The Aldrin Code...

In 1996 Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Ph.D. (Colonel, USAF, Retired) Former NASA Astronaut published a "science-fiction novel" with co-author John Barnes, titled Encounter With Tiber.

The book "contributes one of the most embarrassing factual errors in science fiction: 4097 (17 × 241) is not a prime number". The error mentioned in the review refers to Page 95 in my hand-signed first edition copy, in which author Aldrin describes the decoding process applied to a SETI signal from an alien civilization.

Is this REALLY an error? Or is it a key?

Think "Bible Code" here for a minute. Is Aldrin "making disclosure" without breaking his security oath, by using an imbedded 'back story"- a disclosure of an encounter with alien artifacts on the Moon? Or is Buzz- an MIT whiz- just "bad with numbers"?

If you have a talent for math and codebreaking, give it a try.

And- let us know what you find...

I'm sorry but, do i have to buy the book to get a clue? There is only a mention of a number without additional text to elaborate on. A number on it's own means nothing in this case

[edit on 27/6/2007 by Cygnific]

Try your local Public Library. By the way, Aldrin served as lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969, the first manned lunar landing mission. I can't find an online link to a 'free' e-book edition, but maybe someone on ATS has a link to one.

can you scan the relevent pages, and upload the pictures?

this sounds like it could be interesting...

I might just have to go to the library, to see if they have a copy.

Can't scan, its copyright material. The story is cheesy, unless you view it as possible 'non-fiction'. The open story is: a handful of Centauris came to Earth as 'emigrants' from a planet under asteroid bombardment; their expedition was a maximum effort given their technological capability (about 200 years in advance of ours now), and lacked backup or inherent capability to subdue indiginous earth-life (us); they left a derelict base on the Moon and Mars, but died out on both worlds; they died out at Centauri from the bombardment; there may be succesful (?) colonies elsewhere. While on Earth about 7000 years ago, they tried to enslave humans (hence our Sky-God legends), then died out from protein incompatibility and failure of spacecraft systems. They left a radio-beacon that led humans to an 'Encyclopedia' on the moon.

Cheesy, but interesting (considering the source).

There are a lot of signals from space that alarmed people at the time but now have been downplayed too much, such as the "WOW!" Signal.

Wikipedia: Wow! Signal

And then there are also downplayed things like the Black Knight Satellite.

[edit on 1-7-2007 by Vinci]