Earth artifact by nicolemrawson

VOYAGER MISSION

the summer of 1977 two identical spacecraft took off from cape Canaveral space centre Florida. (Known as the Voyager program) Each carrying its own copy of a golden record containing information about our planet and the human species. Included on the discs where examples of sounds and images from earth that the scientist believed would best explain our planet. The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University, et. al. Dr. Sagan and his associates assembled 115 images and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind and thunder, birds, whales, and other animals. Not only

are the disc a hope of contacting other species but have provided a vast amount of information about some of our closest planets in the solar system. During there flypast of all of the rest of the planets the voyager satellites have recorded the first ever volcanoes found outside of earth and the possibilities or rain and life on Saturn great moon titan due to the presence of rain and therefore water. At the present time both voyager satellites are now more than twice the distance away from the sun as Pluto and are quickly approaching the outer edges of the heliosphere ( Bubble created by the solar winds. ) and no longer in our solar system rather interstellar space.

ICONS

ne idea that i have for this project is to create a book of icons that reprisents the human race. At present i think i would like to create pages almost like chapters that cover several of the most important areas of plannet earth. Examples of this include Humanity, nature, science, tecnology, and history. On this sheet are examples of several quick icons that i have created using the most basic of priciplas, Although i do like these icons they where just a test as to how easy i found it to create icons. If i was to run with idea i would have to carry out some background research into icons and colour scheems and really think about what icons and symbols i need to include to fully reprisent earth. In comparison to my other ideas i think this is my strongest as i have a clearer idea of where i need to go with this project and am awear that a vast majority of people are doing videos and i wold like to do something diffrent. The main idea behind the symbols is that they are the most basic form of comunication that the aliens would understand although i do need to be careful that the work doesnt become too complicated . To get around this issue i am thinking of desplaying more complex information as info graphics that can show things like population sizes and growth.

Earth Video...

he second idea that i have is to create video that showcases exctly what the earth is from is natural beauty to the great wars and major historic event s that have shaped the world we live in today. As research for this sheet i have looked at exsisting examples of similar work and seen what they include allong with the origional golden records images in the hope of finding out what i would need to include. If i was to create the video i would not want it to be a simple projection of still second hand images but i would be loooking to include second hand video footage of key events in history and fourign material that it would be impossible for me to get hold of any other way. Along

side this i would include music and the speaches of several influential people from the current modern era and past . Im thinking allong the lines of Martin Luther Kings i have a dream speack or perhaps steven hawking talking about the universe. I think if i was to chose this idea iwould have to think of another eliment to ad to the piece to make my work more unique to anyone elses. To do this i have a few basic ideas that would need more thought at this stage but all have the potential to work. The first of these ideas is to make the video an instillation piece that would be practical to send into space, secondly projecting the video onto an object that reprisents our plannet and film this process.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiyIcz7wUH0

o add somethng extra to my book of i cons i have thought about alternating the pages with info graphic similar to the ones on this page. I think this is a really good idea as ithey are a better way of showing complex and detailed information in a very basic and easy to understand way. Adressed in the info graphics i would like to include things such as world populations, male and femail attomy and other examples of scientific breakthroughs such as the splitting og the attom. when researching info graphics it is clear to see that all manors of things can be reprisented and there are lots of diffrent ways of doing things fron pie charts and bar graphs that eveyone is familiar with or brand new unique diagrams

INFO GRAPHICS As part of my icon book that i am creaeing i have also decided that i would like to include some infographics allong with the icons. On the left hand side you will see some of the inforgraphics i have exsperimented with to show data about the number of people using the diffrent types of social media. I wanted to make sure that the info graphics where as visually pleasing as possile so sticking with the same colour sceem i had developed for my icons i sarted to create few of my own designs. the first design that i created was the bar graph that uses spikes instead of bars. I really like the way this graph looks an it clearly shows the diffrent valuesof all of the depedant variables (categoies) Simarlarlly the bar graph that i created also clearly shows the data values and its aperance is comething we are all familliar with so it would be easily understandable. What i wanted for my projecthowever was something difrent to make my work stand out. This i when i came up with the idea of the circular diagram. Using the exact same vlues as the other graphs i worked out the percentage value of each of my catergories and ajusted the circummference of my circles to match. I accpt that this diagram is probbaly harder o follow than the other two however i feel it is worth sacrificeing the elegability for the way that the design looks. From hre i now need to move on and start creating some other info grahics that will reprisent other aspects of modern society and planet earth of the 21st century . At present i am thinking allong the lines of word populations a world

map showing the current locations of the continents and finally a se of icons that reprisent modern societies needs. i have allready sarted the final objective on my list with the creation of the circle of icons at the dentre of this text. overall i am really happy with the ay this looks however i feel as is it could be improved at somepoint by using a more coplex shape than a circle.