Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, carries a message for potential extraterrestrial intelligences beyond our solar system. Experts like Linda Salzman Sagan, Carl Sagan, and Frank Drake were involved in creating this message.

Real-world example: Think of writing a letter to a pen pal in a different country, except in this case, the pen pal could be an alien and the 'country' is outer space!

There's an argument that science, particularly physics and mathematics, are a universal language, understandable regardless of cultural or biological differences. This idea informed the design of the message on Pioneer 10.

Real-world example: Mathematics doesn't change from country to country - 2+2 will always equal 4, regardless of your language or culture.

The Pioneer plaque used scientific concepts and symbols to communicate. It employed hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, as a standard of distance and time.

Real-world example: Think about using pictures or universal symbols when communicating with someone who doesn't speak your language. The 'thumbs up' gesture, for instance, is generally understood as a positive sign globally.

The hyperfine transition of hydrogen, an atomic phenomenon, was used as a universal unit of time and space on the Pioneer plaque. The plaque also depicted the human body and our solar system to provide context about the message senders.

Real-world example: It's like using landmarks or well-known buildings when giving directions - these are things most people can recognize and understand.