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Week 4 [05-11.11.18] NASA Golden Record


Have you ever heard that nasa has created a golden record?
Well as it happens, they did. First we have to get back in time to 1977, when the record was send to space, because now it is the furthest man made item from earth (far away from solar system).




Golden record was placed at the cover of voyager 1 spacecraft. A mission that supposed to study the outer solar system. Ok but still you might ask, what is that golden record? What’s on it?
Let me explain. Golden record is our hello for aliens, as human race. It contains sounds of earth, music, greetings in 55 languages, series of pictures. Ok that’s great  but how alien is supposed to read the record. That's where cover comes in.


If you want to read the record, you must first understand the cover. Designing the cover might be harder than you think. You're not allowed to use any symbols like numbers or letters because aliens probably use different alphabets. There was so little space but designers managed to figure it out. On the cover they place several things. Our location in the universe, hydrogen atom, instructions how to play the record and how to decode the images,



Let's start the decoding. We have to start in the lower right corner this is our hydrogen atom model. Transition form one state to the other provides the fundamental clock reference using in all cover diagrams and decoded pictures.


On the lower left corner there is a map of our sun utilizing 14 pulsar stars of known directions from our sun . The binary code defines the frequency of the pulses


If that doesn't stop aliens, they supposed to go up, to the golden record image. Upper diagram defines the speed in which the record should be playing. Next diagram shows record from the side and the information of the playtime (it's about 1 hour for side)


Fast diagram to the right of the records shows how images should be decoded, if they do it right, they supposed to see circle, which is also shown in the lower diagram.
Pictures are coded in the shades of grey. The higher the number, pixel is lighter.


  1. What do you think is it too difficult or is it easy to decode?
  2. Do you think anyone will reaches us because of the records?
  3. What would you put in this record?


sources:

Comments

What do you think is it too difficult or is it easy to decode?
It depends on whether those who will try to read the contents of this golden record are smarter than average human or they are brainless. If those who are going to decode will be almost Type I civilization (like humans), then it will be trivial for them to decode.

Do you think anyone will reach us because of the records?
If they will have such need and proper technology, then they will visit us.

What would you put in this record?
The best song of all time
Yes, that's indeed the best song ever :D
Decoding this might not be that easy, even for an advanced race. Because even if they somehow figure the correct way to decode it, they still might not be able to understand it. For example the way we perceive sound is based on our biology. So maybe an alien civilization will not be able to "hear" it at all. Or it might be all just a noise for them?
Hopefuly most of it will be understandable for them. Question is if it will actually be ever found. Universe is such a big and mostly empty space, something so small might be lost in it never to be recovered.
What would I put on such a record? Can't really help it but agree with Bartosz :)
Piotr Ciesla said…
hahaha I'm sure they would visit us if they manage to listen to that song :)
Piotr Ciesla said…
Other interesting way of approaching the problem might be how we perceive light. We see red, green, blue, orange ... But in reality it is just a narrow spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, it might be perceive differently by aliens.
For sure, they needed some fresh air in NASA. After all this science and research some fun is always good. I wonder, if anybody has taken those message to aliens seriously.

Of course, if there is a civilization advanced at least as much as humans, it will be a piece of a cake to decypher it. But will they get the meaning of this message?
Artem Lipovatyi said…
1. For the simple man, of course, it is difficult. I would say almost impossible without prompts.

2. To be honest, I don’t really believe in extraterrestrial civilizations, however, if NASA did it, maybe they know something, and maybe even hide it from us.

3. I would place a fragment of the Rammstein song there so that they know good music.
Unknown said…
In my opinion it’s too difficult to decode. Create message for aliens using image it’s a great idea, but it’s to much complicated and when aliens will try to decode it they can get confused in this cipher. On another hand if they find golden record in the open space they should knew something about space, stars and technologies.
It possible. If aliens will create some shuttle to space exploration, they can find golden record and if they able to find record why don’t them be able to find Earth(if they can decode cipher of course)?
The scientists already put there things that I would like to put.

I think that the difficulty in decoding will depend mainly on the civilization that will find it.
Apparently stonehenge contains information encoded for us.


If the information on the disk is valuable enough for another civilization, they will definitely visit us,
that only this would not be the desire to conquer our planet.

What would I put on the disk? The song is surely mentioned by Bartosz, along with other classical musics
Piotr Ciesla said…
Taking to consideration how much they put an effort I think not only a few people but a whole bunch was taking it seriously.
Piotr Ciesla said…
Well there are millions of conspiracy theories. I don’t think nasa would hide anything from us
Piotr Ciesla said…
One of the mistake that they I think made was Creating every information and code it in binary code. I think less then 1/100 of population can read binary. In fact it might be really hard to reverse-engineered binary code
Piotr Ciesla said…
There are many conspiracy theories about Stonehedge. One of them is that Stonehindge was originally some thing like docking station for UFOs. After aliens acknowledge that we are thinking creatures, they’ve changed theirs path.
Marta Kowalczyk said…
Whether the code is easy or hard to decode will depend on the senses and abilities of creatures that find it, as well as their knowledge and intentions. There are so many possible problems, and probability of success does not seem to be very high, but it is worth trying. I don't think I would come up with a better idea of a message to code.
Nataliya Tkach said…
What do you think is it too difficult or is it easy to decode?
If we send in space, it won't be a problem to decode.

Do you think anyone will reach us because of the records?
If they decode and want to learn about us or destroy or enslave.

What would you put in this record?
Depends how much space there is. Biological and cultural heritage. Then they would know us.
Unknown said…
1. I think it will depend on the civilization that will receive the golden record. If the civilization would be as developed as we are or at least similar to ours then there should be no problems in decoding it.

2. I think it's highly improbable. Finding this golden record floating in the universe would be like finding a needle in a million haystacks.

3. Dank memes.
s18716 said…
What do you think is it too difficult or is it easy to decode?
I think for various other space civilizations it will not be difficult to decipher it. Since if this message is found in open space, this means that they are already exploring outer space, therefore, decoding is not difficult for them.
But this is certainly a comical decision by NASA.

Do you think anyone will reaches us because of the records?
Theoretically, if such civilizations exist, they are also interested in the search for another life. Of course they will visit us at the indicated coordinates.

What would you put in this record?
Here, of course, a matter of taste. But it is necessary to recognize that the option offered by them is good!
1. It all depends how much those aliens will differ from us. Hopefuly they will find a way, because I do firmly believe there is someone else out there besides us.

2. Maybe, who knows. If somebody will, I hope they will send back something friendly.

3. I have no idea. I think all those NASA scientists will know better what should be on it.
Unknown said…
I am afraid that it is too difficult for an average human to decode it properly :) For other civilizations it can either be piece of cake or impossible.

I have some doubts on this record contributing to the presence of extraterrestrials on earth.

I would put “Matrix” movie on that record
Unknown said…
What do you think is it difficult or is it easy to decode?
Firstly, I’m not good at astronomy. My knowledge about this subject comes from primary school. So in my case it will be very difficult to decode this record. On the other side, there are so many people fond of astronomy and it will be plain sailing for them.
Do you think anyone will reach us because of the records?
Although universe is so enormous, I don’t believe in another existence then human. This record was sent 41 years ago and so far no creatures reach us. People believe that aliens are more intelligent then we are. If aliens be somewhere, they should be here. Otherwise, if I were them, I would be still undercover.
What would you put in this record?
Bartosz Kiwerski’s answer was the best and I don’t figure out anything better.
Marcin Zając said…
1. It's difficult to say how difficult is to decode golden record. I think it mainly depends on recipient. How much we differ. Seriously I haven't better idea how better encode it.
2. I don't know, but I guess that they will want to find us. This begs the question for what purpose?
3. I would like to put the same information like NASA scientists.
Personally , it's hard to tell is it difficult or not. I hope, other civilizations are smart, but maybe, they have another meaning and concept of "smart". Although, if they found this record in outer space, you can presuppose that civilization is pretty developed, and they would be able to unravel the records.
I think, everything can happen, our universe is big , very big.
I would definitely put some books, classics of world literature.
A question to be asked is: would we be able to decipher such a record ourselves, if we were to find one among the stars? It could be argued that a lot of the markings that were put on it make sense only to ourselves. But at the same time, if you treat it more like a puzzle and less like a business card, there is a chance some being, out there in the universe, could figure out what we wanted to say if it was to spend long enough time deliberating over the symbols. Then again, it could be an alien from a species that doesn’t perceive the universe in the way we do. As to the chance of someone finding the record… The universe is pretty big. The likelihood of some extra-terrestrial finding a tiny probe among the lightyears of spacedust is pretty slim, so I expect it will sooner make for a tourist attraction after our civilisation develops long range spacefaring rather than it being found. What would I put on a record like that? Perhaps some compilation of music that shows its evolution over the years, starting with classics and arriving at modern pieces.

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