Bach and Berry reach the heliosphere!

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

NASA announces that Voyager I, launched in 1977, has reached the heliosphere, the boundary of the solar system. On board is a gold plated album (LP) for the benefit of intelligent life out there in the cosmos that might chance upon it. Assuming that gramophones exist outside of our solar system, the ET’s will be treated to various images and sounds of Earth, greetings in various tongues and a sampling of Earth’s music.

Bach’s, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F. First Movement, Munich Bach Orchestra, Karl Richter, conductor and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” are featured on the disc.
Holy night fever, “disc” is too close to disco! Thank God Sagan was a Bach/ Berry fan, imagine the interstellar wrath that would rain down upon our blue marble if Saturday Night Fever was picked up in a worm hole somewhere along the way.

Anyhow, here’s a NASA link that you might be interested in… http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html


I see that a literature category was not included on the disc. If NASA were to include one author and one excerpt from their writing, who and what quote would you recommend for an interested ET?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8JULmUlGDA&feature=related

[papayahed]

very cool. I remember being vaguely interested when it launched. I think.

[JuniperWoolf]

Is this our furthest alien carepackage so far? 1977 eh? That took a while. Space is... big. *states obvious*

[MystyrMystyry]

Voyager!

That's V'GER as referenced in the first Star Trek movie - the little engine that could and was [POSSIBLE SPOILER] adopted by aliens and made to think for itself (I think - I can't remember it all that well [POSSIBLE SPOILER OVER]

On to the Oort Cloud!

[PoeticPassions]

This is actually really exciting. Thanks for starting the thread, Gilliatt.

Too bad the lit aspect was not on the disc. Perhaps I would suggest Shakespeare... or maybe some excerpts from the holy books... as they are quite interesting and shape and form our societies to a great degree.

But I just don't think that, if there are alien life forms, they speak any language close to the ones we speak on earth. So... maybe that's why literature was not included. But we could have sent some hieroglyphs... if aliens really made the pyramids, maybe they'd understand those best ;)

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

very cool. I remember being vaguely interested when it launched. I think.


Is this our furthest alien carepackage so far? 1977 eh? That took a while. Space is... big. *states obvious*


Voyager!

That's V'GER as referenced in the first Star Trek movie - the little engine that could and was [POSSIBLE SPOILER] adopted by aliens and made to think for itself (I think - I can't remember it all that well [POSSIBLE SPOILER OVER]

On to the Oort Cloud!


This is actually really exciting. Thanks for starting the thread, Gilliatt.

Too bad the lit aspect was not on the disc. Perhaps I would suggest Shakespeare... or maybe some excerpts from the holy books... as they are quite interesting and shape and form our societies to a great degree.

But I just don't think that, if there are alien life forms, they speak any language close to the ones we speak on earth. So... maybe that's why literature was not included. But we could have sent some hieroglyphs... if aliens really made the pyramids, maybe they'd understand those best ;)

Thanks for taking time to read.
What I find amazing is the fact that we are still in communication with Voyager over such vast distance.
From wiki:

"Voyager 1 is not heading towards any particular star, but in about 40,000 years it will pass within 1.6 light years of the star AC+79 3888, which is at present in the constellation Camelopardalis."

Good point PP, perhaps an image of an an author, a book and associated recording of an excerpt. Heck, might as well just throw a book on board and let them figure it out.
Fascinating stuff indeed.

.

[prendrelemick]

How about this.

.www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BrSVOOK610


I seem to remember NASA did put graphics on a space craft. A picture of a man and woman, and a star map.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Where did you dig up that gem?
I’m not sure what would agitate the Grays more; Night Fever or the Carpenters?

A couple more selections that are actually on the album include:

Blind Willie Johnson Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qePHCNoEtqQ&feature=related

Navajo Indians Night Chant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQ17v0v4ug


After reviewing the selections further, I see that surf music was not included. Somehow, I find it right and fitting that the cosmos would benefit from Dick Dale and the Del Tones…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLxqm7ey4Nw&feature=related


I’m still pondering how best to share examples of literature with a curious Gray. As PoeticPassions pointed out, offering printed text would go over like lead nebulae and then it struck me, we could share audio recordings of literature.

For example how about the great Vincent Price reading Poe’s Tell Tale Heart…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LNjgv5p3Ek

or better yet, Orson Welles performing the 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs0K4ApWl4g&feature=related

.