In my Network Assignment post, I mentioned that I would check out Teri-Lynn and Michael‘s experiences with choosing their lists for the Golden Record. There is one criteria that we all base our lists on, and that is diverse representation- all of us wanted to be able to represent various cultures through our list. Interestingly, Teri-Lynn and Michael both based their selections off of time periods, whereas I ignored that completely. Teri-Lynn mentions that she has no expertise in music, where I grew up in a very musical household, so I could choose my criteria quite differently.
I think it is SO interesting that Michael based his songs off of the most current information, rather than a holistic view:
“I want songs that tell me what their life, culture and planet are currently like… I want to know what is happening now, not who is a historical figure (that can come later).”
I never thought of it like this at all, and I so appreciate this different perspective. Because the golden record is just a snapshot summary into what it’s like on Earth, it makes sense to show the present rather than the past; if we ever make contact with anything/anyone in space, then they can definitely sit down for a History lesson or two once they come visit…