Voyager Golden Record Decoded

The Golden Record that was sent on the Voyager 1 contained audio and video on the record. The record itself has a pictograph / puzzle showing how to 'play' it (a stylus was included with the record on Voyager.)

Fourty years after Voyager 1's launch, Ron Barry followed the instructions on the record to decode the images.


He did his best not to 'cheat' and tried to figure out the symbols on the Golden Record. It's quite an interesting read.
How to decode the images on the Voyager Golden Record

He put the raw images in a Google Drive folder.

a reply to: Elton

That is absolutely amazing! My son is obsessed with all things space, in particular the Voyager probes and New Horizons - I'm going to show him the pictures this evening! He'll be impressed!

a reply to: Elton
Heh, complete with a chart on how to properly carve a human for Thanksgiving.

Hopefully them aliens won't be as smart as Ron. Sort of like putting your social security number, date of birth, and mother's maiden name on facebook, but in code.

Very cool though.

a reply to: Phage

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: Elton
Heh, complete with a chart on how to properly carve a human for Thanksgiving.

Hopefully them aliens won't be as smart as Ron. Sort of like putting your social security number, date of birth, and mother's maiden name on facebook, but in code.

Very cool though.

Don't worry our radio signals have covered far more "ground" and are much much easier to find.

If I were an alien race and found that disc I would throw it away as just looking it from a glance I doubt anyone would gather what any of that means unless you were human in origin.

originally posted by: auroraaus
a reply to: Elton

That is absolutely amazing! My son is obsessed with all things space, in particular the Voyager probes and New Horizons - I'm going to show him the pictures this evening! He'll be impressed!

I really thought it was a great read.

a reply to: Elton

Hmmmmm slightly unrealistic representation of the human condition.... Where were the images of war, pollution and violence? Or is that just a nice surprise for when they arrive. I Disagree with Phage I pity any who make the effort to travel here, they will be disappointed. Bit like me being sold a paradise vacation to Baghdad...

a reply to: Charlyboy

It was considered.

The exercise, says Ferris, involved a considerable number of presuppositions about what aliens want to know about us and how they might interpret our selections. “I found myself increasingly playing the role of extraterrestrial,” recounts Lomberg in Murmurs of Earth, a 1978 book on the making of the record. When considering photographs to include, the panel was careful to try to eliminate those that could be misconstrued. Though war is a reality of human existence, images of it might send an aggressive message when the record was intended as a friendly gesture. The team veered from politics and religion in its efforts to be as inclusive as possible given a limited amount of space.

www.smithsonianmag.com...

A bit arrogant, perhaps, to place oneself in the place of ET. Images of war could be construed as, "Watch out. We're coming to getcha!"

a reply to: Elton

Its kind of like humanitys tomb stone.

Its really good. Those are some amazing pictures and there is feeling to the selection.

a reply to: tadaman

Nah.
More like a "Hey. Hi. We're stepping out. A little bit. Will you be our friend? I hope you don't eat us."

a reply to: Phage

I think time traveling aliens from another dimension went back and spearheaded the initiative to add to the voyager missions a trove of intel on our disposition to an advancing alien armada.

The time is nigh and all that. We need space ships with lazers stat!

a reply to: tadaman

We need spaceships. That would be a good start.

originally posted by: RoScoLaz5
a reply to: Phage

To Serve Man
Excellent

So we basically showed them our weaknesses, our anatomy, our mathematics and basis of sciences, that we need protection from most environments on on our planet, our food sources, reproductive systems, gestation times, birth and female dependency...

I think we sent out way too much information and if they are in the least bit hostile, aggressive, or invasive could use this to easily figure out how to defeat us. That is of course if they can figure out how to decode the record oh and if they have hands, eyes and such...

a reply to: abeverage
I have always considered this.
Maybe should of given them coordinates near the outer Sol space region at least to see them nearing. I can understand the ambition in the scientist back then.

a reply to: Elton

At the 1:57 mark there is an image of bushman holding what appears to be a weapon of some sort apparently about to attack an animal (for protection or food?)... how does this NOT show that humans can be a threat to other lifeforms?

My biggest fear about the voyager recording being intercepted by aliens is that they might get the wrong impression of us and show themselves in a way that they think we might relate to - wearing flared trousers and tie-dyed T-shirts whilst holding hands singing 'Age of Aquarius'.

That would really suck!

Ahhh, Restaurant Earth. Menus handed out so you can pre-order.

And also, what an array of delicious foods. Embryonic entrees, young human on a platter, aged succulent cuisine. With a side offering of RGB vegetables. Caters for all space faring wanderers after a long trip. Dont fret, the earthlings only arm themselves with minarets and the occasional stick.

Mind the alligator thingies though, they're served live and can bite a tendril off of you're not careful.

a reply to: Phage

At least it was considered.... I don't see anything arrogant about having a sense of humour but perhaps you are right I at least don't assume their motives would be to conquer. Although humanity could do with a little kick up the butt from time to time.