Institute For The Future

IFTF Researcher Earns Grammy Nod for Voyager Golden Record Project

Nov. 29, 2017, Palo Alto, Calif. — The Institute for the Future is celebrating the Grammy nomination of the Voyager Golden Record: 40^th Anniversary Edition, a vinyl boxed set co-produced and co-art directed by IFTF researcher David Pescovitz. The boxed set is the first ever vinyl release of the original Voyager Record, an iconic message for extraterrestrials that NASA launched into space in 1977.

“We are simply thrilled that David has been recognized in this way,” said Marina Gorbis, executive director of IFTF. “While this is a singular achievement, David’s work on this project reflects the talent, creativity and scope that IFTF researchers are known for.” The Voyager Golden Record: 40^th Anniversary Edition, created by Pescovitz and friends Timothy Daly and Lawrence Azerrad, was nominated for a 2018 Grammy in the category Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package category. They funded its development and release through a Kickstarter campaign that became the most successful music project in the crowdfunding site’s history. 

A research director at Institute for the Future (IFTF), Pescovitz is also co-editor/partner at the influential tech/culture web site Boing Boing and the co-founder of Ozma Records, a label focused on the intersection of science, art, and consciousness to spark the imagination.

Pescovitz says that Voyager Golden Record connects the dots between all of his passions and ties directly to his work at IFTF. Curated by a committee led by astronomer Carl Sagan, the Voyager Record tells a story of our planet expressed in sounds, images, and music, from Bach and Solomon Island panpipes to Blind Willie Johnson and Chuck Berry.

“For me, the Voyager Record lies at the intersection of my lifelong love of art, music and science with my career as a professional futurist. The first law of futures thinking is that there are no facts about the future. The future is a place where anything is possible, even if not probable. Futures thinking is fueled by wonder and curiosity. Most importantly, thinking about the future is an inherently hopeful practice. It connects us to our humanity just as the Voyager Golden Record does.”
                  —David Pescovitz

The 60th Grammy Awards takes place in New York City on January 28, 2018. For the full list of Grammy nominees, see the article in Variety.

For more info about The Voyager Golden Record content and ordering visit Ozma Records.