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What Music Should Make a Playlist of Humanity’s Greatest Hits?
An Offbeat Case for the 80s
When you look at the first pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope, it is hard to imagine that we are alone.
The images are simply mind-blowing. Inconceivable objects in all their magnificent beauty. They leave us feeling minuscule — both as individuals and as a species — but also inspired by the vastness of everything. I felt as if I had caught a glimpse of eternity, and it was exhilarating, as well as humbling.
So, what did this “God’s-eye” view of the universe make you think about?
It made me think about the possibility of intelligent alien life and what we would like that intelligent life to know about our world and about humanity. What are humanities greatest achievements and why?
Big Hits
I was discussing this question with one of my friends, and — for no particular reason — we focused on music and what music we would want our new alien friends to hear: What music would we choose to represent humanity? If you were compiling a time capsule playlist — Humanity’s Twenty Greatest Hits, if you like — what music would be included?
It didn’t take us long to come up with an answer. Sure, we would include the obvious things: a bit of…
