Planet Earth’s to get its first ever civilization black box recorder

Tasmania has been picked to hold the world’s black box.

Black box recorders are stored on airplanes and they track everything happening with the craft in the event of a crash or accident.

Researchers want a similar device for our planet as the threat of climate change increases.

The device, which will be located at a ‘remote outcrop on Tasmania’s west coast’, has been described as a large, steel monolith that will be storing climate-change-related material from the internet.

According to the ABC, it will specifically be looking at ‘land and sea temperatures, ocean acidification, atmospheric CO2, species extinction, land-use changes, as well as things like human population, military spending and energy consumption’.

There will also be ‘contextual data’ that will be collated as well, like news article headlines and social media posts’ that discuss climate change.

The thought behind the project is that if our civilisation ends up being ruined and wiped out by climate change, then there will be a record of what was happening.

The black box is filled with loads of storage drives and will be powered by solar panels on the roof. When the sun isn’t shining, there will be batteries that will provide backup power.

Jim Curtis from Clemenger BBDO said the tool is designed to outlive everyone.

“The idea is if the Earth does crash as a result of climate change, this indestructible recording device will be there for whoever’s left to learn from that. It’s also there to hold leaders to account — to make sure their action or inaction is recorded,” Mr. Curtis said.

The structure is expected to be built sometime next year, however, the devices that will be storing all the information have already started recording.

They will also be looking backward, as well as forward when looking at what data to record.

Tassie beat out the likes of Malta, Norway, and Qatar, to host earth’s black box, however, the developers of this epic tool are still working out one big important aspect.

Source: Agencies