Creating a permanent record of our civilization may not be as difficult as we imagine. What we need is a primer on science, clearly written and unambiguous in its meaning—a primer for anyone interested in the state of the Earth and how to survive and live well on it. One that would serve also as a primary school science text. It would be the scientific equivalent of the Bible. It would contain practical information such as how to light a fire, and things to wonder about when it was lit. It would explain the natural selection of living things and what we know about the universe. Among its contents would be the principles of medicine and surgery with an account of how the blood circulates and the role of the organs. We take for granted the facts of pharmacology and the existence of bacteria and viruses, but this knowledge could easily be lost and take centuries to recover. Equally vulnerable are the facts of engineering and thermodynamics—even basic instructions on how to measure temperature and pressure. A glance at the history of chemistry shows how long it took to discover the periodic table of the elements and to provide an account of the air, the rocks, and the oceans. The book would present science to schoolchildren and to adults in a relevant and interesting way. It would be more than a survival manual; it would help restore science as part of our culture and be passed down as an inheritance to future generations.

What are some of the most basic and important things that would need to go into a completely introductory book on Science?

The contents of a Doomsday Chest will include stainless steel or titanium sheets, laser etched with an archive of the fundamentals of human knowledge.

Each sheet would be carved, front and back, in the five most widely spoken languages of the 21st Century; Mandarin, Spanish, English, Arabic and Hindi. To aid in their translation, aRosetta Disc style object would also embedded in the Chest, providing easy visual translation between the \"key\" languages and over 2,600 other languages.

The level of information on each sheet would be confined to advanced high school or beginning university level; appropriate for the foundations of each discipline but allowing further elaboration and advancement by the reader. Images, text, diagrams, and equations would also included. The size of each sheet will vary depending on the dimensions of the Chest, but is envisioned to be approximately the size of a fully unfolded newspaper broadsheet (75 x 60 cm)

Etched sheets will be removable for examination and copying, yet will be bound to the Chest through a binding mechanism to prevent theft or loss over time. Each sheet will also be etched to sufficient relief allowing for etching or each transcription of a sheet\'s contents.

Contents of the box will include, at a minimum, the following subjects:

• Virology
• Chemistry
• Astronomy
• Engineering
• Architecture
• Geometry
• Algebra
• Calculus
• Linguistics
• Economics
• Medicine
• Biology
• Agriculture
• Sanitation
• Water supply
• Philosophy
• Art history
• Design
• Music theory
• History (chronological)
• Mythology (classic)
• Literature of the world (classics, key languages)
• Aeronautics
• Navigation
• Measurement and surveying
• Cartography and maps of the world
• Acoustics
• Optics
• Energy production
• Printing and paper making
• Telecommunications
• Electricity and wiring
• Scale plans and drawings for basic devices and engines

A list of the media, dimensions, and list of subjects to be covered on the sheets that go into the doomsday chests.