The farthest object made by humans is called Voyager 1. It is now almost 25 billion kilometers from Earth in the space between planets.
There are little pieces of humanity in the form of Golden Records that are carried by both Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2.
Jimmy Carter, who was the US president at the time, wrote a welcome message in a bottle that included greetings in 55 languages, sounds and images from nature, and an album of recordings and images from numerous cultures.
The Golden Records were built to last a billion years in the environment of space, but in a recent analysis of the paths and perils these explorers may face, they were calculated to exist for trillions of years without coming remotely close to any stars.
I have thought a lot about how spiritual ideas intersect with technological achievements, having spent my career in the field of religion and science. The entry point into exploring ideas of immortality is presented by the incredible longevity of the Voyager spacecraft.
A soul or spirit that follows death is called immortality. It can also mean the continuation of a legacy. If an alien civilization discovers and appreciates the Golden Record, it will be a legacy that will last a long time.
There are many religious beliefs about immortality. Most religions have a postmortem career for a personal soul or spirit, which can range from eternal residence among the stars to reincarnation.
The ideal life for Christians and Muslims is to live in heaven or paradise.
The teachings of Judaism about what happens after death are not clear. In the Hebrew Bible, the dead are shadows in a dark place. The resurrection of the righteous and eternal status of souls are given credence by some rabbinical authorities.
It's not limited to the individual. It can be a collective thing. The final fate of the nation of Israel or its people is of paramount importance to many Jews. The coming of the kingdom of God for the faithful is anticipated by many Christians.
Jimmy Carter is a progressive Southern Baptist and a living example of religious hope for immortality.
He is battling brain cancer and is approaching centenarian status. Carter concluded in a sermon that his faith included complete confidence in life after death. I will live again after I die.
It is possible that an alien witnessing the Golden Record and becoming aware of Carter's identity billions of years in the future would offer only marginal additional solace for him.
Carter has deep faith in the immortality of his soul and his knowledge of his ultimate destiny is a measure of that. He is likely representing people of many faiths.
There is little solace to be found in an appeal to the spirit of a person who has died.
Carl Sagan, who came up with the idea for the Golden Records and led their development, wrote of the afterlife, but he didn't think it was more than just wishful thinking.
He was more sad about missing important life experiences like seeing his children grow up than he was about the thought of his brain dying.
There are other options for immortality for people like Sagan. They include freezing and preserving the body for future physical resurrection or uploading one's consciousness and turning it into a digital form that would last a long time.
Physical immortality has not been proved to be feasible yet.
Secular or religious people want the actions they do while alive to bear continuing meaning into the future as their fruitful legacy. People want to be remembered. To live in the hearts we leave behind is to live forever.
It is estimated that there are more than a trillion years left in the life of Voyagers 1 and 2.
When the Sun runs out of fuel in about 5 billion years, all living species will have been wiped out. It will be as if we and the beautiful planet Earth never existed.
The Golden Records messages will be discovered by an advanced alien civilization in the distant future, but the two Voyager spacecraft will still be floating in space. The records will likely remain as testimony and legacies of Earth.
The belief that God or an afterlife waits for them after death can be comforting for religious and spiritual people. Any wakeful and appreciative aliens will have to do whatever is necessary to remember humanity.
Professor Huchingson is a lecturer at Florida International University.
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