| Message In A Bottle |
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A message in a bottle is a form of communication whereby a message is sealed in a container (archetypically a glass Bottle , but could be plastic) and released into the Sea or Ocean . Such messages are not intended for a specific person, but to end up wherever the Currents carry them. Because of their simplicity they are often associated with people stranded on a Desert Island , attempting to be rescued. However, many people release such messages for pleasure, to see how far their message can travel and to make new friends, though this is considered Litter ing and can result in Fine s and Jail time. They are also used for scientific studies into ocean currents. The phrase "message in a bottle" has also come to refer to any message sent without an intended destination. HISTORY The first recorded messages in bottles were released around 310 BC by the Ancient Greek Philosopher Theophrastus , as part of an experiment to show that the Mediterranean Sea was formed by the inflowing Atlantic Ocean . On his journey back to Spain after discovering the New World , Christopher Columbus 's ship entered a severe storm. He threw a report of his discovery along with a note asking it to be passed on to the Queen Of Spain , in a sealed cask into the sea, hoping the news would make it back even if he did not survive. It is not known if this historic message was ever found. In the 16th Century the English Navy , among others, used bottle messages to send ashore information about enemy positions. Queen Elizabeth I even created an official position of "Uncorker of Ocean Bottles", and anyone else opening the bottles could face the Death Penalty . In May 2005 eighty-eight shipwrecked Migrants were rescued off the coast of Costa Rica . They had placed an SOS message in a bottle and tied it to one of the long lines of a passing fishing boat. {Link without Title} SIMILAR METHODS USING OTHER MEDIA Balloon Mail is a similar method of sending undirected messages through the air. The advantage of balloon mail is that it can be launched anywhere and can in principle reach any point on earth. A further advantage is that it can be launched easier, because there is no problem with surf, which could wash a message in a bottle ashore after it is dropped from land. The U.S. Space Agency NASA has launched several interstellar "messages in bottles." A graphic message in the form of a 6 by 9-inch gold-anodized aluminium plaque, known as the Pioneer Plaque , was bolted to the frames of the Pioneer 10 (launched on March 2 1972 ) and Pioneer 11 (launched on April 5 1973 ) Spacecraft . In the summer of 1977 , NASA launched two spacecraft together called the Voyager Project . The spacecraft each carry a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk, known as the Voyager Golden Record , containing recorded sounds and images representing human cultures and life on Earth . EXTERNAL LINKS
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