There is a recording made of copper, coated with gold, and sealed in Aluminum. It’s a little dated, so it would have to be played on a record player. Most likely a 33 1/3 rpm. It could be a 78 or a 45 too. Details are unsure at this time.

This recording, obviously, is pretty expensive to make AND there is only one such disk in existence. At this time, it is in transit to a stranger a few thousand miles away with a very vague address as well.

It is unknown whether it will be playable or if the stranger has a record player available to play it. It’s a dicey shipment and the cost of making and shipping it is very ‘steep’ The music performers are not getting paid very much except in royalties which have yet to be determined.

The reasons given for not sending the record player are mainly the cost of shipping and the size of the player itself. There are other things in the shipment (special cameras, recording devices, and radios to send pictures from the cameras. Pretty state of the art stuff as the shipment was made in the middle sixties! There is a short statement on the record that offers friendship to the recipient and a request to return the favor if possible.

The shipment could have contained a good scotch or some maps and addresses to contact us. We all wonder what will become of this gesture of friendship to a total stranger. An unknown stranger who’s only address is vague to say the least.

It was 1965 when the shipment was made and the arrival time is also vague. The vehicle that has the camera has taken some great photos that it sent back and there is some concern for the power demands to keep sending updates on the shipment’s progress.

You may have guessed at this point that the shipment was on a NASA spacecraft, Voyager 1. Some great photos came out of the cameras and the spacecraft has entered ‘deep space’ and the shipment of the gold coated record is on the way. The vague address is the closest star system to us, next door neighbors as the universe goes. Proxima Centuri, about 4 light years away. It would only take 4 years to send a message to them via a cell phone but there are no cell towers on the way to boost the signals.

The Voyageur spacecraft will arrive at the shipment destination in approximately 167,000 years and by that time a few changes may have occurred in our star system. Speculation from the ‘experts’ in these things believe that by the time the record arrives our sun will have collapsed and earth will no longer exist. Oh well, at least the recording will survive for millions of years as it ‘speeds by’ that close star with perhaps people like us that even have 33 1/3 record players! They will, of course have to see it and get their hybrid craft up to about 10,000 MPH to catch it. Who knows?

The recording? Pretty swell. There are two musical performances to illustrate our civilization. First one is Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto 2 and the second is Chuck Berry’s “Johnny be good.”

Chuck already had a gold album with more songs, but what the hey. Think of the royalties!

This surreal story is found in last years July issue of Scientific American. First time photos of Uranus and Neptune included. Long live Rock and Roll! A bonus feature of this incredible double album It’s pretty good. Jack Gator

Photo of ‘deep thought’ Courtesy of the Hitchikers guide to the Galaxy