Carl Sagan Sent a Message to Aliens — Some Scientists Still Regret It

In 1977, two small spacecraft left Earth on trajectories that would never bring them home. Bolted to their sides was an object never meant to return—a message from humanity to whatever might exist beyond our solar system. It was hopeful. It was symbolic. And to some scientists, it was reckless. A Gesture Made for Eternity The Voyager probes were designed to study the outer planets, but their creators knew something else: once their missions ended, the spacecraft would drift silently through interstellar space for billions of years. Carl Sagan believed that kind of journey deserved a voice. What followed was the Golden Record—a gold-plated copper disc containing sounds, images, music, and greetings from Earth. It was not a distress signal.…