A total of 25,880 messages from 199 countries have been sent into space today as part of a National Science Week initiative.
Collected through the website Hello From Earth, the messages range from friendly greetings of the “We come in peace” variety, to an “Earthling seeks alien” dating request.
With the support of NASA and the CSIRO, they were today transmitted from the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla, destined to reach the nearest Earth-like planet outside our solar system that has the potential to support life, Gliese 581d.
Spokesperson for the Hello From Earth project and editor of the Australian science magazine COSMOS, Wilson da Silva, said the project had been an extraordinary success.
“We’ve had messages from Afghanistan to Antarctica, from Morocco to Macau. More than 1000 newspapers, in scores of languages, have reported this National Science Week initiative and there were more than 254,000 visitors to the site,” he said.
“More than 9000 blogs around the world have covered it and there’s been thousands on tweets in French, Russian, Indonesian and any other language you can image.”
The messages were converted by NASA into binary code in preparation for transmission at midday today.
Here’s just some of the messages:
Yidumduma Bill Harney, an Aboriginal astronomer of the Wardaman people, near Katherine: “Yidigunmardin nuruku yajingewa wuremulu jandange. Our dream, we’re telling to them young kids. We’re talking all this dream for the future.”
Tamasin of Richmond: “If you come to Earth look into: music, the beach, ice cream, hugs, family, love, dancing, cheese, trampolines, friendship, books and dreams. Just for a start.”
Class 4M at Castle Cove Public School: “We come in peace. If you are out there, please respond. We want to be friends. We are all different and we can't wait to meet you! From the children of Earth.”
Ricci from Dapto: “Cute single Earthling seeking tall, dark and handsome Gliesian. No scary night time abductions please. I'm happy to meet in a nice park or field.”
Benny of Melbourne: “Hi guys - have you got my missing socks? They keep vanishing mysteriously. If you could return them, that'd be great. :)”
Tommy, Adelaide: “Smile :) Humans are naive and fragile. We are not evolved to understand everything. We are children in a vast and mysterious universe.”
Katelyn Tepper, Horsham: “Hey I'm Katelyn. I just want to know what's with all the abductions? If you need a volunteer, please take my brothers! Take your pick. I thank you in advance.”
Silvio Zarb, Melbourne: “All our petty disputes, disagreements and wars fade into insignificance when we consider our tiny world's place in the cosmos.”
Sergio Camalich, Hermosillo, Mexico: “What do you see when you look up into the sky? Do you feel small and lonely, just like us? From now on, I can assure you one thing: you are not alone. Be happy.”
Patty, Melbourne: “What I've learnt: believe in yourself, believe in others, keep confidences, that family matters, you get what you give, dare to dream and don't forget to laugh.”
Deijah, Tauranga, New Zealand: “Hopefully one day you will come to planet Earth, to discover what we call home. Beaches, blue water, blues skies. You live and learn with every step you take.”
Fred Mason, Roberts Creek: “Hi there: Sorry about The Outer Limits; hope you enjoyed I Love Lucy. Have you got all our missing socks? Love, Earth.”
Jeff N, Sydney: “ ‘We are all lying in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars...’ - Oscar Wilde”
Daniel Edmonds, Melbourne: “You are cordially invited to an Interplanetary BBQ. 6.00pm, 4th October, 2452 at my place BYO Meat and Beer. RSVP: Year 2100 Cheers.”
