But the longest line, radiating all the way to the right, represents the distance of our sun from the center of the galaxy. Got that? The radial pattern on the left, with the sun at the center (you got that it was the sun at the center, right?), shows the binary representation of the fourteen pulsars of the galaxy (Toto, we’re not in the Delta Quadrant, any more). You can calculate the height of the woman by multiplying 8 by the wavelength of hydrogen (remember, we studied this last week?), which = 168 cm. There is a binary representation of the number 8, and two lines marking the height of the woman. Basically, there’s a schematic of a hydrogen atom, which is the most common atom in the universe-not counting dark matter and black holes and string theory and other stuff that NASA didn’t know about in 1972-along with the binary representation of its atomic number. Maybe so, but in case your knowledge of hydrogen is not up to snuff, here’s a key to understanding the plaque. ” or “AYFKM?” And the space agency makes clear that the plaque is not just an exercise in art appreciation: “Anyone from a scientifically educated civilization having enough knowledge of hydrogen would be able to translate the message.” NASA describes the people more succinctly, as is befitting the scientifically-educated: “The physical makeup of the man and woman were determined from results of a computerized analysis of the average person in our civilization.” Which makes people reading that think to themselves, “If I had that body. Oh, and the people are naked, suggesting not that this is a piece of NASAPorn, but that global warming means our world is now clothing optional.Īnonymous gift. Beneath the couple is a schematic of the solar system, showing the spacecraft coming from the third planet from our sun. Go ahead, it seems to say, open the hatch, look inside. The Pioneer is drawn to scale, inviting the interpretation that the man and woman might have traveled here inside the craft. Perhaps she is poised to defend the man if aliens attack.
She is shorter, stands slightly farther back. His hand is raised as if to say, “I come in peace.” The woman looks at the man, perhaps approvingly.
The man’s eyes look directly at the observer, but he is not confrontational.
This is how an art curator on our planet might describe the plaque: were based on some pretty shaky assumptions.Įarthlings look at the plaque and see a man and a woman standing in front of the Pioneer spacecraft.
#SPACE PIONEER DEFINITION HOW TO#
The goal of the plaque was to give intelligent alien life forms a clue about our understanding of some scientific universals, and also how to find us.īut even these attempts to communicate with E.T. The plaque was designed by the astronomers Carl Sagan (a real astronomer who also played one on TV) and Frank Drake, founder of SETI and an expert in communicating with interstellar beings (imagine the fieldwork, just imagine). So what if the aliens are intelligent but not human? Way back in 1972, NASA tackled this more-likely-but-still-not-going-to-happen scenario by attaching a plaque to the outside of its Pioneer space probe, “on the off chance that somewhere on the way it is intercepted by intelligent scientifically educated beings.” And it’s also assuming they don’t kill us first. That’s fine for communicating with another earthling, but by definition, space aliens aren’t going to be earthlings (even if in some movies they adopt a human form).
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