"Last Pictures?"

<p><a href="http://www.weather.com/news/last-pictures-satellite-photos-record-20121203?pageno=1">Last pictures ? </a><br>

Besides being totally anthropometric-- culturally/species biased, and just plain dumb what, is the point of this? Or, am I just being a crank?<br>

Do you <em>get</em> any of these photos? Would any person, or more likely, <em>thing</em> get them? And why not text? </p><div></div>

<p>It gives a dreadful picture of earth with all the disasters and meaningless images showing not Earth and mankind but the bad things here.</p>

<p>Paglen himself says toward the end of the video that it's not so much about the selection of photos as representing humanity, as it is the project's concept.</p>

<p>My first impression was that it's a perfect example of McLuhan's "the medium is the message" concept.</p>

<p>Let's say I'm a traveler from another galaxy, or an Earth human anthropologist on a space vacation a few millennia from now. I happen upon this now-dormant satellite and notice the gold plated disc of photos attached. These objects themselves already reveal much about the people who made them, their era and way of life. From just these exterior objects, "the last picture" could very well be spray painted graffiti by contemporary urban artists. The mere juxtaposition of the images and media used to create the images, along with the satellite technology, would reveal something interesting to an observer.</p>

<p>From that perspective the content of the photos is of less importance than the fact that we chose to attach photos or images to a satellite.</p>

<p>It's unlikely to revolutionize the perspective of future generations of visitors, but they'll probably find it interesting in the same way we find it interesting that artists, craftsmen and builders in Babylonia or Sumeria left examples of lewd humor or "Kilroy was here" messages.</p>

<p>For all we know, those coded messages received across space and time that seem to have emanated from distant cultures may be little more than some other galaxy's pirate radio operator playing his culture's version of Pink Floyd songs and telling the rest of the universe "LOL, u guise r so primitive!"</p>

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<p><em>"Or, am I just being a crank?"</em></p>

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<p>Alan, in this case, I think so. :-) </p>

<p>The images were not meant to be a species representation but rather one man's interpretation of the world. </p>

<p>The project's value is not in its potential future discovery by aliens. It's in the conversation it will stir among humans, as we're having now, so we can better understand ourselves. </p>

<p>It all seems rather a waste of time and trouble.</p>

<p>Sending "Family of Man" into space would be a better idea, in my opinion.</p>

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<p><em>"It all seems rather a waste of time and trouble."</em></p>

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<p>It was conceived and presented as an art project. </p>

<p>As art projects go, I can think of many that are a far more waste of resources, although admittedly there's something self-promoting about the whole thing. </p>

<p>I very much prefer this "Earth History in 2 Minutes" compiled by a 19-year old High-School student as a class project: http://www.visualnews.com/tag/our-story-in-2-minutes/</p>

<p>Dumb? I don't know. Yes, I think I <em>get </em>some of the photos. There's no way to know if an ET would get them, <em>or </em>text.</p>

<p>Family of Man? Maybe if this project had taken place in 1955.</p>

<p>Waste of time and trouble? We humans have done --- and are doing --- far worse.</p>

<p>It could have been done a whole lot better in all respects even if it were only an exercise to provoke a response for today. We should celebrate ourselves for doing so well in a very short time. Think of all the others that, for millennia, got a whack at life and never went beyond square one.</p>

<p>I think the fact that the project is a bit of a niche concept makes it all the more interesting. What will future generations of Earth humans or galaxy visitors makes of it? Will they interpret it as a form of documentary, a macrocosm of our current culture? Or will they grok the irony, the high minded sense of detachment and alienation (it is a bit glum after all), all the hallmarks of a precious intelligentsia driven concept that borders on the supercilious?</p>

<p>At the very worst it's amusing. Wish I could read the reviews ten thousand years from now. I can almost imagine the gold photo disc catching on as a sort of meme or inside joke among future hipsters, worn or attached to personal transportation, like Flavor Flav's clocks or a rubber squeeze bulb horn on a $3,000 bicycle.</p>

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<p><em>"What will future generations of Earth humans or galaxy visitors makes of it?"</em></p>

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<p>Things are so well documented now that it'd probably take the extinction of humans before rediscovery will take place, and what they will make of it will indeed be interesting. </p>

<p>Imagine future archaeologists rediscovering a government nuclear bunker and interpreting it as a royal tomb for 20th century rulers and all that communications electronics as means of talking to the gods upon rebirth. </p>

<p>I have to say, though, that choosing a geostationary satellite as its resting place was well thought out; I can't think of a better place for something to stand the chance of surviving forever. </p>

<p>Alan, how would you have done it "better"? A thing like this is er...more than a little theatrical.</p>

<p>Alan Zinn - "We should celebrate ourselves for doing so well in a very short time. Think of all the others that, for millennia, got a whack at life and never went beyond square one."</p>

<p>I'm not so sure we have "done so well". How do we know how well others have done? Yes, we could be a planetful of achievers deserving many gold stars, or not. </p>