KEO and the World of 52,007

[Modus Ponens]

(I posted this in MySpace, too.)

Here's a little something awesome that I just came by.

The KEO satellite, due to launch in 2007 or 2008, will orbit our planet for 50,000 years, silently flapping its symbolic wings as it does so. Its payload will contain, among other things, messages from the people of Earth today to the people of Earth in the year 52,007, assuming that there are any. (If not, then it will be for aliens. Assuming that there are any.)

Every single living human on the planet is invited to write a message, which can be submitted electronically via their website or by standard mail. The storage capacity is great enough to store 32.7 terabytes, or about four pages of text from everyone in the world. They've been taking submissions since 1994 (and last night I hear about it for the first time!), but the deadline is this December 31, 2006.

I want everyone reading this post to write a message for the world of tomorrow's tomorrow's tomorrow's metaphorical tomorrow. And tell your friends, parents, colleagues and teachers. I'd also like to ask people to go out and get messages from the very young, the very old, the very sick and the homeless and submit them, as well--they have valuable words for the future (potentially moreso than yours). I know that's asking a lot, so don't feel guilty if you don't feel like doing it. I probably won't.

The messages will be included uncensored. I believe that any racist, homophobic or socially ignorant ideas conveyed will be drowned out by a vastly superior quantity of positive words from people who have hope and love in their hearts. That someone will get to say that he hates Jews will, in the long run, probably be better for distant-future historians than if that person were not allowed to say what he believed. After the launch of the satellite, its contents--minus people's names--will be published. This will provide a unique insight into the minds of today's humanity...or at least those that will have participated in the ambitious project.

I'm relieved that I found out about it before it's too late, and I hope that others will be as enthusiastic about it as I am.

KEO Website (http://www.keo.org/)

Wikipedia Article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KEO)

Your Friend,

Douglas Zwick

P.S. I honestly hope that at least one person's KEO submission tells the people of the year 52,007 to "FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW OR YOU'LL HAVE 38 YEARS OF BAD LUCK AND THEN A MAN WILL STAB YOU IN THE KIDNEY WITH A BUTTERKNIFE AND THE DOG WILL PEE ON THE COUCH" or something; it's just not going to be me.

[AtmaWeapon]

I was going to send off "Oh look a butte lol" but I got creeped out by all the information I had to provide and decided that the future is probably better off without my contributions.

[Mitsukara]

I'm waiting to see how many entries say "All your base are belong to us."

Personally, I find it interesting... and curious. I suspect it will be taken down, intentionally or accidentally, prior to 52,007 unless humanity stays around and consistently circulates the knowledge to do otherwise.

Any number of interpretations could exist should sentient life find it; they may see it and understand it as intended, or not be able to decipher it, or blow it up thinking it's some kind of metal monster, or take it's words as holy literature, or who knows what. It could be lost, it could be eaten by something that thinks Earth metals are just damn nummy. It could get sucked into the sun/a black hole. It could get sucked into an alternate universe of some kind, carrying words from beings unlike anything such a completely different world would have any concept of. There's no real way to know. That in itself is kind of symbolic; we're giving what we have, but to who or what? Where and when could even become a question.

I have hope that it's effect will be good (that is to say, not harmful and additionally bring about a helpful/interesting/beneficial result), and if humans are around to read it, then it stands a good chance of being understood. I think.

I think I'll try to add something but have nothing profound to add to it at this time. I'll think on it awhile. Thanks, Riverman!

[Beldaran]

I was going to send off "Oh look a butte lol" but I got creeped out by all the information I had to provide and decided that the future is probably better off without my contributions.

I did the same thing. I typed out this nice response and then didn't submit it because they wanted to know all this stuff about me.

[Executioner of Deities]

I submitted, you guys are pussies, :p lol. It's not like they're asking for your social security number for cripes sake, just what country you're from and what language you're speaking. I didn't even give them my first name, which is what I use to identify myself on any important document I sign.

Basically, I told them to embrace the Earth (who knows what condition it will be in 50,000 years from now) and not to forget their freedom and independance and uniqueness, because it would seem our politicians are trying to strip all that from us slowly but surely. I would've posted the entire letter, but I forgot to copy it...and it won't let me see it again :mad: O well, anyway, go for it, it doesnt matter how much they ask of you, you're contributing to history.

Who know's who'll find it our what they'll think of it or if they'll even be able to read it all. I just hope it serves some purpose. And if it doesn't...I didn't work too long on that letter anyway, lol. :smoking:

[Modus Ponens]

Seriously, guys, they don't want to know "all this stuff" about you, they just want enough so that future historians can have some idea of where you're coming from when they read your letter. There's absolutely nothing personally identifiable that's required of you. If you want, you can go to an internet cafe and do it from there so they couldn't even possibly log your IP. You could say your name is AtmaWeapon or Beldaran; it's not like it'll matter in fifty thousand years if your real name is on there.

[Breaker]

because it would seem our politicians are trying to strip all that from us slowly but surely.


riiiight...

[Beldaran]

Seriously, guys, they don't want to know "all this stuff" about you, they just want enough so that future historians can have some idea of where you're coming from when they read your letter. There's absolutely nothing personally identifiable that's required of you. If you want, you can go to an internet cafe and do it from there so they couldn't even possibly log your IP. You could say your name is AtmaWeapon or Beldaran; it's not like it'll matter in fifty thousand years if your real name is on there.

I wasn't concerned about my privacy. I was just too lazy to fill in multiple information fields.

[Modus Ponens]

Say no more, friend, I absolve thee.

[ZTC]

and how do they know that humanity will last that long?
By then, mankind might have destroyed earth and they took everything with it... :shrug:

[ShadowTiger]

I wanted to write something deep and meaningful, but I don't like it when alien slave commanders laugh at me when I'm dead.


Actually, I really would, but I wouldn't know what to write. There are far too many insightful and philosophical arguments that I can make for the present day state of humanity and its ilk, ... but all I could think to write, .... was "Hi. I like your hair."


It'll certainly leave them wondering, yet slightly upbeat at the same time.

[gdorf]

I'd prefer if it were meant to be opened 1000 years from now. 50,000 is a pretty unrealistic goal, IMO.

[SeirraMist]

I dont understand quite why they are shooting for 50,000 years though... I am nearly posistive that mankind will do something to destroy itself by than, and some other primitive creature may take over, just trying to think of what the next 1000 years hold is mind boggling... just trying to think of how much weve improved upon our knowladge of the known universe in the last 1000 years is amazing.

I can totally see some other primitive creature taking over after us though and bieng next to the satilite when it crashes, or perhaps an alien finding it, opening it up and holding the messages inside high to the sky like moses with the 10 Commandments and the religion of Earth begginging. Not likely, but its fun to imange.

Trying to come up with a message though is kinda hard... I have a sense of importance to it, but at the same time just want to write something simple, like "Meow", and have a scribble of a cat next to it, but than think I should bother putting something thought provoking down.

I wish my computer held 32.7 Terabytes.

[Dechipher]

I thought the sun was going to swallow us up by then.
And I doubt anything I have to say is going to be new to them.

[Breaker]

but than think I should bother putting something thought provoking down.

i can't "imange" that happening.

[Executioner of Deities]

lol Breaker = Ass

I don't think the sun is going to swallow us until like..5 million years from now. Alien invaders coming to inslave our ancestors is more likely to happen before the sun will eat us. But, with all the water canals and remnants of life on mars, its not insane to think that the earth will be pushed away from the sun by the entry of a new planet in 50,000 years, with venus taking our spot in the solar system...but thats probably more like a million or two years away too. Thinking geologically or astronomically, 50,000 years isn't much more than the blink of an eye :shrug: .

[erm2003]

Yeah, 5 million years... or 5 years if North Korea starts a nuclear war.