Re: How do extraterrestial languages work ? ? ? ?

From: Seán O'Leathlóbhair (jwlawler_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 12/30/04 

Date: 30 Dec 2004 03:43:37 -0800

I am not an expert on extra-terrestrial communication but I would
expect that the idea of using primes is to exclude arbitrary factors
such as our use of base 10. If the objective was to maximise the
probability that the message would be recognised as the product of
intelligence, then I think that the primes are a good choice.
Introducing aliens to specifics such as our use of base 10 would be
very far down my priority list.

A balance between simplicity and information is important. If the
message is too complex, it may not be understood. If the message is
too simple, it may be mistaken for a natural phenomenon. When the
first pulsar was detected, some thought that it was an alien message.
This was eventually dismissed because it was too regular and devoid of
content.

I would select primes first. It is easy to imagine that aliens would
use a completely different number representation but it is hard to
imagine that they would be capable of inter-stellar travel or
communication without having discovered the natural numbers and primes.
As a mathematician, I may be biased but I would expect that exchanging
mathematical ideas would be easier than most other subjects. I can
imagine that we may be exchanging complex mathematical ideas while
still knowing little about basic aspects of them or their life.

The periodic table could be a good follow-up. Fundamental physics and
chemistry could be the next subject, if they trusted primitives such as
us with such knowledge.

Seán O'Leathlóbhair

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