Cosmic Calls

A data visualization exploring humanities attempts at messaging extraterrestrial civilizations.

“Where is everybody?”, asked physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950, referring to a contradiction between the statistical probability of other intelligent life in our universe and the puzzling lack of any evidence for it. The question mystifies science to this day, but hasn’t stopped us reaching out into the darkness in an attempt to make contact.

This visualization explores the messages we’ve beamed into the cosmos over the last sixty years. Some are serious scientific endeavours, others less so. Together they represent a time capsule of our planet, our species and our values, and while the contents and destinations may differ, they all carry a singular message; “here we are”.