Message in a bottle

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For other uses, see Message in a bottle (disambiguation).

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 littering and can result in fines 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.

1 History
2 Similar methods using other media
3 In popular culture
4 References
5 External links

[edit] 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.

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.^[1]

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.^[2]

[edit] 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 more easily, since a bottle dropped from land could be washed back by the surf.

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.

[edit] In popular culture

The title of a classic song by The Police, a band fronted by Sting.

Nicholas Sparks' novel, Message in a Bottle, was made into the film Message in a Bottle in 1999.

The 2005 video game Animal Crossing: Wild World, for the portable Nintendo DS console, allows players to write a message and place it in a virtual bottle and toss it into a virtual sea. The player can walk round the real world with their console in a special wireless mode which will pass the bottle into the virtual sea of any other nearby players carrying their DS with them, but does so without alerting either player so the anonymity of the message remains.

The 2002 video game The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind there is a message in a bottle at the bottom of the Sea of Ghosts, northeast of Dagon Fel. The same bottle can also be found in a store in Raven Rock, only available through the Bloodmoon expansion.

Many online suppliers sell plastic and glass bottles with corks in small quantites for sending messages in a bottle through the postal system. You can make your own and save money, or buy the package complete with your personalized message and decorating theme. The idea was originally thought up by an English child and marketed by a relative.

In May 2006, an online game called Oceangram was established, where users can send and receive messages in bottles, using a random delivery system. On August 14, 2006 Oceangram was featured in Kim Komando's blog and went offline temporarily, presumably due to the Slashdot effect. Oceangram has now delivered more than four million virtual bottle messages around the world.

[edit] References

^ Kraske, Robert (1977). The twelve million dollar note: Strange but true tales of messages found in seagoing bottles. T. Nelson; 1st ed, pp. 55–56. ISBN 0-8407-6575-4.
^ "Message in bottle saves drifting migrants", 2005-05-31. Retrieved on 2006-05-27.