Original subtitles

[music]

[music]

Thank you.

There they are. Yours up yet?

I don't know. I can't see.

Yes, there.

Well done. We showed them, didn't we?

Fantastic.

Matthew.

Ah, there you are. Lunch in 5 minutes,

so you better come and clean up.

All right.

What's this?

Ah, yes. Cambridge.

Albertine.

Yes.

I wonder how she's done.

She got a starred first, whatever that

is.

Did she indeed?

That's pretty good. In fact, it's pretty

fantastic, especially after only one

year.

She was top of the whole exam list.

Well, I suppose with Chalky.

When did you hear? I didn't think the

results were published yet.

They went up a few minutes ago.

And her?

Oh, yes, of course. Your telepathy. She

must be thrilled. She is.

Congratulations on your marvelous

achievement, buddy.

Now, the important question is, what are

you going to do next? I'm afraid you

can't collect your degree for another

two years.

We know that.

Regulations. You have to keep nine terms

before you can graduate.

It's a city regulation.

Well, not for the average undergraduate.

We don't get many people who can

complete the course in three terms like

you. In fact, I don't believe we've ever

had anybody before. Not in 800 years.

I'd like to do some research,

of course. But what?

Cosmic energy.

Cosmic

and anti-gravity.

Anti-gravity. That's an interesting

idea. Could there be such a thing?

Could there be such things as quarks?

Yes.

My word, young lady, you do choose the

most difficult areas. Anti-gravity,

indeed. Where would you ever begin?

Anti-gravity.

I should begin with gravitational waves

in space.

Oh, I see you're moving over from pure

mathematics to astrophysics.

That's right, professor. Do you mind?

No, no, it's very interesting. You'll

have to let me have some proposals,

something a little bit more specific.

And then the university can consider

funding you.

What? No, I think they're all part of

the same radio telescope. They're

looking at the stars, of course. Well, I

don't know. It may look primitive to

you, but for us, it's very nearly the

latest thing.

What are you doing here?

Just looking.

Why? Wait a minute. Aren't you

Albertine Mayor?

Oh, yes. Our famous child prodigy.

H you often go around talking to

yourself. No, I was just thinking out

loud.

I see.

I didn't know anybody was here.

Obviously not.

Who are you?

Beatress Little. Dr. Little. I'm an

astronomer.

Do you use this telescope?

Of course. Otherwise, I shouldn't be

here. Which brings us back to my

question. What are you doing here?

I'm hoping to do some research.

Research

you into what?

Cosmic energy and gravitational waves.

What makes you so sure either of them

exists?

Oh, I know. I mean, that's why I want to

research them to find out.

You're not planning to use this

instrument?

No, but I thought if I'm going to be

working in astrophysics, I ought to know

as much as I can about what other people

are doing.

I suppose that's fair enough. As long as

you don't interrupt or try and interfere

with my work.

No. Will you tell me about it?

All right.

Come along.

And this is our largest and highest

resolution instrument.

5 km earth rotation synthesis radio

telescope consisting of four fixed and

four movable dishes on an east west

baseline.

Why synthesis?

Because it synthesizes the image we

would have obtained with a single very

large dish. Or rather the computer does

and all the signals are fed into it over

a period of time. So, it's all

controlled by a computer?

Yes, of course. The computer steers the

instrument and processes all the

signals.

Once it's set up and programmed, we can

leave it to get on. Sometimes nobody

goes near it for days.

I don't know

what.

Sorry, just thinking out loud again.

Please, may I see the rest of the

observatory?

Oh, well, come along.

I'll give you the guided tour.

And this is the control room. The main

frame computer isn't here, of course.

I'll show you that in a minute. But this

is the main control desk.

Well,

it doesn't look too complicated.

No, it has to be simple. It's designed

for professors to use.

And you type the instructions on the

computer keyboard here.

Exactly.

We can give the computer a cure of items

to be observed over a number of days

like this. First of all, we access

track. That's what we want it to do. And

then the name of the object if it's

already in the memory. say 3C48.

That's object number 48 in the third

Cambridge catalog. And then the time we

want it to happen, say 1500 hours

on the 23rd

there.

How you getting on?

Fine.

You think you'll be able to do enough to

convince them it's worth giving us the

money?

Yes, of course I do. Don't worry.

All right. Bedtime now, though. Best

leave it for tonight.

Okay, Dad. I'll just finish this bit.

It'll only take a minute.

Not too long, mine. You must get your

beauty sleep, you know.

Good night, Daddy.

Now,

darling. See you in the morning.

Oh, Chucky,

that'll have to do for tonight.

You have done well. I am very pleased

with you.

Thank you. It's very interesting and I

am enjoying it.

That is good.

But I'm very tired now.

I understand your mind needs to rest.

Alpatine.

Yes,

that radio telescope.

Yes,

it is very primitive.

Yes,

but even so, it could be good enough.

What for?

To locate the position of my home

planet.

Do you really think so? That would be

terrific.

Yes. It would only be necessary to get

into the computer which directs the

telescope. I could do that through the

phone line if I knew the phone number

and computer code.

I know them. I read them this afternoon

when Dr. Little was showing you around.

Right.

The number is 62

9 0.

The code 9 6 1 4 3 72.

We're in. Now what?

Now we have to give it a new program and

then we can start the search. Brilliant.

[laughter]

Those

are the right coordinates, Alpatine. Let

it search there.

Fascinating.

Utterly fascinating.

So, you think it's an acceptable subject

for research, professor?

Speaking for myself, I have no doubts.

No doubts at all.

Thank you.

But you must encount your chickens, my

dear.

Is there something wrong?

I'm not the only person you have to

convince. There's a committee. There's

always a committee. Surely if you

recommend us.

You must realize that money is very

short these days. There's a limit to the

number of projects that we could afford

to finance.

But it must be obvious this is important

work.

Yes, that's what they all say. My work

is important. No, the truth of the

matter is that most of our funds are

already allocated for the coming year.

There's only one grant still available.

Oh, that's all right. If there's still

one grant available.

There is. But you're not the only person

who wants it. There's at least one other

very good candidate.

Who's that?

Beatric Little.

Dr. Little, the astronomer.

That's right. Do you know her?

Yes, I have met her.

Then you'll know how exciting and how

important she thinks her work is.

But surely, Professor, no matter how

interesting her work is, it can't be as

important as Albertines.

You think not. But

what is it?

She's investigating a new binary star.

Yes, but what we're talking about is the

discovery of an entirely new form of

energy, boundless energy from an

unlimited source.

What we're talking about, Mr. Mayor, is

the search for boundless energy. It's

not quite the same thing as its

discovery, is it? Theories are one

thing. Proof is quite another.

It does exist. I know it does, and I

know I can prove it.

[laughter]

Very well, then. In that case, young

lady, we must do our best to make sure

that you get the grant. Right. Where do

we start?

I suggest that we publish this. You

wouldn't object?

Of course not.

All right, then. Leave that to me. And

then you ought to give a public lecture

on it. I'll see what I can arrange.

What on earth? What's going on?

My program.

Alpha team. Alpha team.

What? What is it?

Look,

I am looking, but I don't know what I'm

supposed to be seeing.

Signals. They are signals.

Yes, I know that, Chalky. Radio signals.

Yes. Yes, but they are special signals.

Why? How?

They are messages.

You mean somebody is actually sending

you?

Yes. An intelligent life form.

More than that. Oh, this is very

exciting for me. Why, Chucky? What is

it?

They are my people. Wow. Our colonies.

Oh, Chucky. That's brilliant. Brilliant.

Yes. Oh, I'm so happy. So happy.

Professor Ferris.

Dr. Little, what are you doing here?

Someone has been interfering with my

program.

I very tiresome for you, but I don't see

why.

Is that all you can say? It's more than

tiresome, professor. It's downright

disgraceful.

Yes. Yes, quite.

Weeks of work mucked up. The telescope

realigned on an entirely new heading.

Intellectual vandalism. That's what it

is.

But what has it to do with me?

Someone has managed to break into the

computer and make use of it to play with

the radio telescope.

But who?

You may well ask. I racked my brain

wondering who could be so irresponsible.

And then I realized I caught her

snooping around the observatory. I've

even been foolish enough to show her

around and explain things to her.

To whom?

Why? To that infant prodigy of yours.

You can't mean Abigene Mayor.

That's exactly who I do mean. That

precocious brat. No doubt she thinks the

telescope is some wonderful toy.

I find that very hard to accept. Have

you any proof of what you suggest? Come

in.

Good morning, Professor. Oh, I'm sorry.

Are we interrupting?

No, no, no. This is Dr. Little. Mr.

Mayor Albertine, I think you've already

met.

Yes. Hello, Dr. Little. How are you?

Dr. Little is here on a rather serious

matter.

Oh, really?

It seems that somebody's been making

illicit use of the radio telescope.

Do you know something about this?

Of course she doesn't. How could she?

Very easily, I'm sure.

Albertine.

Yes.

Uhhuh. I knew it.

Do you realize what you've done to my

program?

I'm sorry. I was always very careful to

put everything back where it was.

Well, what use do you think that is, you

little fool? That telescope is set on a

continuous program. It has to go on

without any interruptions for several

weeks.

I'm sorry. I didn't realize.

It's too late to be sorry. The damage is

done. Have to start all over again.

Albertine, I can't imagine what we're

thinking of.

I'm sorry. I didn't know. I promise I

won't do it again.

There. You've had your apology and a

promise. I think we might put the whole

thing down to, shall we say, youthful

indiscretion.

I'm very sorry, Dr. Little. I I had no

idea Albertine was doing anything like

that. You have my word. There'll be no

repetition.

Shall we leave the matter there, then?

Dr. Little.

H

I suppose. So,

excellent. Now, perhaps you'll have some

coffee.

No, thank you. I have a great deal of

work to do. Good morning.

Good morning.

Albertine, how could you?

Well, I dare say it was only curiosity

and no permanent harm has been done. So,

let's leave it there, shall we?

Thank you.

We have more important things to talk

about, like this lecture you're going to

give in London.

You mean it's on?

It certainly is. And you better make a

good job of it if you want that grant.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

I'm most impressed. You must have done a

great deal of traveling. No, not

exactly.

Don't tell me they're painted from

photographs.

No.

Well,

uh, they're really just impressions of

how Matthew imagines the places.

Oh, I understand. From what you've seen

on films and television and so on.

Something like that. Yes.

In that case, I'm even more impressed.

Quite remarkable.

Albertine.

Matthew. Isn't this exciting? Hello, Mr.

Mayor.

Hello, Matthew. Well, you must be very

proud. One man show at your age.

No prouder than you must be.

Hello Albertine. Congratulations on your

results.

Thank you Mr. Gore. Of course having

Chalky around certainly helped.

Well, even so, it's a marvelous

achievement.

Should have got a first. In any case, it

would have taken longer. That's all. Say

two years instead of one.

Come show me your pictures. Okay. I've

done a new one of the windmill. Wait

until you see it.

How's she coping with Chalky? I mean,

she's coping very well. I must say I

still find it all rather difficult.

I know what you mean.

Well,

yes sir, she came.

Ah, excellent. And

they're obviously still communicating

with each other.

How very interesting. Keep up the

surveillance.

The term cosmic ray is applied to

elementary particles, usually protons,

electrons or nuclei of atoms which

travel through space at a velocity close

to the speed of light. Some 90% of these

particles are protons. The hydrogen of

nuclear. When high-speed cosmic ray

protons collide with hydrogen atoms in

the interstellar medium, nuclear

reactions take place between them.

and a number of pions are created. These

pions are unstable and decay almost

immediately to produce a pair of gamma

rays with an energy of about 100 mega.

Equating this to a gravitational wave

force delta f, the electromagnetic noise

in gravitational wave units is therefore

The aim of these experiments will be to

identify and eventually collect

gravitational waves from black hole

events in galactic nuclei and stellar

collapses which are both impulsive

sources and continuous sources such as

binary stars pulses in the Crab Nebula.

Thank you.

[applause]

[applause]

[applause]

I enjoyed your lecture very much,

Albertine, but I must say I found it

rather theoretical. This grant is

essentially for practical work. Now,

should we decide to give the grant to

you, do you really believe that you can

achieve successful experiments?

Yes, of course I do.

Well, well, fancy that now. I wish I

could be so certain of success every

time I started an experiment.

Quite quite. Surely, Albertine, you can

only say that you hope your experiments

will succeed.

No, I know they will.

Nonsense, girl. Nobody can possibly say

that.

I can.

Albertine, please. I admire your

confidence, but you must beware of being

overconfident. You know,

statements like that are irresponsible.

I know more than I'd expect from someone

who can interfere with somebody else's

work.

What do you mean?

What you haven't heard about this girl

getting into the radio telescope?

That incident was not to be talked

about. Dr. Little agreed.

Dr. Little was furious, and I can't say

I blame her. Her whole program was

ruined.

That's not fair. I said I was sorry, and

she promised. Indeed, you did in this

very room.

But what did the girl do?

She managed to make a connection with

the computer controlling the radio

telescope. Oh, and then fed in her own

program when she was using the telescope

like an expensive toy.

I was not. That's not true.

Oh dear. That's hardly the sort of

behavior one expects now, is it?

Well, it's exactly the sort of behavior

I'd expect from an immature child. And

how can we possibly give our one

remaining research grant to someone who

was so irresponsible.

I wasn't playing with it. I was

searching for a planet.

Well, that's not so difficult. There are

billions of them out there.

Not like this one.

Oh, and what is so special about this

one? Is it inhabited or something?

If you must know, yes.

Albertine. [laughter]

Albertine.

And did you manage to find this planet?

No, but we did manage to make contact

with some of the beings who have

colonized other planets.

Little green men with horns and eyes in

the middle of their forehead.

No, it's not like that. We heard

messages, signals from them.

Oh, you made contact with intelligent

life forms. You did something the world

has been trying to do for centuries.

I think I've heard enough. Thank you,

Albertine.

But you've got to believe me. It's true.

I have a friend

from outer space. Yes. [laughter] Yes.

Yes.

Please help me, please.

I am Albertine's friend. My name is

Chalky.