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Yahoo's Time Capsule Project

eldavojohn writes, "Yahoo is compiling a time capsule (Flash required). This massive project, which accepts donations from anyone, is no ordinary time capsule, though. This time capsule will be digitized and beamed into space from the ancient pyramid of Teotihuacan in Mexico. From the article: 'Starting on Tuesday, enthusiasts from around the world will have a chance to submit text, images, video and sounds that reflect human nature to be included in the message.' I highly doubt this 'time capsule' will reach anyone, but it is a neat idea. After browsing through some of the pictures posted, I would hope extraterrestrial life would be more hesitant to exterminate us — if not for anything else than curiosity. We constantly strive to have our legacy live on in the galaxy." Yahoo worked with Internet artist Jonathan Harris on this project.

6 of 167 comments (clear)

  1. Desperate Publicity Ploy by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I highly doubt this 'time capsule' will reach anyone, but it is a neat idea.

    No this is not neat>, this is just stupid. This is so incredibly stupid it's left me speechless ... nearly:

    So they're going to beam it into space via a laser from atop a ruin from a vanished civilisation. Are they going to rotate this laser to maintain RA and DEC, to keep it as one continuos beam or will they just fire it straight up (for maximum theatric effect) and thus have it whipped by the spin and orbit of the earth? Carl Sagan's record has a better chance. It's an opportunity for Yahoo to do something utterly useless to get their name in the news, just like it now appears on Slashdot. Applause, applause. It certainly is fodder for some comedy, maybe Mel Brooks will have someone in Spaceballs The Animated Series say, "what is that annoying glare?" while flipping down their pair of Spaceballs The Sunglasses.

    meanwhile, picked up in orbit, the stream is immediately recognised and decoded by a Zygorthean ship. After reviewing the contents, the focus down upon the the pyramid of Teotihuacan and one says to another, "well, we certainly know what killed that civilisation!"

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Desperate Publicity Ploy by hcob$ · · Score: 5, Funny

      I don't know... It could be a massive legal ploy. Since they will undoubtably send music (In DIGITAL form no less), they can draw all the RIAA lawyers to an Aztec Pyramid. Hopefully, the will re-instated human sacrifice at that point!

      --
      Cliff Claven
      K.E.G. Party Chairman
      Founding Leader of: Koncerned for Egalitarin Governance
    2. Re:Desperate Publicity Ploy by Flashbck · · Score: 5, Funny

      I hope that the intended alien intelligence also has the flash plug in that is required.

  2. A few thousand years later... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Those stupid @#$% Earthlings are spamming us again!

    1. Re:A few thousand years later... by SydBarrett · · Score: 5, Funny

      or its gonna get forwarded all over the universe as "FWD: FWD: FWD: LOL FUNNY EARTHING PICS"

  3. digital time capsule? by 192939495969798999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, because there's evidence in that pyramid that the aliens who built it used digital communication also...
    Maybe it would be easier to communicate, albeit more expensive, if we shot up a big rock with stuff written on it, say maybe 10 rules that we consider important? I can't imagine that would be misinterpreted somehow by an early desert people on another planet.

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    stuff |