Earth And Artifacts: Sean McCloskey

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Brief

Over the next few weeks you are required to submit creative proposals through to finished design work/animation for a new version of the ‘Golden Record’ entitled, ‘Earth Artifact’. This does not have to be a slavish reproduction of the original golden record, but could be a more contemporary version, which should be reflected in the content and the format/media channel of your choice.

You should document all stages of the research and design process, which should demonstrate a critical understanding of the design challenge.

You should be inventive and demonstrate your ingenuity in solving this creative challenge. It is important you generate several creative solutions, taking one justified idea forward to a final solution.

Background

The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records, which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for future humans, who may find them. The Voyager spacecraft’s are not heading towards any

particular star, but Voyager 1 will be within 1.6 light years of the star AC+79 3888 in the Ophiuchus constellation in about 40,000 years.

As the probes are extremely small compared to the vastness of interstellar space, the probability of a space-faring civilization encountering them is very small, especially since the probes will eventually stop emitting any kind of electromagnetic radiation. If they are ever found by an alien species, it will most likely be far in the future as the nearest star on Voyager 1’s trajectory will only be reached in 40,000 years.

Carl Sagan noted that “The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space-faring civilizations in interstellar space. But the launching of this ‘bottle’ into the cosmic ‘ocean’ says something very hopeful about life on this planet.” Thus the record is best seen as a time capsule or a symbolic statement rather than a serious attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial life.

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Sean McCloskey