Aw, you're welcome! :D If it weren't for the Beatles fandom, I woulda missed it too. There was NO coverage of it on tv/radio here. WTF.

Heh, yeah. Good timing on that DVD, no? :P

OMG. I'm a dork. I didn't even think of that. I watch too much sci-fi. Everything makes a noise in space then. :\ Dupid lack o' air. Lalalalalala. *hands over ears* ;)

Am a total random stranger, redirected here by other Beatles lovers (sadly, I missed out on this event because there was no coverage of it... what the hell, world. *sigh*)

Anyway, to explain the 'lack of air' in space...

Broadcast signals do not require 'air.' They are transmitted on high-frequency waves, just the same as ultraviolet light, infrared light, microwaves, radiation, etc. It's just a bit lower on the spectrum. So, if light waves are transmitted to us through space (i.e., sunlight, stars, the sun's reflection via the moon), then sound waves are also transmitted through space. All you need to pick them up is a receiver.

Sound waves move more slowly through space than does light, though, so it'll take years and years for this broadcast to reach any point in space that might be able to pick it up and interpret it. And that's assuming that there's intelligent life that's learned how to manipulate various wave frequencies for common use.

This is the same concept that SETI uses to search for extraterrestrial life--they have satellites directed at different points in space, hoping to pick up some sort of wave-interference that could indicate intelligent life. (As in, they're trying to find out if 'aliens' are beaming messages right back at us, like we've been beaming messages at them for the past 60+ years.)

So, yes, the short answer is that "across the universe" really will be playing across the universe. :)

Oh, that's right! I wish you could see that I'm totally nodding my head right now. Soon as you starting explaining, I remembered about all the various tv/radio signals floating about in space since forever. I'm a dork, the sequel. :P Anyway, thank you so much for this! I really do appreciate you taking the time. :)

LOL, no problem--I'm a geological sciences major, so any and all sciences sort of apply to OMGOSH!EVERYTHING! at the moment... which turns me into a bit of a know-it-all...

I figured that was all mostly common knowledge, but sometimes it just slips from memory. :) I think I had it engrained in my brain from too many various sci-fi stories about aliens finding our old TV broadcasts...

And hey, thanks for the heads-up about ATU day! (Which I meant to say earlier...) I really am sorry to have missed the event itself, but I'm glad to see so many other people excited at the prospect. It truly is too bad John and George couldn't be around to see it.