1 minute read
TWO BOTTLES IN THE INTERSTELLAR SEA
• BY ANDRÉ GRANDCHAMPS
Both Voyager space probes carry a golden record containing a message from the Earth intended for any extraterrestrial civilization that might intercept one of the spacecraft on its travels.
The 30 cm diameter disk contains recordings of natural sounds, like the wind, the singing of birds, a mother kissing a child, as well as a number of pieces of music from different cultures and eras. It also includes spoken greetings in 55 languages and a message of peace from Jimmy Carter, who was U.S. President at the time. It also features a bank of 115 images of people and places on Earth.
The golden record is protected by a cover on which the location of the solar system is indicated, and basic instructions, a stylus and a needle for playing the disk are provided.
