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Culture & Society
From night-time efficiency to confirming the Big Bang, a Russian physicist explains the hidden world of radio waves and their future in 6G and quantum antennas.
Radio waves are everywhere—powering smartphones, Wi-Fi networks, satellite navigation systems, and even medical implants. Yet much about them remains unknown to the general public. Scientists from Perm National Research Polytechnic University have now shed light on seven unexpected facts, explaining why radios work better at night and in winter, how radio waves helped confirm the Big Bang theory, and what communication technologies lie ahead.
Professor Viktor Krishtop from the Department of General Physics explains that radio waves are the same type of electromagnetic radiation as light. The human eye, however, can only perceive a very narrow band of wavelengths—between 380 and 750 nanometers. Radio waves are far longer, ranging from millimeters to hundreds of kilometers, making them invisible to us.
Different types of radio waves serve distinct purposes. Long waves can bend around obstacles and travel vast distances, making them ideal for navigation and long-range communications. Short waves, by contrast, struggle to penetrate walls but can carry enormous amounts of data. This makes them the foundation of Wi-Fi, mobile communications, and 5G networks.
Wireless communications work more efficiently at night and in winter, according to Krishtop. The reason lies in solar radiation. During the day, the sun's ultraviolet rays create a layer of charged particles in the atmosphere that partially absorbs long radio waves. At night, this effect weakens, making the signal more stable.
Radio waves play a pivotal role in space exploration. Radio telescopes can observe celestial objects that traditional telescopes cannot, such as cold gas clouds, pulsars, and supermassive black holes. To achieve this, receivers are cooled to nearly minus 258 degrees Celsius to reduce thermal noise. Notably, radio astronomy confirmed the Big Bang theory in 1965, when American scientists discovered a uniform background radio noise that turned out to be cosmic microwave background radiation—an echo of the early universe.
Dr. Valery Litvinov points out that radio waves are also used in medicine. Radio signals power cochlear implants that restore hearing, as well as pacemakers and nerve stimulators. Doctors can adjust the parameters of these devices remotely without surgery.
Scientists are currently working on next-generation communication technologies. Specifically, the 6G standard is being developed to transmit even larger volumes of data. Researchers are also creating quantum antennas capable of detecting extremely weak signals. In the future, these devices could enable communications in mines, tunnels, and even under earthquake rubble.
