channel arte

I recall Carl Sagan on the old Cosmos show explaining the gold plaque the was placed on the Pioneer 10 spacecraft to introduce us to any aliens that happened to pick it up, unlikely as that might be.

Now, in a week when we've got Neil Armstrong's words straight, news comes that European television channel Arte, which broadcasts in French and German, is producing a program to beam directly into space 45 light years away, to a point near the Big Dipper. The programs sort of a multimedia version of the plaque: it'll feature a nude man and woman as presenters, who will talk about daily human life. Examples of music and art, along with messages from scientists in many disciplines will also be included. The event is conceived by the French Centre National D'etudes Spatiales (CNES). The Irish Times has a really snarky article about it.

Because of the distance, if the broadcast is seen, any show that aliens might want to put on for us won't be available here for at least ninety years. Probably longer, allowing for production time.

[via Slashdot]