GCTR6R Primary Factors
Type: Mystery | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: hiking_fool (adopted by vorticity) @ | Hide Date: 03/06/2006 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 53.503 W104° 52.502 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 15
     

---

Not at the posted coordinates. Possible parking spot.

---

In early 1962 the astronomer Frank Drake, author of the famous Drake equation (an equation whose purpose is to allow scientists to quantify the uncertainty of the factors - the seventh being the primary - which determine the number of extraterrestrial civilizations), sent a 'message' to other members of the Order of the Dolphins club that was similar to the following:


0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1


The message ended with the note "A total of 551 1's and 0's. What does it tell us?" The message was proffered as an example of something that might be received from another civilization in space, and members of the Order of the Dolphins (which included Carl Sagan, later to author the book 'Contact') as well as Richard Feynman were challenged to decode it. Neither the scientists in the Order nor Feynman were successful. Feynman entertained the idea that it said something about the fine-structure constant or the quantum number of electrons in an iron atom. Good guesses, but wrong. Your challenge is to succeed where a Nobel laureate failed – what does the message tell us?

[Rumor has it there really was an actual message, apparently coming from around Galaxy 551. The first part of the message read: "We think we left a picnic item or two at the following coordinates. If you find it, let us know. Please, no collect calls."]


Additional Waypoints

04/23/2018 By RPieperCO
Thanks for the fun cache! I worked at this one far longer than I care to admit! I was missing one little piece that I had tried early on and had considered but with the wrong factors it didn't work out and I moved on to much harder options. I came around once Gampa&Gamma gave me a nudge to try my original thought. Duh....

Parked at the obvious location and made the short hike to cache. Great views! Everything is in perfect order here! Signed and stamped the log and replaced everything as found. Thanks again! Another great cache by a great cacher.

02/13/2018 By WingsAndTales
I've had this in my solved stack for ages. I'm trying to work off some of those so I made the trek today. The cache is in great shape. TFTC

11/12/2016 By billkat
Nice little hike. Tftc

11/12/2016 By kb0rpw
Took a hike

10/01/2016 By gampa&gamma
We have had this one solved for awhile, but took the time today to stop, hike a bit and grab the cache. We avoided the tent camper nearby ??? and SL. Thanks for the fun puzzle. Love that this one is still in circulation.

07/26/2016 By geoguru1
On a run to the Springs with Robespierre50 for vintage caches and a couple of brewery visits (for stickers). Robespierre had done most of the brain work. Made the hike to the cache more difficult than necessary. SL

07/26/2016 By robespierre50
On a run to the Springs with geoguru1 for vintage caches and a couple of brewery visits (for stickers). Solved this more than a year ago and it was finally the right day to make the find and sign. Wouldn't want to see this archived or anything. Great puzzle and entertaining walk to the cache. TFTC fave.

09/15/2015 By roughinit2
Fun puzzle. The hike to the cache eventually came upon a lot of fresh cactus. We took a snake and left an AFA coin.

07/26/2015 By nicehice
Needed this one to help fill in a missing date

07/26/2015 By jherber
TFTC I came down from Woodland Park this morning with nicehice to find a few caches we needed for various dates, puzzles, and challenges. Yours fit the bill so we stopped by and signed the log. All was in good order. Thanks for the Smiley face on the map. I took a TB to move it along its journey.

Thanks to hiking_fool for a lot of help with the puzzle.