A plane crashes in the mountains. Or in a desert, on takeoff or landing, or in an empty field. Wherever it crashes, the first thing investigators look for is the plane’s black box, the Flight Data Recorder. That device, actually bright orange to make it easily visible, records everything that occurred in the cockpit from takeoff to crash. Every change of altitude, bearing, speed, whether or not it was done by the pilot or the auto-pilot.
The black box records every conversation in the cockpit, among the crew and the control towers. Investigators can recreate the crash to learn what, if any, mistakes were made. This year, Earth gets its own black box. Earth's Black Box, will scrupulously record every bit of data related to civilization’s demise, whenever it occurs. Earth's Black Box website says "Unless we dramatically transform our way of life, climate change and other man-made perils will cause our civilization to crash."
The death of civilization may come from climate change or pollution that makes Earth uninhabitable. It may come from nuclear war, a deadly pathogen, or even a giant asteroid wiping out life on our planet.
Earth’s Black Box’s hard drives will collect temperature measurements, ocean acidification data, land use data, military spending, energy consumption, and human population growth. Data collection will primarily track climate data because the creators, a collaboration between the University of Tasmania, a communications firm called Clemenger BBDO, and an art collective called the Glue Society who will help design its appearance, believe climate to be the most immediate danger that civilization faces.
The entire object will be enclosed in 3-inch-thick steel designed to withstand any catastrophe. And just like a plane’s black box is tucked away in the safest part of a plane, the tail section, Earth's Black Box will be placed in a secure, in the desert of Tasmania, where civilization is not likely to encroach on it.
From the Earth’s Black Box website: “The purpose of the device is to provide an unbiased account of the events that lead to the demise of the planet, hold accountability for future generations, and inspire urgent action.
“How the story ends is completely up to us.
“Only one thing is certain, your actions, inactions, and interactions are now being recorded.”
Each month, I write an astronomy-related column piece for
the Oklahoman newspaper. On the
following day, I post that same column to my blog page.
