Knowledge ark

A knowledge ark (also known as a doomsday ark or doomsday vault) is a collection of knowledge preserved in such a way that future generations would have access to said knowledge if all other copies of it were lost.

Scenarios where access to information (such as the Internet) would become otherwise impossible could be described as existential risks or extinction-level events. A knowledge ark could take the form of a traditional library or a modern computer database. It could also be pictorial in nature, including photographs of important information, or diagrams of critical processes.

A knowledge ark would have to be resistant to the effects of natural or man-made disasters in order to be viable. Such an ark should include, but would not be limited to, information or material relevant to the survival and prosperity of human civilization.

Other types of knowledge arks might include genetic material, such as in a DNA bank. With the potential for widespread personal DNA sequencing becoming a reality, an individual might agree to store their genetic code in a digital or analog storage format which would enable later retrieval of that code. If a species was sequenced before extinction, its genome would still remain available for study. (Source: Wikipedia)

Reasons for construction

With respect to the rationale to construct a knowledge ark, one might argue that present turbulent contexts such as climate change and the possibility of Russian War in Ukraine escalating into a nuclear holocaust has brought human civilization to a very dangerous point.

Thus, the purpose would be the preservation of knowledge and achievements of humanity, by any forms possible ranging from digital information up to artifacts including everyday objects.

In the event of catastrophic disaster, it would ease the process of rebuilding human civilization. Failing that, knowledge arks could theoretically serve as a cautionary warning for any other civilizations beyond Earth to not repeat the same mistakes that caused extinction in the first place. This is not to mention the possible continuation of our civilization when some or all its mores are adopted by otherworldly entities upon discovery of such arks, by a process known as “enculturation”.

Potential ideal locations on Earth

Projected durability in the span of hundred thousands of years maximum. They should be far away from zones with disruptive geological activities such as fault lines. The weathers of the ideal locations should be as calm/stable as possible, i.e. no tornados and flash floods. Besides that, the governments in the areas should be stable democracies so as to avoid the risks of political upheavals which threatens the facilities, such as popular uprisings and civil wars.

Australia

• Tunnel Creek
• Nullarbor Plain Underground Caves

Austria

• Salzkammergut Salt Mines

Canada

• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan

Switzerland

• Jura Mountains

United Kingdom

• Boulby Mine, UK
• Worth Village Salt Mine

United States

Alaska

• Ester Mine, Fairbanks
• Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Mines (May be restricted because of National Preserve status)

Upper Midwest

• Balmoral, South Dakota
• Winner, Minnesota

Others

• Bonne Terre Mine
• Lyons Salt Mine
• Deserts in Nevada and New Mexico

Potential ideal locations in Solar System

Ultimately, in order to build a knowledge ark that can survive past the foreseeable future, which for all intents and purposes here is set to beyond 10,000 years, the Earth itself is not a prime choice for the purpose since it is subjected to continuous tectonic shift that could move continents to other places one day, thereby radically changing the geographical environment. One model posited that the freezing continent of Antarctica, which itself is currently optimal for an ark that lasts within the foreseeable future, might become a tropical area as it moves away from the south pole. Therefore, as the saying goes, don’t put many eggs in one basket, one needs to search for elsewhere to build an ark that will last far longer.

Projected durability in the span of millions of years, or perhaps longer.

• Moon (especially lava tubes and polar areas)

• Mars

• Ceres

• Hilda and Zhongguo asteroid groups, such as 22740 Rayleigh

• Saturnian moons Mimas, Tethys, Dione and Iapetus

• Uranian moons Ariel, Umbriel, Miranda, Oberon and Titania

• Pluto and Charon

• Eris and Dysnomia

• Sedna

Types

• All-comprehensive - those that includes practically indiscriminate types of artifacts, whether they're biological materials, digital information or physical objects.

• Biorepository - those that contains only biological materials such as DNA samples.

• Inforepository (also known as digital data repository) - those that contains only digital information.

• Physical artifacts repository - those that contains only physical objects.

Locations

• Static (affixed to a surface of any given planet)

• Mobile (such as free floating space stations)

Plans and projects

See also: List of knowledge ark projects

All-comprehensive repositories

• The Time Capsule Project

Biological repositories

• Svalbard Global Seed Vault

• Safeguarding Earth's biodiversity by creating a lunar biorepository (published July 31, 2024)

Inforepositories

• Arch Mission
• Arctic World Archive
• Beyond Burials
• Beyond the Earth Foundation
• Internet Archive
• Memory of Mankind
• Memory of the World Programme
• Permanent Foundation
• Rosetta Project
• "Visions of Mars" DVD on Phoenix Mars lander
• Yahoo Time Capsule

Physical repositories

• Crypt of Civilization
• National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility