How snail mail was vital in producing the first image of a black hole

Science Museum Short 7 months ago

Description

What do you do when you have too much data to physically transfer via the internet? You go back to the postal service, of course!

This is exactly what happened when collating the raw data from eight sites across the globe which went on to become the first ever image of a black hole, revealed to the world in 2019. Dozens of hard drives were packed up and shipped in containers like this humble cardboard box which travelled from Hawaii to Massachusetts with its precious cargo.

Who knew that something so hi-tech would rely on such a well-established innovation as the postal service?

Please note: this has been reuploaded to correct an image used in the original video.