Voyager Golden Disc

[Michael]

In the course of my travels, I came across the following interesting article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

[Quijote]

Solo postings deserve solo responses. Here is mine. Hope the aliens dig Beethoven. Gosh, what if they don't? Will they invade us?
"Dear Alien species : hope you like this music. Please don't think that the concord v. discord language means we are dysfunctional.Thank you. A human being."

[Michael]

More importantly, how will the aliens work out that this is an audio disc, rotating at 33 and a third (some of it 16 and a half) and discover how to play it. If they do get that far, will they perceive Beethoven's Fifth as a death-threat?
Incidentally, I think it was Carl Sagan who once said that sending some of Bach's music into space would be boasting.
And what's a solo posting? Ultimately, aren't we all alone? Trying to ignore the great outer darkness ..... huddling around our little campfire ..... hoping that life has some meaning ......
trying to -----
Sorry, I got quite carried away there!

[Preston]

More importantly, how will the aliens work out that this is an audio disc, rotating at 33 and a third (some of it 16 and a half) and discover how to play it. If they do get that far, will they perceive Beethoven's Fifth as a death-threat?

[Megan]

[QUOTE=Michael;46324]More importantly, how will the aliens work out that this is an audio disc, rotating at 33 and a third (some of it 16 and a half) and discover how to play it. If they do get that far, will they perceive Beethoven's Fifth as a death-threat?
Incidentally, I think it was Carl Sagan who once said that sending some of Bach's music into space would be boasting.
And what's a solo posting? Ultimately, aren't we all alone? Trying to ignore the great outer darkness ..... huddling around our little campfire ..... hoping that life has some meaning ......
trying to -----



I think Carl Sagan was a bit way out there himself, with his trillions and billions of googolplex numbers, which are outside the brains capacity of imagining.
Makes me think that all that time money spent on probing the mysteries of the universe and futile star gazing would be better spent on medical research.

[Quijote]

More importantly, how will the aliens work out that this is an audio disc, rotating at 33 and a third (some of it 16 and a half) and discover how to play it. If they do get that far, will they perceive Beethoven's Fifth as a death-threat?
Incidentally, I think it was Carl Sagan who once said that sending some of Bach's music into space would be boasting.
And what's a solo posting? Ultimately, aren't we all alone? Trying to ignore the great outer darkness ..... huddling around our little campfire ..... hoping that life has some meaning ......
trying to -----
Sorry, I got quite carried away there!

You're not saying we also sent up a common turntable to play this disc? Nah, only kidding. This thread makes me think of Kurt Vonnegut - in one of his books (Breakfast of Champions, I think) he has some aliens visit earth. The problem, when they arrive, is that they can only communicate via dancing! Nobody understands them at all.

[Michael]

You're not saying we also sent up a common turntable to play this disc? Nah, only kidding. This thread makes me think of Kurt Vonnegut - in one of his books (Breakfast of Champions, I think) he has some aliens visit earth. The problem, when they arrive, is that they can only communicate via dancing! Nobody understands them at all.

Another thought has just struck me! What if the aliens are CD fanatics and belong to the anti-vinyl brigade? They might decide to obliterate the human race, if the squabblings on "CD versus Vinyl" websites are anything to go by.

[Bonn1827]

Soon to be replaced by the "debt and insolvency citizenry" versus the "we've-got-a-terrific economy society"? I think there will be more of the former!!

[Joy]

The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record which is a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk and includes a picture of how to work it when/if found. Also there are images of where our galaxy and earth is located in the universe. Also images of atoms, and various geometric figures like circles, etc.

Included on the record is Bach, Mozart and also some good old rock and roll.
Beethoven's 5th symphony is included which back in school we were involved with this project and gave our suggestions on what music should be included and my suggestion was Beethoven's 5th symphony and happily that is included as well.

I have been to the Jet Propelled Laboratory in California and also subscribed to their science magazine and was luckly enough while there to have met Carl Sagan who was gracious enough to autograph one of his books for me. Brilliant man.

[Michael]

So we have you to thank for putting Beethoven up there, Joy. Well done!

[PDG]

Wasn't it the slow movement of the second Razumovsky, Op.59/2, where Beethoven is said to have been contemplating the "music of the spheres" during composition? So it looks like he was merely planning ahead!

[Joy]

So we have you to thank for putting Beethoven up there, Joy. Well done!

Hi Michael, Well, just doing my part to get Beethoven up there in the cosmos!
His String Quartet No. 13 in B flat, Opus 130, Cavatina is also on the record.

[Michael]

Wasn't it the slow movement of the second Razumovsky, Op.59/2, where Beethoven is said to have been contemplating the "music of the spheres" during composition? So it looks like he was merely planning ahead!

Right. It's the opening of the Ninth Symphony that gives me the "outer space" effect. It would make a great opening to a good science fiction movie. (Actually, it has been used as the opening music in a sixties thriller called "Woman of Straw" starring Sean Connery. I don't know if that's got to do with anything. )

[PDG]

I know what you mean about the beginning of the Ninth, Michael. The TV series, Star Trek, had a slightly similar probing opening to its theme music. And talking of which......

There is a late third season episode (the title eludes me for now) where Kirk & Spock land on a planet and find a man living there who claims to be thousands of years old. And that over time, he has been many famous people. He then sits at a fortepiano and plays a brand new melody, claiming that he is Johannes Brahms. Spock confirms this fact to Kirk after inspecting the score: "It is Brahms, Captain. I recognise the handwriting." Would have been much more interesting of course had he been Beethoven instead of Brahms, but the main point is: how on earth (or even Vulcan) did Spock know Brahms' handwriting? Hmmm.......

[Chris]

There is a late third season episode (the title eludes me for now) where Kirk & Spock land on a planet and find a man living there who claims to be thousands of years old. And that over time, he has been many famous people. He then sits at a fortepiano and plays a brand new melody, claiming that he is Johannes Brahms. Spock confirms this fact to Kirk after inspecting the score: "It is Brahms, Captain. I recognise the handwriting." Would have been much more interesting of course had he been Beethoven instead of Brahms, but the main point is: how on earth (or even Vulcan) did Spock know Brahms' handwriting? Hmmm.......

Yes, the episode is called "Requiem for Methuselah." You can see the part in question here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xivpMVtOUeM

It's a catchy little tune. It was composed by Ivan Ditmars.