In this scientific day and age, impossibility is a quality eaten away by time. The notion that something cannot be done is giving way to the moral debate over whether or not it should be done, and beneath that debate is the cold pulse of scientific advancement willing to do anything to sure up man's mastery of the physical domain. It is in this emerging netherworld of ethics and technology beyond imagination that Fringe resides, applying classical horror and fantasy story telling techniques to the realms of science, removing the impossibility from the occasion and going straight for our modern day sensibilities of techno-paranoia and fear where the question isn't "is it possible?" as much as "is anything impossible?" Keep your eye right here for an examination of some of the technology and theories at the heart of JJ Abrams' new show Fringe.
Fringe Glossary
An examination of some of the technology and theories at the heart of JJ Abrams' new show Fringe.
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October 14, 2008
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The Ghost Network
In the episode of the same name, the Ghost Network was described as a set of radio frequencies beyond the range of normal technology. Walter had carried out experiments using human beings as receivers, one of those experiments - Roy McComb - was a success in a very unexpected way - the substance had collected in the visual processing region of Roy's brain, the Occipital Lobe, causing transmissions to manifest as visions.
The nefarious cabal responsible for "The Pattern" was using the Ghost Network, as a result Roy had experienced visions of multiple events that he had sculpted, drawn, or painted.
After Walter was able to move the substance into the audio processing region of Roy's brain, the temporal lobes, Roy was able to hear the conversations being broadcast over the Ghost Network.
While the idea is certainly compelling, amateur radio operators routinely intercept "hidden" transmissions during the normal range of radio frequencies usually encrypted with nearly impossible to crack algorithms. The idea of a "ghost network" isn't exactly science fiction though.
Several government projects have been rumored to be engaged in the research of developing "ghost networks." The Haarp project in Alaska works in extremely high frequency radio waves, while the Clam Lake transmitter in Wisconsin functions like a real "ghost network" transmitting in the ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) range of 3 to 30hz. It has also been suggested that ELF transmissions can be made to target specific areas of the human brain causing a range of emotions.
