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Essentially that is actually the case. Human-visible light and AM/FM radio waves are just different wavelengths along the EM spectrum.

A flashlight beams out waves that we can see; a radio transmitter beams out waves we can't. The brightness of the beam of light is related to its amplitude, just like the signal content in AM radio is related to its amplitude. And the color of the beam of light is related to its frequency, just like the signal content in FM radio is related to its frequency.






The explanation asks us to imagine shining a flashlight through a tree, first changing the flashlight brightness and then changing its color.

The flashlight is an analogy for a radio transmitter. We all get that they work on same principle but just on different wavelengths. But regardless I can't shine the flashlight in my kitchen drawer at my radio and pick up a signal.


Remove cover, locate LNA, modulate light correctly and voila... :-)



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