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Modulation amplitude analysis

A Morse code message, hidden in a modulation amplitude analysis

"What's that noise?"
"I believe it is a primitive form of communication known as Morse code."
"You're right. I'm a little out of practice."
– James T. Kirk and Spock, 2287 (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

Morse code was an antiquated means of audio or visual non-verbal communication via technology developed on Earth, during the 19th and 20th centuries, such as telegraphs. A message in Morse code was transmitted from a transmitting set and was received by a receiving set. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; TNG: "The Big Goodbye", "A Fistful of Datas") Some people were still familiar enough with it into the 22nd, 23rd and 24th centuries to utilize or recognize it. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; TNG: "Up The Long Ladder"; VOY: "The 37's"; ENT: "Vanishing Point")

In 2024, Raffaela Musiker and Seven of Nine wondered if a series of activations of Cristóbal Rios' combadge could be Morse code. It was actually a young boy, Ricardo, playing with the badge at Clinica Las Mariposas. (PIC: "Assimilation")

In 2152, Hoshi Sato attempted to use Morse code to communicate with Jonathan Archer while she experienced a hallucination during her first experience aboard a transporter. (ENT: "Vanishing Point")

In 2257, Sylvia Tilly suggested Morse code as an alternative way to communicate with the USS Enterprise when its communications systems were too compromised for voice transmission. (DIS: "Brother")

In 2267, "general call" Morse code was transmitted automatically by the SS Botany Bay and the code was received by the USS Enterprise. Nyota Uhura received and identified it. (TOS: "Space Seed")

In 2287, Montgomery Scott tapped out "stand back" in Morse code on the back of the USS Enterprise-A's brig moments before blasting a hole through the wall, thus freeing Leonard McCoy, Spock and James T. Kirk. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)

Morse code was mentioend in a detective novel Data was reading in early 2364 to become more prepared for a Dixon Hill adventure. He was employed by Silent Forrester. (TNG: "The Big Goodbye")

The pages seen in the episode were actually from the detective novel, The Listening Man, by author John A. Moroso. This novel was published in 1924. Information on Morse Code was from page 113.

In 2371, the USS Voyager discovered an Morse code signal for SOS (··· ­­­­­­­­−−− ···, three dots, three dashes, three dots) emanating from a planet in the Delta Quadrant. (VOY: "The 37's")

In 2377 during the third segment of the Antarian Trans-stellar Rally Harry Kim had to alert B'Elanna Torres and Tom Paris on the Delta Flyer that their converter was rigged to explode when they crossed the finish line but Irina had damaged the comm system. He was able to alert them using a modulating pulse modified to mimic the Morse code he and Paris had used in the "Captain Proton" holonovels – "converter rigged: eject." (VOY: "Drive")

In 2384, while simulating possible encounters with the USS Dauntless on the holodeck of the USS Protostar, Dal R'El had Rok-Tahk fire phasers off the ship's bow in a Morse code pattern to communicate the message "do not contact, virus aboard" to warn about the danger of the living construct. However, the simulated Dauntless crew failed to understand the message's meaning and only interpreted the phaser fire as an attempted attack. Shortly thereafter, while unintentionally swapped into the body of Admiral Kathryn Janeway on the real Dauntless, Dal used the Morse code signal for SOS to communicate his need for help to his crewmates. While Gwyndala suggested using a return message in Morse code, Jankom Pog pointed out that the letters for SOS were likely the only elements of Morse code that Dal had memorized, forcing them to communicate their plan to Dal via charades instead. (PRO: "Ghost in the Machine", "Mindwalk")

Morse code is a method for transmitting information by using standardized sequences of variously spaced short and long elements for the characters and words in a message and originally created for Samuel Morse's electric telegraph in the mid-1830s.

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