Launched in 1977, the Voyager spacecraft contains a gold-plated phonograph record, which contains sounds and images selected to protray the diversity of life on Earth. Hoping that it finds it’s way into the hands of intelligent extraterrestrial life forms, the Voyager spacecraft will take about 40,000 years to come near another star, if it survives that long of course. The contents of the Golden Record are well documented throughout history, but now, thanks to the internet, you can listen to the audio contained on the record directly through your browser. The more I listen, the more I imagine a late-night 70s sci-fi film, tracking humanities history through it’s low-quality sound effects and recording techniques.

Hear more: The sounds of Voyager’s Golden Record | Golden Record entry @ Wikipedia