Glitched Carl Sagan NASA Pioneer Earth Locator Mug

This was inspired by one of our most-liked Instagram digital art works. It’s glitch art, Warhol-esque pop-art. It was created entirely via computer algorithms from our family-friendly version of the Carl Sagan and NASA co-designed Pioneer Plaque that went into space in the 1970s. The original image provides extraterrestrials with Earth’s location using the timings of many pulsars our blog.

The original is a monochrome engraving. However, because this is glitch art, this is a much cooler-looking multicolor version. Something about the design said “coffee mug” to us.

If you find yourself abducted by aliens, or lost in space, this mug can be used to locate Earth. (Just hold on to it after you’re abducted. Also, you’ll probably need to find some friendly aliens first who know about pulsar timings and can help.) We glitched it, so if it’s discovered by unfriendly aliens, the duplication and repeats of image will hopefully throw them off. The repeated, multicolor pattern actually allows the same information to be stored in a much smaller space than the original engraving (saving coffee mug weight on your Mars trip).

BTW, we haven’t actually tested out the mug to see if aliens can use it to help you find your way back home to Earth. Apparently, there were some errors in the 1970s pulsar timing measurements that might throw you or the aliens slightly off. While this is the best coffee mug out there for someone lost in space, note that we don’t offer a money back guarantee. If you make a wrong turn on your way back home to Earth using this mug, you’re on your own.

The original Pioneer Plaque was engraved in a special golden record and designed to last at least for at least one billion years in space as a testimony to humanity. Our coffee mug version is probably not as durable, but could still be hurled into space to let aliens know we’re here and drink coffee.

The mug’s extremely cool multicolor pattern was computed via computer algorithm (digital glitch pop art) from our family-friendly, cropped version of the NASA and Carl Sagan co-designed Pioneer Plaque. Both this image, and our version of the original Sagan-esque space plaque were among our most-liked Instagram and blog postings of all time.

This incredibly cool-looking mug is the perfect gift and must-have interstellar Earth-locator map for the prospective Mars colonist, scientist, professor, educator, student, space geek, or future UFO hitchhiker in your life.

[We’re switching on-demand coffee mug vendors. In the mean, the coffee mug is unavailable. It may become available again if there is sufficient interest.]

Legal Disclaimer: This is a satirical how-to article on the Maker Movement. No affiliation or endorsement by any person mentioned is intended or implied.