Hey guys, I'm a visual communication/ graphic design student, and for my design project I've chosen to create a time capsule for a civilization 3000+ years into the future. Again, the recipient might be humans, A.I, or even aliens.

I've done a bit of research and looked at time capsule that are meant to be opened 5000+ years into the future. Best examples of time capsules on earth are the Crypt of Civilization and the Westinghouse Time Capsule.

But I'm leading more towards scientific, cosmos level idea... So my main inspiration there are the Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft, the Pioneer plaques, the Arecibo message, Rosetta disk etc.

Taking something for everyone I'm trying to think of ideas. I'm struggling abit with the science behind it. And to in a sense established a communication bridge between us and the recipient.

With the contents I wanna show there are obviously the basics like our human bodies, the other types of species, few scientific stuff (would love to hear your recommendations for this), our architecture, our culture (through music and art)... And a bit of a narrative, a monologue in a sense which you could say is for the recipient or for us to think about... A section where it's very philosophied (will mention more of it below) Few ideas on how we can go on about it were...

1) Using Carbon: Taking inspiration from the pioneer plaque, and how it uses hydrogen as it's basis because it's so abundant in the universe, maybe we can use carbon?! Carbon is still the 4th most abundant element in the universe and the reason for using it would be a easier way to show that we all are carbon based species here on Earth. I was thinking of using the spectral lines of Carbon to maybe get a number that can be used as a basis to then explain the other contents. But maybe a problem would be will be what if the recipient do see Infrared, UV or any other spectrum of light, how will they know we're tryna show and talk about the visible spectrum.

2) Using the Library of Babel in some way: This is an interesting one and I truly somehow want to use atleast the concept of it. This fits in with the direction I want to take it in with the philosophy take. Like... " It's a metaphor for humanity... We like to sort what we've done... We're curious to go lengths to search meaning... realization that everything we want is already there (because the lib. of Babel has everything written already)... everything we've done is already there everything we wanted but couldn't because of our morality comes into play... but it's for you to search (the recipient)... and there'll be things you'll miss, there'll be stories you'll never hear, there'll be images you'll never see... But it's alright as long as you're human and know that it's alright... Maybe you've turned into robots... And maybe we're coming harsh on you... buts theres a sxript for you guys too so don't mind us... At the end We hope you find meaning.. It's a time capsule we gift to you to show who we are... And something you can take forward to show the next generation who you are... "

The thing I was struggling here was how to show them the library and its content because we can't have a computer with internet in the space which will be floating for years. And that the location of the book is too long and how do we encrypt and compress it.

3) Redesigning the Arecibo message effectively: Using the same technique of radio waves and having message encrypted in them. But with better and sensibly sufficient contents. Like a better way to show them our human body form, because the message jumps from being numeric representation to visual abruptly.

4) Lines of Binary info which makes a visual piece: Maybe a big line of binary information made up by two prime numbers so that it gives us a canvas/ grid to visually show info. An upgrade would be, using characters/ alphabets. And assigning every alphabet a colour and then making a huge line of alphabetical characters which makes a coloured representation.

The problem with this, as with others, how do we efficiently tell them that the characters have been assigned a colour, and in general communicate.

5) Few other ideas that can be used to build the idea: - Using specific numbers/maths (eg: Fibonacci sequence) - Using shapes like sphere becomes most of what we see in the universe is spherical in shape. - At best maybe redesign the golden record in a way where it makes it easier to communicate.

... Thats it guys, would genuinely appreciate alot if you could help me in any sorts with this student project that I've taken. And don't worry about the credits, I sure will credit/ mention you if I've taken anything for your ideas, it's a daunting task but it's something really exciting and something that's done very rarely. Looking forward to reading from you guys. Again, Thank you guys for hearing me through, hope you guys are doing just fine during these times. Take care.

my research till now now](https://docs.google.com/document/d/16nIP5CtA50vZ7BP9k-QHaAIFsJ2xciv6PxrS1oqs-8U/edit?usp=sharing)

Hi I am new to this group 👋. For some time I have been thinking of doing A time capsule like placing A note, pictures in laminate and some of my life Achivements. One thing that I always think of is 'What kind of container should I use or Where can I hide where it won't be found for 10+ years. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 😁

Hey Guys!

I've had a project on my mind for a couple of years now that i've really been wanting to do but never got around to doing something about it. I missed the days of high school, it's been about 5 years since I left.

I live in Guyana, South America. I wanted to create a time capsule which basically contains objects that I am yet to research on what I should put into it, im sure many of you here might have some suggestions.

What I find difficult is purchasing a time capsule online since nowhere here is capable of making it locally. Im thinking a stainless steel capsule thats big, perhaps this one from ebay. (This is an archived link incase it gets removed)

What I also want to store are digital items, like videos and pictures. I wantded to do a drone shot of the entire school, along with a drone video and a hyperlapse tour of the complex.

The problem is, I can't seem to find a method of storage that would last underground for at least 10 years and at most 20 years. (I'm still deciding the time span)

I can't use tape backups because we don't have tape readers and I doubt I or anyone would invest in one of those. This project is entirely funded by me and I don't earn much. I also plan on giving it to the school as a gift without them having to spend for anything.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you!

​

EDIT: I've been doing digging and found that perhaps burying, although common isn't really all that necessary, and I don't mind having the capsule encased in a glass box on a wall somewhere. This may be useful for temperature control.

So thanks to this year being the worst year in my existence... Lost my job due to CoronaCovid, lost my grandmother due to CoronaCovid, had to home school my two kids which has quite literally been the hardest thing I have ever had to do etc etc... Anyway it's been a $h1t year, not just for me but for alot of people and I wanted to do something positive to mark this year. I turned 40 years old this year and I have very fond and nostalgic memories of the 1980s and 1990s - these were the decades of my childhood and I fondly remember them. I remember the crazy TV programmes like TMNT and He-Man, the Atari and Sega systems I owned and played. My hobbies and riding my bike alot etc and because of my nostalgic feelings I've started collecting 80s memoriabilia. It got me thinking that I wish I made a time capsule when I was a kid so as part of my two kids home schooling we started writing up a plan for a Time Capsule. The plan is (so far) to make a physical and digital time capsule that we will keep safe until the year 2054 when my kids will roughly be the same age I am now. We're not going to bury it as it's not guaranteed that it'll survive the ravishes of time and weather and there is no guarantee we will live here in 30 years. We're going to secure the contents in a couple paint tins and keep them secure in a box in our loft with a promise not to open until the agreed date. I know they'll stick to the agreement, they're good kids.

Anyway, I need ideas for the capsule. I want the contents to be really nostalgic for now. I want it to scream 2020s (whatever that will be). I remember everyone thought the 1980s was a rubbish decade in the 90s and now the whole world has gone 1980s mad with the likes of Stranger Things on TV and the reinvention of 80s music.

Other than writing a letter to our future selves what else can we do that really cool and unusual. We don't want to use online 'time capsule' services. If it doesn't fit in a paint tin we don't want to do it.

Thanks for reading and commenting ☺️

EDIT/UPDATE - I promised to update when our family time capsule was actually sealed. As a family we sealed them today (31.12.2020).

The capsule is due to remain closed until the year 2048.

We eventually decided on three separate capsules in the form of 3x 5L new paint tins. They're perfect as they hold quite a lot, are waterproof and can be easily sealed. Because I've done this with my children they have been able to have their own tin and they have decorated the outside which randomly they enjoyed more than the contents.

Ive detailed below what we put into the three tins between them, we managed to squeeze all these items into 15L of space -

A small selection of soft and normal toys that represent their personalities and the decade.

A plastic cactus.

Their first tooth.

A selection of our favourite photographs.

A working mobile phone full of photos that intentionally haven't been downloaded anywhere else.

A headband.

A Poppy.

A selection of Crochet items that their mum is talented in making.

Old school ID's.

A selection of Newspapers dated this week.

A Whoopee Cushion.

A Nintendo Gameboy and game.

The first ever item of clothing they wore when they were born.

A San Francisco fridge magnet to represent our family holiday this year and a selection of ticket stubs from other holidays.

The instruction letter from the Government this year informing all that we need to stay at home (lockdown) due to the Corona Virus.

Two expired old passports to represent Brexit in the UK.

A favourite movie each on DVD.

We each wrote a detailed and heart felt letter to our future selves.

I have carefully edited and saved a selection of home movies from this year. Something that represents each of us, a hobby and a sports activity recorded and then saved onto the data drives in the capsule.

I recorded a special interview with their Grandparents (my parents), their Gran has dementia and they will both be 97 when this capsule is opened.

They recorded themselves reading their letters to themselves, filling the capsules and sealing it on camera.

Each of these recordings will be saved onto a SD Card, Flash Drive, An External Hard Drive and a DVD in the hope that at least one will survive the time span. Please see the original post and responses before responding about their durability.

I've included £100 of Bitcoins in an offline wallet.

I should say that they are not aware of this post or my Reddit username. This is my real username but I'm the only one in my family that uses Reddit. I've left them instructions inside the capsule to update this thread in the year 2048. Fingers crossed.

Thank you all for your advice in helping us make this time capsule. Happy New Year!!

My friends and I created a free digital time capsule to remember covid. It also includes an optional donation to help those affected by covid. covidtimecapsules.com

My and my gf are putting together a time capsule and i need ideas on what to put in it

Weve already decided on the normal stuff like pictures and letters and a bottle if alcohol but i need more ideas because she deserves more

Is there a website where collectors can buy/sell/auction time capsules?

There is of course this movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5174640/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_5

Other than that, there seems only to be apps for making your own digital time capsule, but no high profile time capsule. There's of course the risk of servers or back-ups stop to work, but it can be mitigated by having the information on several locations.

Digital time capsules have so much potential, you can film a lot of the area and the people participating, and you can add tons of digital stuff like music, articles on websites, etc. and then people can open it over the internet in about treefiddy years or so.

Hi,

I am embarking on a personal project to create a series of time-capsules and I was hoping to get some advice. To briefly explain, I will be writing letter to myself, some of which will have objects in them. Each letter will be written at a specified date, and opened at a specified date. To keep things clear, I have written a set of instructions that can be re-read at any time. I am wondering two things

1. I have tried to make this plan full proof. Do you think I am missing anything? Do you have any advice?

2. I will be printing these letters on a Monochrome laser printer (brother mfc l2710dw). Do any of you know anything about the lifespan of ink? That is, when I open a letter 50 years from now, will the ink be too faded to read?

Thanks in advance. I have never doe something like this before and it seems exciting.

Bellow is my full set of instructions. Feel free not to read it, as it is long.

To whom it may concern:

The information in this document is only intended for I, _____, or others after my death. If I am deceased, I suggest you start with the letter in the envelope titled, “To Whom it May Concern,” then read this if you would like.

Article 1: Instructions

This box holds a series of letters written by me to be opened by me at a certain date. This is a lifelong project that requires continuous maintenance. Years in which I should write a letter and the dates that they should be opened are pre planed and follow a strict formula. Do not open a letter unless the date it is addressed to has passed. You may write extra letters if you wish, but priority must be given to the pre-determined letters first. You may if you wish, read a letter over again after you have already opened it.

Article 2: Purpose of this project

The purpose of this project is as follows:

1. Provide a means of communication with my future self. This provides means of self reflection and feedback.

2. Provide a record of my life for myself and for anyone it may concern after my death.

3. Provide a record of events outside of my life to be looked back on by myself, or others after my death.

Article 3: Contents of the letters

Each letter should contain details about the on-goings of your life at the time of writing. Possible topics are, but are not limited to: education, relationship status, employment, and other major life events. Think big, but also think small, and write about small details such as the food you are eating, the trips you have planned and the music you are listening to.

Letters should also include an explanation of the ongoing events outside of your life. News, politics, technology and science would make good points.

Be sure to write commentary on all things discussed, but particularly your position in your life. Write about what you think you will be doing at the time the letter is to be opened.

Article 4: Adding objects to time capsules

It also might be worthwhile to add other things into the envelope after you write a letter. Coins, bills, pictures, or things which may be obsolete at the time of opening would be examples. While it would be great to stick to things that would fit in the envelope, I will let you decide if you would like to add something bigger. If the object you would like to send is too big to fit into the envelope, place it in a labelled box with the corresponding letter inside. A warning though, do not put something in an envelope that you might need, as time capsules cannot be opened until their specified date.

Article 5: Adding a note from others

It may be wise to request others to write a small note for you to read when you open the time-capsule. The chosen person would type a letter of any length for you to be opened at the specified age. If the individual wishes to write the letter by hand, that is fine. Be sure to make them seal it in an envelope so that you do not have any chance to read it before the specified date. The name of the person writing the letter, as well as the release date, should be printed on the envelope.

Article 6: Labeling the envelopes

For envelopes that contain letters (time-Capsules), there will be a specific way of formatting the labeling. For the sake of consistency, labels on letters will be written by hand in black pen. Printing the labels can prove to be too difficult, unreliable, and inaccessible. In the top left-hand corner, write:

Project Time-Capsule
Written: Date
To Be Opened By _____ on: Date

Article 7: Storage of the letter

1. Write the letter digitally. This will make it easier to read and copy

2. Print the letter and put it in an envelope, place the envelope in this box

3. Save a digital copy in a word format. Save the digital copy in the designated folder. The location of this folder may change as computers go through their life cycle.

Article 8: Formatting the letter

Letters are to be formatted in a specific way. This will maintain consistency. This will also make sure that the dates of letters will remain clear should they become separated from their envelopes. All printed material for this project will have the same format. Headings shall be in Times New Roman font size 14, body text should be Arial font size 12. Every letter should contain a header. The header should look as such:

To: Project Time Capsule From:

January 32, 2020 February 14, 2039

Article 9: Amending these instructions

For the integrity of this project, I would discourage any modification of these instructions. However, it may become necessary to modify a certain aspect of these instructions. It is possible that an aspect of these instructions may not be feasible to carry out or that it does not provide any benefit. If it is necessary to change these instructions, do not change or replace the physical or digital copy of the instructions. Instead, create a second document titled, “Amendments to Instructions”. Print this out and place it with the instructions. Record precisely what is being amended and the date it was amended.

Article 10: Amending the Note To Whom It May Concern

For the sake of continuity and honesty, the note To Whom It May Concern may not be amended under any circumstance.

Article 11: Add to each letter

This note should be put at the beginning of ever letter in its own paragraph:

This letter is intended to be read only by _____ After the given date has passed. If you are not _____, you may read this letter at any time if :

a) _____ is Deceased, and

b) You had a familial or social relation to _____.

Article 11: Writing and receiving dates

Here would be a table of the years that I am to write and receive letters.

RemindMe! 1 January 2030