Science, especially "space science" rarely have the luxury of doing something for emotional or nostalgic reasons. You must get as much science out of your mission as possible. Budgets are small and developing a mission is usually under a time crunch. (Developing new technologies for the mission, launch windows, etc.)
So, did the Voyager records really hold any scientific value? Further more, being as pessimistic as I am in my old age, the records only show the "beauty" of Earth and it's inhabitants. It doesn't show murder, Hitler, a lion eating it's prey, the US irradiating two cities in Japan... you get the idea. It's not presenting the whole picture of life on Earth.
I'm not one to argue with Carl Sagan, (gawed I miss him) but perhaps this was one bit of folly on the part of some great scientists.
I have serious doubts the human race will be around when the Voyagers pass into the realm of greater gravitational exertion from interstellar space as opposed to that from the Sun. What is absolutely certain is that when the Sun becomes a red giant, earth is more than likely going to be turned to a cinder or be vaporized outright.
Those probes will be the only evidence we once existed. Should they ever be intercepted by a spacefaring civilisation, they will know there were/are/will be others. There may be a greater chance of that civilisation finding earth artefacts when Andromeda merges with The Milky Way. The question that really begs an answer is would it make any difference to the overall state of the unfolding Universe that we existed at all?
It was a nice PR stunt, and less frivolous than what goes on this website. You're just pissed because any "solid gold album" should be soundtrack music.
It was a nice PR stunt, and less frivolous than what goes on this website. You're just pissed because any "solid gold album" should be soundtrack music.
I was actually saddened there weren't any film music on the record. No Jaws, no Star Wars, WTF NASA?! Oh yeah, copyrights.
Not pointless- Everything on the record is an expression of our humanity.
Are movies and frivolous? The music that goes with them? sometimes, but other times we get to questions and answers about the nature of our humanity.
Carl Sagan wanted to say hello to any possible intelligent extraterrestrial life. What did you do with your day?
This was a science mission. Not entertainment. The gold record was scientifically inaccurate because it doesn't represent the full picture of life on Earth. It cherry picked the best things about Earth and is a piece of interstellar propaganda. Which is very unscientific.
You know the beginning of The Day the Earth Stood Still comes to mind! "I come in peace, oh shit you shot me!
But that's only half my argument, as the dude said in the video, no one is EVER going to find it, even if there's intelligent life in outer space. So it was a futile project.
What have I done with my day? Trying to educate you bastards.
...But that's only half my argument, as the dude said in the video, no one is EVER going to find it, even if there's intelligent life in outer space. So it was a futile project.
What have I done with my day? Trying to educate you bastards.
Look, they'll have seen Hitler's speeches first, so why not send samples of the good things in life? And you're ranting, not educating.
...But that's only half my argument, as the dude said in the video, no one is EVER going to find it, even if there's intelligent life in outer space. So it was a futile project.
What have I done with my day? Trying to educate you bastards.
Look, they'll have seen Hitler's speeches first, so why not send samples of the good things in life? And you're ranting, not educating.
We're having a spirited discussion, not ranting. Hell, it's not even all that spirited of a discussion. Geez, you SJW's.
I dont believe I repeated myself throughout this thread - repetition being how I defined ranting. Maybe you havent been reading what I wrote, which is required for a discussion.
Turns out there was an unintended inclusion on the Voyager discs. When it came to picking a song that best represented Russia, they went right to the source and asked the Russian scientific community.
Because of time constraints that couldn't include the song requested, but picked another one instead. When Sagan and Druyan asked a Russian to translate the song, they got a rather vague description. They liked the song, and it went on the disc anyway.
They found out after the fact the song was about killing your landlords! Ann Druyan said in retrospect, the discs were a more accurate depiction of Earth than intended.
