someone should build a highly redundant repository of all current human knowledge. the bulk of it could be redundant computer-based systems.

but the monument would have every current language written out in whatever the most long lasting material we have is - i'd say plastic, but that might melt.

anyway, in order to insure that whoever found this would know what the language sounded like, there would need to be some kind of binary way of representing sounds etched into the material - like a barcode. ideally, if someone dragged a stick across this, it would make a sound (that's not a bad idea by itself), that sound would be the same as the the words on the monument.

the phrase would be tough to come up with - it would want to include all sounds for every language. i imagine chinese would be the hardest to include.

the redundancy should go to the materials level - like the way corian always has the same surface, even when you sand it, the words should go all the way through the material, so even if chunks were lost, it would still be legible.

then of course there would be instructions on how to use the computer stuff, assuming it survived. the computer parts would be updated as technology improved.
-- simpleknight, Apr 27 2005

Modern Rosetta Stone http://www.mirabili...rchives/000228.html
Though your definition of the word "stone" may differ from these guys. [DrCurry, Apr 27 2005]

Rosetta Porn Rosetta_20Porn
[theircompetitor, Nov 28 2005]

Rosetta Cemetery Rosetta_20Cemetery
[theircompetitor, Nov 28 2005]

[simpleknight]'s link repaired http://www.washingt...R2005112601065.html
[jurist, Nov 29 2005]

Just sticking to the Rosetta Stone part, and ignoring the "repository of all current human knowledge," clearly an absurdity, this is pretty Baked.
-- DrCurry, Apr 27 2005


Well, not that this suports anything, but apparently the Scientologists get it:

http:// www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2005/11/26/ AR2005112601065.html

It seems to me if we want the future to know we aren't all wackos, we need to combat this. And my idea would do it ;)
-- simpleknight, Nov 28 2005


Something to bear in mind when passing judgment on civilizations past by the words they have left us.
-- DrCurry, Nov 28 2005


unfortunately simplesoul, that link is broke...

no more, dead, pining for the fjords or something
-- po, Nov 28 2005


I repaired that link address and appended it, just in case you really needed to know how to find L. Ron Hubbard's tablets.
-- jurist, Nov 29 2005



random, halfbakery