London, England - Researchers were able to text the lyrics to the anthem "O Canada" via vaporized vodka in a process described as using molecular signaling. Molecular signaling is a process which nature has been using for quite some time. Plants and insects make use of it.

Now, a technical feat of engineering has one-upped Mother Nature and sent a continuous stream of data through an unconventional medium. The technology may one day be able to allow for reliable transmission of data through mediums such as water, tunnels, pipelines, and internally inside the human body.

“Chemical signals can offer a more efficient way of transmitting data inside tunnels, pipelines or deep underground structures. For example, the recent massive clog in the London sewer system could have been detected earlier on, and without all the mess workers had to deal with by sending robots equipped with a molecular communication system,” said Professor Andrew Eckford of York University.

The break-through was the result of a joint effort between the York University in Canada and the University of Warwick. The transmission process converts any basic or generic message into a set of binary signals. The binary signals are then programmed into the molecules of evaporated Vodka and transmitted through that medium. The text message was literally blown through the air via a fan and decoded four meters away by a receiver that can detect the rate of change in the level of molecular concentration and even discern if the level is rising or falling. The process literally can produce an electrical signal from vodka molecules. The researchers are aiming for better transmission of data through underground mediums.

On The Web:
In a first, text message using vodka sent
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