SETI & Technosignatures

Message In A Bottle – An Update To The Golden Record: 1. Objectives And Key Content Of The Message

By Keith Cowing

Status Report

AGU

December 6, 2023

Filed under CETI, Interstellar, Message in a Bottle, MIAB, SETI, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, Voyager Golden Record

Message In A Bottle – An Update To The Golden Record: 1. Objectives And Key Content Of The Message — The proposed GC-based location map for Message in a Bottle. This schematic representation depicts a celestial location map that relies on the longitudinal distribution of globular clusters (GCs) as reference points with reference to the galactic center, with each GC indicated by its respective millisecond pulsar (MSP) marker(s). GCs, known for their stability, serve as crucial cosmic landmarks for interstellar navigation and communication, with the inclusion of plausible MSPs enhancing precision in celestial positioning. — AGU

In the first part of this series, we delve into the foundational aspects of “Message in a Bottle (MIAB)” (henceforth referred to as MIAB). This study builds upon the legacy of the Voyager Golden Records, launched aboard Voyager 1 and 2 in 1977, which aimed to communicate with intelligent species beyond our world.

These records not only offer a snapshot of Earth and human civilization but also represent our desire to establish contact with advanced alien civilizations. Given the absence of mutually understood signs, symbols, and semiotic conventions, MIAB, like its predecessor, uses scientific methods to design an innovative means of communication that encapsulates the story of humanity.

Our goal is to share our collective knowledge, emotions, innovations, and aspirations in a way that provides a universal, yet contextually relevant, understanding of human society, the evolution of life on Earth, and our hopes and concerns for the future. Through this time and space traveling capsule, we also strive to inspire and unify current and future generations to celebrate and safeguard our shared human experience.

Key Points

We’re crafting a message for a future space mission, hoping to reach and chat with smart life forms beyond Earth

The message gives a broad but detailed view of today’s human society, our planet’s life story, and the big challenges ahead

This project is a brave step in showcasing the full richness and depth of human life and experience

Message in a Bottle—An Update to the Golden Record: 1. Objectives and Key Content of the Message, AGU (open access)

Astrobiology, SETI,

Keith Cowing

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻

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