h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, I am obviously missing something.

Or maybe I am taking the analogy too literally.

But if a system was made, you could conceivably just say "When I send a signal, I will throw in a string of 'zeroes' right before it, so you know when to start reading."

Then you don't have to muck around with the whole "wait for it, wait for it..." bit.


And sorry I got so hung up on the first analogy, but I just can't accept one of those "hidden things under the hood" deals. I actually know how everything from the intake to the final drive works on most machines. I find it inconceivable that some people can drive a car their whole lives and not know one iota of its inner workings.

Again, taking analogies way to literally, sorry.

This falls well into the class of difficult questions. I think something can only happen for certain if it is observed. When it isn't observed directly we can argue that it did occur using logic, but we didn't observe it so cannot be sure.