The article was originally published at The Conversation.
Professor Huchingson is a lecturer in Religion and Science at Florida International University.
The farthest object made by humans is called Voyager 1. It is now close to 15 billion miles from Earth in space. The Golden Records that both Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, carry are little pieces of humanity. Jimmy Carter, who was the U.S. president at the time, sent a written message of welcome when the spaceship left Earth in 1977.
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, it was found that they could exist for trillions of years.
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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 God's presence 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 the 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 destiny of the nation of Israel or its people is of paramount importance to many Jews. Many Christians think that the coming of the kingdom of God for the faithful will be a future general resurrection.
Jimmy Carter is a progressive Southern Baptist and a living example of religious hope for immortality. He has thought about dying while battling brain cancer and approaching centenarian status. Carter concluded his sermon by saying 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 was more sad by his thoughts.
There are other options for immortality for people like Sagan. They include freezing and preserving the body for future physical resurrection, uploading one's consciousness and turning it into a digital form. Physical immortality has not been proved to be feasible yet.
Secular or religious people want the actions they do while alive to continue 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. All living species, mountains, seas and forests will be obliterated before the sun runs out of fuel in about 5 billion years. 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.
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