iota said: Would it be possible to send an object like the Hubble Telescope to retrieve lost radio and tv broadcasts?
Unlikely.
First, those broadcasts have been going at light speed for years. To receive the transmissions, something would need to be in its path. That means we would have to send something faster than the speed of light to catch up and pass it, then slow down and intercept it. But, the entire time the object we send has been catching up to it, the signal itself has been going at the speed of light. Imagine trying to catch up to a car that's been going at 60 mph for a full day. Right now, we're on foot.
Second, that broadcast is insanely weak. Suppose we were able to get past that first hurdle. Well, the second hurdle would be difficult too. Radio signals from pre-space flight were sent in all directions, just like a naked light bulb. But, because light moves in 3 dimensions, a light twice as far shines with 1/4 the brightness. The distance between the source of a transmission and the reception was measured in miles. The distance between where we are now, and the leading edge of those transmissions, were measured in lightyears. One lightyear equals very fucking far. This means if we were to catch up and intercept it, it would probably be hard to distinguish the signal from the background radio interference.
Oh my gosh, I wish! I'm glad I'm not the only one who has thought about this.
In the 1950s, there were allegedly reports that a Houston, TX. television station was receiving broadcast interference from a British TV channel with the station ident KLEE-TV. The kicker? When station execs in Houston reached out to the British TV authority, they were informed that the station in question had not been broadcasting for years! It was a mind-blowing story that circulated as true for many years, but has now been largely debunked as a hoax.
Still, that story inspires the imagination about what actually happens to our broadcast signals after they've been sent? What if they reach an unintended audience? Could there be intelligent life somewhere else in the universe enjoying the beautiful memories that we weren't able to record ourselves?
Most likely, as Piboiva said, the signal is too weak. Like a flashlight beam, it will eventually spread out and disperse over a great distance, and barely register as static in the universe. But I love the OP's question, because it highlights the great lengths we might go to, in order to retrieve some of these cherished memories. It also highlights the cultural significance of TV history, and the important impact even the most obscure shows have had on some people. Hopefully someone out there has some of that lost media we're seeking, and is taking good care of it for posterity's sake. We can never have too many archivists in this community.
Love you, too
