Limited nuclear exchange, pandemic, hypercane, supervolcano...
July 7, 2013 8:51 AM Subscribe
"While the light of humanity may flicker and die, we go gently into this dark night, comforted in the knowledge that someday Wikipedia shall take its rightful place as part of a consensus-built Galactic Encyclopedia, editable by all sentient beings."
The message will be accompanied by a short video message by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, and images required for the re-creation of fundraiser banners.
Ok, I laughed.
posted by codacorolla at 8:57 AM on July 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
Ok, I laughed.
posted by codacorolla at 8:57 AM on July 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
Their extinction event plan is somewhat flawed in that the vast majority of radio telescopes do not have long-range transmit capabilities.
I think they should consider laser-etched gold platters in high Earth orbit instead.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 9:05 AM on July 7, 2013
I think they should consider laser-etched gold platters in high Earth orbit instead.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 9:05 AM on July 7, 2013
Minus images, you can fit Wikipedia in 9gb compressed. Why don't we just send another probe to keep Voyager company and send it with a box of 16 GB flash drives full of our wikipedia articles?
The rest of the space could be filled with the best of our culture. So I guess some pirated copies of Breaking Bad episodes and the Transformers movies.
The bonus factor is that the MPAA will keep tabs on where the probe is for legal purposes, so even if NASA collapses, we'll know if we've made contact by proxy.
For laughs, let's also send a similar probe with all copies and the servers of Wikihow. But to the sun.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:18 AM on July 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
The rest of the space could be filled with the best of our culture. So I guess some pirated copies of Breaking Bad episodes and the Transformers movies.
The bonus factor is that the MPAA will keep tabs on where the probe is for legal purposes, so even if NASA collapses, we'll know if we've made contact by proxy.
For laughs, let's also send a similar probe with all copies and the servers of Wikihow. But to the sun.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:18 AM on July 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
Good thing they've planned for a global revenant epidemic!
posted by edheil at 9:22 AM on July 7, 2013
posted by edheil at 9:22 AM on July 7, 2013
Surely you mean Vandals...
posted by artof.mulata at 9:26 AM on July 7, 2013
posted by artof.mulata at 9:26 AM on July 7, 2013
Rather, it illustrates standards or conduct that are generally not accepted by the Wikipedia community.
Are there more pages which illustrate standards generally not accepted? Is there a whole anti-Wikipedia orbiting exactly opposite the Wikipedia we know and perpetually hidden?
posted by ennui.bz at 9:58 AM on July 7, 2013
Are there more pages which illustrate standards generally not accepted? Is there a whole anti-Wikipedia orbiting exactly opposite the Wikipedia we know and perpetually hidden?
posted by ennui.bz at 9:58 AM on July 7, 2013
Why don't we just send another probe to keep Voyager company and send it with a box of 16 GB flash drives full of our wikipedia articles?
In normal conditions, data on flash memory are not guaranteed to last beyond 5 to 10 years (in rare cases up to 100). Same thing with archival DVDs - 100 years and they're gone. The conditions in deep space are not normal - the temperature is lower (good!), but there's much more damage from energetic particles than in our cosy home.
Is there anything better than the old gold standard?
posted by hat_eater at 10:07 AM on July 7, 2013
In normal conditions, data on flash memory are not guaranteed to last beyond 5 to 10 years (in rare cases up to 100). Same thing with archival DVDs - 100 years and they're gone. The conditions in deep space are not normal - the temperature is lower (good!), but there's much more damage from energetic particles than in our cosy home.
Is there anything better than the old gold standard?
posted by hat_eater at 10:07 AM on July 7, 2013
Well, what if we outfit the probe I'm choosing to name Voyager's Pal, Jimmy Olsen with some big speakers so aliens hear it passing through their neighborhood sooner?
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:20 AM on July 7, 2013
posted by mccarty.tim at 10:20 AM on July 7, 2013
So....what are the contingency plans for the Blue in case such a thing is imminent?
posted by Renoroc at 11:01 AM on July 7, 2013
posted by Renoroc at 11:01 AM on July 7, 2013
In the event of an extinction level catastrophe the mods will open up the floodgates with a single post containing relevant links to declawed cats, circumcised dongs, Israel/Palestine conflict polemics, and the latest updates on the coming and goings of Julian Assange.
posted by codacorolla at 11:08 AM on July 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by codacorolla at 11:08 AM on July 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Are there more pages which illustrate standards generally not accepted? Is there a whole anti-Wikipedia orbiting exactly opposite the Wikipedia we know and perpetually hidden?
Encyclopedia Dramatica?
In the event of an extinction level catastrophe the mods will open up the floodgates with a single post containing relevant links to declawed cats, circumcised dongs, Israel/Palestine conflict polemics, and the latest updates on the coming and goings of Julian Assange.
I'd hope for this kind of meltdown when mathowie goes all fuck everything.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 11:15 AM on July 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Encyclopedia Dramatica?
In the event of an extinction level catastrophe the mods will open up the floodgates with a single post containing relevant links to declawed cats, circumcised dongs, Israel/Palestine conflict polemics, and the latest updates on the coming and goings of Julian Assange.
I'd hope for this kind of meltdown when mathowie goes all fuck everything.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 11:15 AM on July 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd hope the site would go out with a post like this:
Catastrophe-Scan.com is one of the strangest sites I've seen in some time. I have no idea how these people got their catastrophes wedged into their scanners, or why.
posted by srboisvert at 12:29 PM on July 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Catastrophe-Scan.com is one of the strangest sites I've seen in some time. I have no idea how these people got their catastrophes wedged into their scanners, or why.
posted by srboisvert at 12:29 PM on July 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
The policy is designed to facilitate the preservation of the encyclopedia by a transition to non-electronic media in an orderly, time-sensitive manner
Wow, that sounds formal. Damn, does it have to be that complicated? Is electricity going somewhere? Go ahead and send me a blue-ray or two every year, I promise to keep it in a safe place for nothing. And stick a copy in the cave with the 10,000-year clock. There.
posted by Twang at 12:53 PM on July 7, 2013
Wow, that sounds formal. Damn, does it have to be that complicated? Is electricity going somewhere? Go ahead and send me a blue-ray or two every year, I promise to keep it in a safe place for nothing. And stick a copy in the cave with the 10,000-year clock. There.
posted by Twang at 12:53 PM on July 7, 2013
So....what are the contingency plans for the Blue in case such a thing is imminent?
posted by Renoroc at 2:01 PM on July 7 [+] [!]
This has been discussed.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 2:32 PM on July 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Renoroc at 2:01 PM on July 7 [+] [!]
This has been discussed.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 2:32 PM on July 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
hypercane? Would that be like... a Big Daddy Kane?
posted by Eideteker at 6:31 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Eideteker at 6:31 AM on July 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
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posted by cjorgensen at 8:53 AM on July 7, 2013 [1 favorite]