In scientific television programs, you often hear that the nearest star is 4 light-years away. This means it takes 4 years for light to reach us – or, conversely, for light from our own Sun to reach that star system. Radio waves, such as those broadcast into space by our television stations, take just as long to travel that distance.

Humanity has been beaming television series into space for 50, 60, or even 70 years now. What might aliens living far away think if they were to decode these shows – if they sat down every evening to watch and engage with them?

Dynasty
Seinfeld
Game of Thrones
Breaking Bad
The Simpsons

They would surely consider us to be incredibly dim-witted, wouldn’t they?

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