By definition, the “black box” remains one of the most functional means of data collection.
The project Earth's Black Box, exploits the power of this incredible tool to be able to effectively record everything that happens in the world, transmitting information to posterity.
The installation of the Boxes took place in Tasmania, in one of the most isolated areas of the world. The steel casing will contain a series of hard drives powered by solar panels, each dedicated to recording specific data.
Each disc records and documents the scientific evolutions on very important issues, creating an agglomeration of information very useful for the men of the future.
I climate changes, environmental pollution, the development of new medical treatments; the box will collect all this information in one place.
“Earth's Black Box will record every step we take (…) Hundreds of datasets, measurements and interactions relating to the health of our planet will be continuously collected and securely stored for future generations.”
The black box project for the future
The black box dedicated to the Earth, the project mentioned on the Earth's Blackbox website, was created to "safeguard" the human species.
“The idea is that if the Earth crashes due to climate change, this indestructible recording device will be there for whoever is left to learn from that”
Jim Curtis, Clemenger BBDO Creative Director
The information gathered could help future society not to make the same mistakes by finding out what actually happened to our planet.
“The purpose of the device is to provide an impartial account of the events leading to the planet's demise, take responsibility for future generations, and inspire urgent action,” say the makers of Earth's Black Box.
On a “theoretical” level, it is easy to assimilate Earth's Black Box to “Doomsday Vault”, an equally interesting Norwegian project. When compared, the two studies could be defined as complementary.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (precisely Doomsday Evaluation) is a fortress that contains all the seeds of the world, designed in case the environmental situation should become dramatic. Its help, along with information gleaned from the Earth's black box, could revive the fortunes of future generations.
How the project was born
Researchers at the University of Tasmania, who have long been interested in issues of environmental sustainability, have chosen to collaborate with Clemenger BBDO, the creative agency The Glue Society. The union of the two associations led to the birth of Earth's Black Box.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2022, but most systems are already partially active. You just need to carry out some control tests and make sure that everything is going smoothly.
One of the main objectives is to push humanity to act in a more responsible way, especially regarding environmental management issues.
How? Through the anxiety of judgment.
If the project works, the consequences of the actions we take every day will be "recorded" by a machine. All this will push people to better control their waste.
“Being recorded has an influence on what people do and say”; these are the words of Jonathan Kneebone of The Glue Society at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
The design of this black box of the Earth is indeed innovative and interesting. It can easily be part of the scientific / statistical analysis systems, necessary to realize how the situation evolves year after year.
