Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!labrea!rutgers!att!whuts!homxb!mtuxo!rolls!attdso!tim
From: tim@attdso.ATT.COM (Tim J Ihde)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: The PIONEER 10 and 11 plaque; the VOYAGER 1 and 2 record.
Message-ID: <597@attdso.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Sep 88 18:04:24 GMT
References: <8809281753.AA11817@decwrl.dec.com>
Reply-To: tim@attdso.UUCP (Tim J Ihde)
Organization: AT&T DSO-HQ, Morristown, NJ
Lines: 21

In article <8809281753.AA11817@decwrl.dec.com> klaes@mtwain.dec.com (CUP/ML, MLO5-2/G1 8A, 223-3283) writes:
         The famous plaque on the U.S. space probes PIONEER 10 and 11 . . .

         Near the center of the plaque are drawings of two human beings,
    male and female.  They are nude and have facial features representing 
    the various races of humanity. . .

    . . . some wrongly accused NASA of sending "smut" into space, 
    as the man and woman were without clothing . . .


I seem to recall reading a humorous response to this by Sagan, who's wife
(as the poster pointed out) designed the plaque.  He asked the objectors if
they would be satisfied if they drew little fig leaves over the characters -
and then placed next to them a stork bearing a bundle.  Sagan went on to
suggest that the true level of our society could be expressed by the
inclusion of a likeness of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny as well.
-- 
Tim J Ihde					att!attdso!tim
(201) 898-6687					tim@attdso.att.com
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