If the Australian bushfires, and the 2020 Persian Gulf Crisis, and the CAA and NRC protests in India, and the political upheaval in Venezuela and Bolivia, and the American impeachment proceedings, and the climate crisis are distressing you too much, I invite you to view the images on the Voyager Golden Record. It can all be too much sometimes—I get it. When you follow the news and see what’s going on, it can be very easy to become negative. The Golden Record can serve as a little pick-me-up.

I stumbled upon an old bookmark today and happened across the Imgur album. Within 30 seconds I was getting emotional. These pictures showcase the glory and wonder of our planet, of our biodiversity, our incredible landscapes, and our unique people. In the late 70s we wanted to leave a time capsule, somewhere off in the universe, of our home. President Jimmy Carter’s words prove particularly poignant: “We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization.”

If we could see that back 40 years ago, how are we at this place now? I don’t know, but I firmly believe the average person can contribute to the solution by striving towards the habits and qualities I’ve advocated for: Education. Critical Thinking. Openness. Communication. To me, all that seems easy and elementary when looking at those images on the Golden Record. These current problems don’t appear so insurmountable. When viewed from the greatest possible scale, you see that we have a responsibility to ourselves, to our species, and to our planet.

We are one single group of primates living on the only home we’ve ever known. It’s time to stop acting like monkeys. It’s time for solutions, and for hope.