Golden Record Traditional Cache
New York Admin: No response from owner. If you wish to repair/replace the cache sometime in the future, just contact us (by email), and assuming it meets the current guidelines, we'll be happy to unarchive it.
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This is a regular cache on the RPI Campus.
From June 13 to June 25, 2010, the Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp was held on the campus of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A total of 50 middle school students in grades 5, 6 and 7 with proven expertise and interest in math and science took part in a two week session concerning the topic of Astrobiology and "The Quest For Life". The goal of the Science Camp was for the students to propose a mission to search for life on another planet. During the two exciting weeks, students went on several field trips to The Albany Pine Bush, New York State Museum, Dinosaur State Park in CT, and the Museum of Natural History in NYC. They were privileged to meet Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson and to SKYPE with Dr. Bernard Harris, the first African American to walk in space. Students also took many classes and completed many activities dealing with topics such as life, astronomy, space exploration, the cosmic calendar, the Drake Equation, the Golden Record, satellites and geocaching.
It was the study of satellites and an involved geocaching exercise that provided the motivation for hiding this cache. You may be familiar with the two Golden Records that were sent along with each of the Voyager spacecraft. Taking the idea of the Golden Record, the students came up with their own list of items that would introduce alien species to life on Planet Earth. Our eight teams wrote their lists on “golden records”, which were then laminated, and registered with Travel Bugs.
We hope that just as the records on Voyager are traveling the universe, our more local versions will travel the global neighborhood of Earth and inspire you to think about the possibility of life elsewhere. What would you choose to offer as proof of life on Earth? Feel free to ponder this question and leave your suggestions in the log.
This cache is located outside near a building that can view objects – maybe life - outside our planet. The building it is near is quite remarkable, and if you can go inside on a Saturday night, I would highly recommend you doing so. The cache is in a place that is weather friendly and available year-round – though of course in the northeast can be a little (d)icey in the winter.
If you like puzzle caches, please try "To The Moon" nearby. It's a lot of fun! And don’t confuse this cache with “Life as We Know It” planted by last year’s campers.
Special thanks to Shelli Failing and Beverly Carter for their guidance with the Golden Record, to Paul Mayeur for his instruction in satellites and Geocaching, and to Paul, Jeff and Christine for launching this cache for the students!
We were muggled in late fall - so we re-created the two remaining travel bugs, and unleashed them on 1/11/11!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
"oruvaq gur tengr"