a pyramid in Mexico

A unique experiment to try to communicate with life in outer space and give a picture of life on earth is to take place from a pyramid in Mexico. Thousands of people around the world have already sent in their images, videos and sounds to the project. Duncan Kennedy reports from Mexico City:

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Under the section 'what makes you sad', a man from Ethiopia has sent in a letter with the word 'greed' written on it. In the 'what is fun' section, a man from Toronto has posted a picture of himself poking his tongue out. The majority of contributions so far are about the subject of love. A panel of judges will decide the final content to be digitalised. Then, later this month, the chosen work will be projected via a laser onto an ancient pyramid on the outskirts of Mexico City and then into space.

The site was chosen because of the contrast between old and new civilisations. The organisers say information has never been captured on such a scale before and will show anyone or anything watching what life is really like on earth.

Time capsules have long been a favoured tool of humans to pass on their legacy. In the 1970s, the astronomer Carl Sagan famously compiled a record. It included the sound of a mariachi band and greetings in an ancient Sumerian language. The record was sent out on the Voyager spacecraft. This latest attempt to speak to any potential neighbours may be earthbound. But in what is being described as the first ever digital mosaic of humanity, it hopes to harness the power of lasers and the internet to cross the inter-galactic divide.

Duncan Kennedy, BBC, Mexico City

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an obsession
something that people are so interested in that they are unable to think about anything else

projected
shown as large, clear images usually on a screen or flat surface

pyramid
a large building made up of four triangle-shaped walls of equal size on a flat base; the walls are usually made of stone and slope up into a point; pyramids are mainly found in Egypt and Central America

on the outskirts
far from the centre of, on the edge of

on such a scale
in such large amounts or large numbers

to pass on their legacy
to leave things and information after they've died to help people in the future understand more about who they were and how they lived

compiled
gathered or grouped together in order to make an organised collection

earthbound
based on earth, unable to leave the planet earth

mosaic
a patterned item that is made up of many pieces, here, a picture of life as it is lived by many different people

to harness
to capture so that it can be controlled and used

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