DNA To Be Digitized And Sent To The International Space Station (ISS) With
Famed Game Designer Richard Garriott In October

Stephen Colbert continues to make late-night television space history.  On “The Colbert Report” in May, he was the first host in late-night to interview an astronaut, Garrett Reisman, in space.  Now, Colbert plans to save humanity when he has his DNA digitized and sent to the International Space Station (ISS) with famed game designer Richard Garriott.  

“I am thrilled to have my DNA shot into space, as this brings me one step closer to my life-long dream of being the baby at the end of 2001,” said Colbert.

“In the unlikely event that Earth and humanity are destroyed, mankind can be resurrected with Stephen Colbert’s DNA,” said Garriott. “Is there a better person for us to turn to for this high-level responsibility?”

In October, Garriott will travel to the ISS and deposit the “Immortality Drive,” a time capsule which will include human DNA and records of humanity’s greatest accomplishments.  This collection of data including Colbert’s DNA and accomplishments, along with personal messages left by visitors at www.OperationImmortality.com, will serve as a remote offsite backup of the human race.
“The Colbert Report” airs regularly Monday-Thursday at 11:30 p.m. following “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”  Repeat episodes air Monday-Thursday at 1:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and Friday at 8:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (all times ET/PT). 

“The Colbert Report” is produced by Jon Stewart’s Busboy Productions, Inc. in association with Spartina Productions, Inc.  Stewart, Colbert and Allison Silverman are the executive producers with Meredith Bennett and Richard Dahm as co-executive producers.  Jim Hoskinson is the director.  Lou Wallach and Dan Powell are the executives in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL. 

Sending digital time capsule with human DNA on Richard Garriott’s journey to International Space Station

Could you be the savior of humankind?  NCsoft, the world’s leading publisher and developer of online computer games, has announced it will launch the “Immortality Drive” – a time capsule with the digitized DNA of select video game players and space aficionados – into orbit when famed game designer Richard Garriott travels to the International Space Station in October 2008.
As part of NCsoft’s “Operation Immortality,” Richard Garriott – the man who created Tabula Rasa, a massively multiplayer online (MMO) PC game that explores the destruction of Earth – is now venturing into space to save humanity.

During the campaign, Tabula Rasa players have a chance to have their DNA sequenced, digitized and sent into space on the Immortality Drive. In addition, all players with active accounts on September 2, 2008 will have their Tabula Rasa characters uploaded to the device, giving them the opportunity to go to space virtually.  In order to make this unique opportunity accessible to as many people as possible, free trials of the game are available at http://www.rgtr.com/trial.  Garriott will place the Immortality Drive on the International Space Station when he travels there this fall.

“I’ve been able to do some very exciting things in the games business, but nothing of this magnitude,” said Garriott, executive producer for Tabula Rasa at NCsoft. “I’m thrilled we can offer the once in a lifetime chance to millions of gamers to virtually go to space with me. A select few will have their DNA digitized and sent. And, theoretically, if anything happens to the human race, it could be their DNA that is used to resurrect humanity.”

Starting today and lasting through August 31, 2008, anyone with a PC and an Internet connection can go to http://www.OperationImmortality.com and participate in weekly polls on humanity’s greatest achievements which will be included on the Immortality Drive, such as “What is the greatest song of all time?” and “What is the greatest technological breakthrough of all time?” Current Tabula Rasa players, or those who download and play the free trial, will also be able to enter a personal message for inclusion on the Drive.

“This is your chance to leave your mark,” says Garriott. “While everyone can participate in the polls at OperationImmortality.com, Tabula Rasa players will be the only gamers in the universe who can say that a piece of them is in space, since we’re sending their in-game alter-egos, and for some, their DNA, to space with me.”

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