there were just a lot of aurorae. A radio receiver around then would have picked up some really major noise during that storm.