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Around the end of the 1800s there was a great debate regarding the existence of canals on Mars. The Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaperelli had first glimpsed what he thought were straight lines on the Martian surface and had referred to them as "channels." The Italian word for channels -- canali -- was erroneously translated into English as "canals," and a great mythology developed, about a drought-stricken planet whose inhabitants had built an extraordinary network of canals to save their world. It was a great sensation, and the debate never really abated until Mariner 4 reached Mars in the 1960s and sent back the disappointingly lifeless photos -- no canals, just another barren rock in space.
But back in the day, the astronomers mapped great webs of canals and named them, and people marveled at the great civilization that had accomplished this planet-wide miracle. As always, someone decided to take things to the next step. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that one observer had noticed on a map of the canals, that they formed three Hebrew letters spelling the name of God. It was a stunning idea, with stunning implications. Immediately, plans were afoot to send a message back to Mars by means such as constructing mammoth letters across the Sahara. An American astronomer of the time -- Edward Emerson Barnard -- was inspired write a piece of fiction based on the events. In his tale, the people of Earth succeeded in sending to Mars the message, why do you send us signals?"
The Martians replied, "We do not speak to you at all. We are signaling Saturn."