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by HardDaysKnight 916 days ago
I don't understand the Golden Record. Even assuming other advanced civilizations, "there’s an infinitesimally small chance that the Golden Record will be picked up."[0] So, at some (considerable?) cost and time, something meaningless and ineffective (from the perspective of its ostensible purpose, communicating with alien civilizations) was undertaken. So what was the point? Why was it done? Note, I'm not questioning sending out probes, gathering data, space exploration, etc.

[0] https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/voyager-golden-record-...
2 comments
broscillator 915 days ago
> So what was the point? Why was it done?

You could ask this about any piece of art. Additionally, you could say these questions are, partially, also the function of art.

It's not just the contents that display humanity, it's the fact of sending it that says "we're human". Ultimately, this is more important than gathering data or anything of the sort with a clear, functional purpose.

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uw_rob 916 days ago
The Golden Record acts as a good thought exercise about how we'd go about communicating with an alien species. It's also a good public outreach and educational tool. It inspires awe and encourages taking time to reflect on what we are most proud of as a species.
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