Just like the message my Uncle Pepek wrote, put in a green glass bottle and threw into the Atlantic, to give to the Gulf Stream to give to the Baltic Sea to send it home, Voyager 1 was cast out into the black sea of interstellar space 30 years ago. This 12-inch gold plated disk is a message from us, containing some Bach, a little Mozart, DaVinci's "Vitruvian Man," some people saying "Hello" in several languages, songs of birds and whales, and some pictures of ourselves and our various cultures, and our location in the Milky Way galaxy. There are instructions for playing and interpreting this record-- for whatever ears, a million years out-- may listen.
This carries such a powerful message of optimism in the face of incredible odds, and the idea that travels with it moves me to tears.
MINDSCAPE
(an excerpt)
...
And if the sun
should cool enough to freeze us
or explode to supernova
and thus incinerate us all
what alien ears,
on hearing a concerto of whales
a cry of birds
sent out in orphan Voyager
may celebrate our fragile hope
our itching curiosity
with what in alien delight
may pass for sacramental bread
and wine?
...
*
4 comments:
This is so neat!!
Did you ever see the movie Contact with Jodie Foster. I think it was better than the Speilberg movies along the same theme.
Wow. How cool. And what an excellent piece of writing to accompany the image.
I had no idea! Those words were VERY touching. Thank you Joyce!
pris, yes, I loved contact. The first ten minutes were worth it all!
January, and tammy, thank you. I think it is VERY COOL! (and touching).
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