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04 Aug 2008
Social network Bebo has teamed up with RDF Digital to create a digital time capsule to send personal messages and pictures to the nearest planet that could hold life.
The information will be beamed 120 trillion miles into space to Gliese 581C, considered to be the nearest planet that could potentially contain life similar to our own.
As part of the 'A Message From Earth' project, Bebo users can create their own images or text via an application and vie for a spot in the final 500.
The messages to be sent will be chosen via a web vote, which runs until 30 September 2008.
"A Message From Earth presents an opportunity for the digital natives of today, for whom the internet is both a fact of life and an integral part of their lives, to reconnect with science and the wider universe in a simple, fun and immersive way," said Mark Charkin, vice president of Sales at Bebo.
The winning messages will be broadcast on 9 October by the National Space Agency of Ukraine's giant RT-70 radar telescope and are expected to reach their target during spring 2029.
Oli Madgett, the man who conceived the project, reckons it will help "to use the angle of space to help capture young people's imaginations and inspire them to think about our own planet earth and humanity's impact upon it, as well as their personal worlds and the things that they feel should represent them."
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Do you agree?
Space messages sent into eternity
Great idea, but see SentForever.com's website at www.sentforever.com as we have been transmitting people's personal messages into deep space since early 2008. Our messages will travel for the rest of eternity!
Posted by: Chris T 13 Oct 2008
Ask Carl Sagan.
As tv pictures and radio signals have been beaming out into the cosmos for decades, I am sure any form of intelligent life would have picked them up by now. This is what worries me, if they are that intelligent and were in process of building the means to visit us, then another look at what we are beaming out into space now would have given them at least second thoughts.War, war films, crime series, inane rubbish, people famous for just being famous, and political mismanagement on a large scale. Sorry for being negative, but would you look on this as the land of milk and honey, and want to be our friend.
Posted by: Dave Jones. 07 Aug 2008
Oh no
This is highly amusing, and the comment before mine isnt too far from the truth. The message should be 'Dont come here you'll have wasted the trip, theres no joy to be had, got any spare space?' There are also problems with the chosen content (although a good bit better than our very first intergalacticy possible message. also ironic in the current olympic climate). I hear the heart rates of those defence obsessed officials thinking 'What if they realise we're useless and head our way'. I mean who wouldnt fear an alien that has to be so much stronger to survive on a world with 5 times earths gravity and enough brain power to make the trip here? Bring on the Madness..
Posted by: TheObserved 06 Aug 2008
The Aliens
How do we know what is happening on their planet, there could be nuclear wars going on all the time and a disease that is even worse than cancer. They may find Earth luxury compared to the their own home planet. I think it would be cool to meet an alien, as long as they dont invade and destroy our planet
Posted by: Ashley 06 Aug 2008
hi aliens
we should say -leave us alone-You really dont want anything to do with this planet.It'll destroy your own civilisation.Wars,HIV,AIDS,cancers,etc! Who would want any of that?!!!
Posted by: m thomson 05 Aug 2008