Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record Hardcover – October 12, 1978

This book details the efforts of a group led by Carl Sagan assignment to collect information for the famous "golden record" to include on the NASA Voyager interstellar spacecraft. The record was designed to last in space for as long as a billion years and includes a greeting from humanity for any who might discover or retrieve it in the distant future. The authors admit this is exceedingly improbable. The information included was state of the art at the time of the Voyager launch but it seems very primitive by todays standards. One can only imagine what a billion-year advanced civilization might make of it.They go on at great length to tell how they curated vast information into a limited resource. I found interesting the assumptions they had to make about the future reader who would have no familiar frame of reference. For example anyone might intuit that photographs are entirely self explanatory. Apparently though, among people who have never seen photos the concept has to be explained.What the group included is as interesting as what was not (and the attendant reasons for each). NASA apparently objected to a photo of an man and pregnant woman, both nude. The intent was simply to show examples of the human species both sexes. They'd included information on reproduction and genetics but apparently NASA brass through the photo might draw the ire of prurient dimwits. The picture is a simple black and white image, not in any way offensive or erotic but its rejection highlights the fear of bureaucrats who rely on public funds.In any government endeavor even NASA one might expect inefficiency and bureaucracy but Sagan's quest to do some of the simplest and most innocuous things were repeatedly delayed or interfered with. He never complains specifically but the ignorance of some objections is breathtaking. He presents them without editorializing but I believe it's clear he was aghast at the cluelessness.Later in the book others give their accounts (and justifications) - it includes a level of detail I wasn't always interested it in. For those that are it's included. I deducted one star for this reason - the graphics engraved on the surface of the disc and those encoded on the gold record are reproduced very poorly in this book - some look like crude drawings and the explanations for some of the images were hard to follow (primarily because the drawings are small and almost primitive).At the time digital photography was non-existent so some images were 'digitally' reproduced as a bitmapped grid where each bit was either on or off. Literally black or white - no shades of gray. In contrast a color photo might include tens of millions of pixels with each pixel representing a value between 0 and ~16.7 million. In a grayscale photo each pixel might be range between 0 and 256 (typically) so by contrast you can see these binary images were extremely simple in terms of detail. The explanation of the intent of the author is hard to follow - hopefully the form of life discovering these can infer greater meaning.If you have an interest in space or cosmology you might want to give this a read. I'd recommend you supplement it by reading about the Voyager mission on NASA's JPL website: voyager.jpl.nasa.gov which has a lot of good information

This was a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the ambitious efforts to send an "emissary to the stars" on both Voyager spacecraft (successfully launched in 1977). Not since the Pioneer space probes (launched in 1973), had an attempt been made to send a message to be (hopefully) picked up by some future space-faring civilization....But this was to be a far more ambitious effort, and "Murmurs of Earth" tells the intriguing story of this effort and its ultimate success. Being a Carl Sagan fan, I've read all but two of his books (and his book collaborations - such as this one). Since this was one I hadn't read, I bought it without really knowing what it was about.At first I was a bit disappointed that I'd bought a book that did not focus specifically on cosmology - but mostly on the details and logistics of creating and deploying something that was fastened to a space probe. But after a short while, I became as fascinated and entertained with "Murmurs of Earth" as I was with any other Carl Sagan book (or any other book on astrophysics or cosmology).From how they went about selecting the music, to the ingenious language they created, you get to see he collaborative efforts of many interesting characters on what is arguably the most unique project ever undertaken. (And, after all, it IS about cosmology, albeit from a different angle - but told with the same enthusiasm and drama.)The Voyager "Golden Records" project was a triumph in teamwork - especially given their (often unrealistic) deadlines. And it had some hilarious moments: Some of the 'greetings to alien civilizations' given by various heads of states had me laughing out loud!

It was a pleasure to finally purchase this book and be able to read what Carl Sagan and his "record team" wrote---contemporaneously---about the experience of putting together the Voyager Golden Record.It is a tale largely of politics, and countless subjective choices (among almost infinite possibilities). For those who have always wondered "why this music, and not something else?" (or "why this photo, and not another?") you can read the explanations provided by the team that put the record together, under Carl Sagan's leadership.This book was of particular interest to me, now that Voyagers 1 and 2 have finally left the solar system, and especially now that the new COSMOS television series has refocused public interest in what Voyagers 1 and 2 accomplished.This is a valuable cultural-historical document.

The book was in fair condition & had minor cosmetic damage . But overall for the price I got it for , it was well worth the purchase! One will truly appreciate the thought process that went behind the content included on that Voyager mission. There used to be a copy of the Golden Record CD that was included with the book . The mp3 download is available in its place if you want to enjoy the full experience of owning the "full package" of both the book and the Golden Record

Classic. At greater cost, I also purchased the double-CD of this enterprise. A great account of the composition that went out with the 1977 Voyagers and some of the (60's-style) decision-making involved. Interesting about the controversy over human nudity and the later controversy over the danger that some war-mongering interstellar civilization may be enticed to come and pillage us. However that fear has waned, since SETI are now looking to gain public acceptance of what to transmit out there.

very good

Book is tatty. would have preferred if it had some form of description or an actual picture of the book and not some image of the net.

I was a young teenager in the 70's. I did not pay much attention to the Voyageur missions, at the time. I bought this book on a whim, based on a review on Brain Pickings, because I wanted to learn how they chose what went on the record. I certainly learned things I never imagined, about the civilizations with whom we cohabit while reading about the selection of sounds, music and images. I did not expect the short story format of the book, which I do not normally like, and I was sorry to find there was no copy of the recorded music anywhere, commercially. That is why I rated it 4 stars rather than 5.

These were simpler times with high hopes of space exploration, what happened, where are the dreamers to get us out there? We need more of them in government.

All encompassing Record of Voyagers missions. Photos ,Sounds and everything on board is included. A very interesting document of the only physical object to leave Earth and exit our Solar System. What could be More Fascinating ?