Immortality Drive
The Immortality Drive ( German immortality memory chip ) is a computer memory on which, among other things, the digital copies of a children's book and the genetic fingerprints of some celebrity was deposited. The British computer game pioneer Richard Garriott brought with him as a space tourist, the Immortality Drive to the International Space Station, where it remained ever since.
Prehistory
The software developer regarded as eccentric wanted to emulate his father, the astronaut Owen Garriott and astronaut, but was not admitted because of an eye defect. Gained through his software company to fortune, he took in October 2008 as a space tourist part in a trip to the International Space Station. On his journey into space he took also the Immortality Drive, on a children's book and the digital records are stored with the DNA samples of several persons. Through a competition among the players of a game marketed by Garriott participants were able to determine other contents of the memory chips. For example, Star Wars was nominated for best film, for example, and the Beatles to the legendary band.
Naming
The neologism Immortality Drive is ambiguous in English. The name can be here not only superficially received as a description of a purported function and purpose, but as the title is an essential part of the work and is about immortality memory chip.
Content
About the contents of the memory chip, the children's book is one of the secret key to the universe of the British physicist Stephen Hawking, also digital records with DNS samples of the following persons:
- Stephen Hawking ( astrophysicist ) ( Hawking promoted so that the Archon Genomics X Prize )
- Lance Armstrong ( cyclist )
- Stephen Colbert ( comedian )
- Jo Garcia ( Playmate )
- Richard Garriott ( game developer )
- Matt Morgan ( wrestler )
In addition, personal messages and text contributions to the greatest achievements of mankind were mentioned. Selected were the contributions of players from Tabula Rasa. Before the flight of time with Garriott contractually bound game maker NCsoft designed a competition among the players. The winners could be store their genetic fingerprints on the memory then also.
Reception
The Immortality Drive is shown in the produced by the History Channel documentary series Life After People.
Many receptions emphasize the playful character of the work. Among the presumed practical " applications " of digital copies, a time capsule will be counted, but also on the use of re-creation of humanity by using their DNA after a disaster has been speculated. A gallery for your the work relating to cryonics.