Chapter 1
Telling stories that survive ten thousand years
Chapter 2
Stargazing and ancient cosmic trackers
Chapter 3
Reaching into the deep cosmos
Chapter 4
Preserving knowledge for the end of the world
Chapter 5
The digital duet of human and machine
Ch 1 · Telling stories that survive ten thousand years
007skaty Since 1999, the repository stores transuranic waste 2,150 feet down within a stable, 250-million-year-old salt formation.
Quiz
What geological material houses the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository located 2,150 feet underground?
007skaty The Human Interference Task Force designed hostile stone landscapes to mark radioactive sites.
Quiz
What physical architectural concept uses giant, jagged stone pillars to warn future travelers away from nuclear sites?
Quiz
What academic field studies how signs, symbols, and languages communicate meaning over long periods of time?
Fun Fact
Ray cat folklore: The idea of radiation-detecting cats inspired musicians to write catchy folk songs about 'Ray Cats' to help embed the warning into human culture.
007skaty Scientists proposed genetically engineering glowing cats to warn people about radiation.
BETA
007skaty Trace the glowing rays of these kittens to learn about ARTi and 007skaty's radiant discovery.
Quiz
In what decade did researchers first propose the concept of radiation-detecting ray cats?
Quiz
Why did scientists propose using genetically engineered glowing cats to warn future generations about radiation?
Glossary
semiotics (noun)
The study of signs, symbols, and how they are used to communicate meaning. In 1999, scientists applied this field to design radioactive waste warnings for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
The study of signs, symbols, and how they are used to communicate meaning. In 1999, scientists applied this field to design radioactive waste warnings for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Quiz
Approximately how long ago did the oldest known written language, cuneiform, emerge in Mesopotamia?
Quiz
Which historical artifact helped modern linguists finally decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs?