{"id":40772,"date":"2019-11-24T15:01:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=40772"},"modified":"2019-11-24T15:01:03","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T19:01:03","slug":"500-terahertz-border-crossing-light-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/500-terahertz-border-crossing-light-bridge\/","title":{"rendered":"500 TeraHertz border-crossing \u201clight bridge\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/LozanoHemmer4-e1574621789956.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-40773\" src=\"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/LozanoHemmer4-1024x570.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"348\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Many thanks to <em>SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Ed, who writes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>SWLing Post readers might be interested in hearing this BBC World Service radio documentary about a political tech art project that uses visible light beam voice comms across the Mexico&lt;&gt;U.S. border to bridge communities. There&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utep.edu\/rubin\/program-outreach\/border-turner.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a website that explains how it all works<\/a>. I guess ~500 TeraHertz is technically radio?<\/p>\n<p>(Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/play\/w3csz1zg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BBC World Service<\/a>)<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-left: 40px; text-align: left;\">BBC World Service &#8211; In the Studio<\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 40px;\">Rafael Lozano-Hemmer\u2019s Border Tuner<\/h2>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Released On: 19 Nov 2019<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Imagine huge searchlights which can be seen over a ten mile, 15 kilometer radius talking to one another across two countries. This is exactly what electronic media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is creating this November between Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez in Mexico and El Paso in Texas.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Called Border Tuner, the project will see enormous bridges of light connecting the US-Mexico border for the first time.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">When lights from the stations (three on each side) are directed at each other and they manage to make a connection, a massive bridge of light is formed. This activates microphones and speakers allowing participants to communicate with one another across the border. The \u201clight bridge\u201d flickers like morse code as the participants listen and speak to one another. If they don\u2019t like what they are hearing they can retune to a different light beam.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">This is not the first time Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has used search lights in his art but he\u2019s never done anything on this scale or with this complexity before. Born in Mexico City in 1967, he first produced a remote-controlled searchlight project in 1999 for the Z\u00f3calo Square in Mexico City. Since then he has created installations in dozens of cities around the world where the public controls the searchlights using the internet, mobile phones, megaphones or heart rate sensors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Presented by Monica Ortiz Uribe<br \/>\nProduced by Emma Betteridge for the BBC World Service<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds\/play\/w3csz1zg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Click here to listen via the BBC World Service.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Fascinating concept! Thank you for sharing, Ed!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: SWLing Post readers might be interested in hearing this BBC World Service radio documentary about a political tech art project that uses visible light beam voice comms across the Mexico&lt;&gt;U.S. border to bridge communities. There&#8217;s a website that explains how it all works. I guess ~500 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[508,3],"tags":[8155],"class_list":["post-40772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art-2","category-news","tag-rafael-lozano-hemmer"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aBC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13664,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/06\/bbc-at-war-new-series-sheds-light-on-wwii-broadcasting\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":0},"title":"BBC At War: new series sheds light on WWII broadcasting","author":"Thomas","date":"June 17, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to several\u00a0SWLing Post readers from the UK who have pointed out this new BBC Two documentary: The BBC at War, Presented by Jonathan Dimbleby. BBC Two describes the documentary\u00a0as, \"[a]n enthralling series exploring how the BBC fought not only Hitler but also the British government to become the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BBC-AT-WAR","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/BBC-AT-WAR.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1197,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/06\/bbc-world-service-annual-broadcast-to-antarctica\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":1},"title":"BBC World Service annual broadcast to Antarctica","author":"Thomas","date":"June 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"(Thanks to Andy Sennitt for bringing this to my attention.) This year, it's difficult for me appreciate the annual tradition of broadcasting to the 43 scientists and technicians at the British Antarctic Survey in light of the recent BBC World Service cuts. Still, the broadcast is quirky, nostalgic and certainly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/BBC-WorldService.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22247,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/bbc-world-service-to-launch-11-new-language-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":2},"title":"BBC World Service to launch 11 new language services","author":"Thomas","date":"November 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: BBC News) The BBC World Service will launch 11 new language services as part of its biggest expansion \"since the 1940s\", the corporation has announced. The expansion is a result of the funding boost announced by the UK government last year. The new languages will be Afaan Oromo, Amharic,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Image source: BBC)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/BBC-Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50501,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/radio-waves-radio-bulgaria-online-small-town-station-is-backbone-of-community-1949-radio-contact-and-bbc-world-service-performance-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":3},"title":"Radio Waves: Radio Bulgaria Online, Small Town Station is Backbone of Community, 1949 Radio Contact, and BBC World Service Performance Review","author":"Thomas","date":"October 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s Radio Waves, a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Broadcasters&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Woofferton_transmitting_station_2011.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40688,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/behind-the-scenes-film-of-bbc-rampisham-down-site-circa-1961\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":4},"title":"Behind-the-scenes film of BBC Rampisham Down site circa 1961","author":"Thomas","date":"November 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Porter, who shares a link to the following BBC Archive video of BBC RMP circa 1961. The BBC posted this video in light of the recent demolition of all but one of the original Rampisham Down towers. Click here to watch the video\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Screen-Shot-2019-11-19-at-06.41.14.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Screen-Shot-2019-11-19-at-06.41.14.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Screen-Shot-2019-11-19-at-06.41.14.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Screen-Shot-2019-11-19-at-06.41.14.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66022,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-the-bbc-emergency-radio-service-may-4-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":40772,"position":5},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of the BBC Emergency Radio Service (May 4, 2026)","author":"Thomas","date":"May 6, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC ERS broadcast. Carlos notes: BBC Emergency Radio Service https:\/\/youtu.be\/yu5E6PaiTUk?si=_l7XpxsmfnhCedRY Click here to view on YouTube.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Art&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/04may2026-Latuff-BBC-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40772"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40772\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}