# Art you would send to extraterrestial life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690 "2011-10-25T00:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/1 "2011-10-25T00:47:47Z")
I was reading today about the [Voyager Golden Record](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record), a record with audio/video/still pictures packed on the Voyager spacecraft sent into outer space. On the off chance Voyager runs into extraterrestial life the record will inform them about Earth. I was wondering what we should include on a second Gold Record and why. Be as serious or silly as you want. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/2 "2011-10-25T01:22:26Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > I was reading today about the [Voyager Golden Record](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record) I’ve always loved the SNL Weekend Update report that the first communication received from outer space says “Send more Chuck Berry.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/3 "2011-10-25T01:25:49Z")
Every work Thomas Kinkade has ever done. Oh, wait. I misunderstood the OP. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/4 "2011-10-25T02:07:43Z")
H R Giger Heironymous Bosch Salvador Dali Hello Kitty Why these? Because it would both scare and confuse any creature out there who found them. I’ll have to think about other forms of media, but for music, definitely send some Philip Glass & Boredoms. And maybe some Jandek. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/5 "2011-10-25T02:09:05Z")
Art Linkletter and Art Garfunkel. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/6 "2011-10-25T02:20:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Every work Thomas Kinkade has ever done. It may still be a good idea. It may make aliens want to avoid coming here. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/7 "2011-10-25T02:23:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Every work Thomas Kinkade has ever done. 😃 Excellent idea. Maybe add a _Martha Stewart Living_ magazine issue or an Ikea catalog. Would we send them blueprints for the Guggenheim? Poetry? A graphic novel? An iPod nano with Elvis Costello and Beethoven on it? There are so many possibilities! How does one choose? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/8 "2011-10-25T04:29:37Z")
> [@](#): > > It may still be a good idea. It may make aliens want to avoid coming here. Quite the opposite-- It’d convince them that ours is a world rich in valuable radioisotopes. How else could you explain the ever-present glow? ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/9 "2011-10-25T06:33:46Z")
Serious answer: the Beach Boys - Wouldn’t It Be Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/10 "2011-10-25T06:47:46Z")
As biologist Lewis Thomas said “I would vote for Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space. But this would be bragging”. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/11 "2011-10-25T08:21:21Z")
_Close Encounters of the Third Kind_. And the original _The Day The Earth Stood Still_. I would avoid sending _Predator_ or _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/12 "2011-10-25T08:50:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Why these? Because it would both scare and confuse any creature out there who found them. Sounds more like they’d think it was a great place for a summer home. Nice landscapes, sexy members of the opposite sex… ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/13 "2011-10-25T14:43:54Z")
[![](http://www.monstergalaxy.com/images/Lifesize-Alien-Prop.jpg) ](http://www.monstergalaxy.com/images/Lifesize-Alien-Prop.jpg) Dear Aliens, this is what we look like. Don’t mess with us. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/art-you-would-send-to-extraterrestial-life/600690/14 "2011-10-25T22:58:49Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > [http://www.monstergalaxy.com/images/Lifesize-Alien-Prop.jpg](http://www.monstergalaxy.com/images/Lifesize-Alien-Prop.jpg) > Dear Aliens, this is what we look like. Don’t mess with us. Interesting vacuum cleaner there. Is it a Dyson? 😃