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Showing Original Post only (View all)Alien Languages May Not Be Entirely Alien to Us [View all]
Last edited Sun Apr 4, 2021, 08:06 PM - Edit history (1)
Hat tip, a member of DCRTV.com, who posted about this on March 28, in the mailbag
LIFE & ARTS | IDEAS | ESSAY
Alien Languages May Not Be Entirely Alien to Us
Evolution should favor some universal traits in the emergence of any form of communication on any planet
By Arik Kershenbaum
March 27, 2021 12:01 am ET
Human contact with alien civilizations may be more likely than we think. A recent NASA study estimated that there should be at least four habitable planets (and probably more) within about 32 light years of Eartha cosmic stones throw away. Those planets could just now be receiving (albeit faintly) our television broadcasts of the 1989 inauguration of President George H.W. Bush. But would aliens understand those broadcasts? Would we understand aliens? Could we ever interpret their languages?
The 2016 movie Arrival portrayed scientists frantically scrambling to decode an alien language. Although the on-screen aliens communicatedand even thoughtin a completely different way from humans, the hero played by Amy Adams of course eventually succeeded. But off-screen, alien language may be so, well, alien that we could never understand anything about it. How do we approach dealing with something so completely unknown that it may also be completely different from anything we might expect?
In fact, questions about the nature of possible alien languages are tractable. Language remains the lone thing that appears to separate humans from other animals on Earth. The comparison of human language with animal communication can help, should we ever frantically need to decode an alien signal. After all, aliens will have evolved their language on a planet that is, like Earth, also full of non-linguistic species. But what really is the difference between language and non-language?
As a first step, let us consider why we think that this essay is language but birdsong isnt. Some birds sing incredibly complex and varied songs. The mockingbird, for instance, combines up to 100 different song types into long sequences that rarely repeat themselves. Can we really be sure that the birds arent speaking to each other? Or think of orcas (killer whales), which have a repertoire of more than 100 different calls. Might they be using their complex communication to talk?
These unanswered questions point us in the direction of how to decode alien language. Perhaps we could identify a telltale fingerprint of languagesome kind of statistical test that would give an unequivocal sign that a particular signal from outer space was indeed an alien message and not just noise. Such a language test would also indicate whether pigeons are in fact talking about you behind your back: If their cooing passes the language test, that would indicate that they were truly saying something.
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Alien Languages May Not Be Entirely Alien to Us
Evolution should favor some universal traits in the emergence of any form of communication on any planet
By Arik Kershenbaum
March 27, 2021 12:01 am ET
Human contact with alien civilizations may be more likely than we think. A recent NASA study estimated that there should be at least four habitable planets (and probably more) within about 32 light years of Eartha cosmic stones throw away. Those planets could just now be receiving (albeit faintly) our television broadcasts of the 1989 inauguration of President George H.W. Bush. But would aliens understand those broadcasts? Would we understand aliens? Could we ever interpret their languages?
The 2016 movie Arrival portrayed scientists frantically scrambling to decode an alien language. Although the on-screen aliens communicatedand even thoughtin a completely different way from humans, the hero played by Amy Adams of course eventually succeeded. But off-screen, alien language may be so, well, alien that we could never understand anything about it. How do we approach dealing with something so completely unknown that it may also be completely different from anything we might expect?
In fact, questions about the nature of possible alien languages are tractable. Language remains the lone thing that appears to separate humans from other animals on Earth. The comparison of human language with animal communication can help, should we ever frantically need to decode an alien signal. After all, aliens will have evolved their language on a planet that is, like Earth, also full of non-linguistic species. But what really is the difference between language and non-language?
As a first step, let us consider why we think that this essay is language but birdsong isnt. Some birds sing incredibly complex and varied songs. The mockingbird, for instance, combines up to 100 different song types into long sequences that rarely repeat themselves. Can we really be sure that the birds arent speaking to each other? Or think of orcas (killer whales), which have a repertoire of more than 100 different calls. Might they be using their complex communication to talk?
These unanswered questions point us in the direction of how to decode alien language. Perhaps we could identify a telltale fingerprint of languagesome kind of statistical test that would give an unequivocal sign that a particular signal from outer space was indeed an alien message and not just noise. Such a language test would also indicate whether pigeons are in fact talking about you behind your back: If their cooing passes the language test, that would indicate that they were truly saying something.
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I think it's interesting that we worry about communicating with aliens but we cant communicate
mitch96
Apr 2021
#2
I was thinking the same thing. Why not practice with the animals who live on our own planet.
Irish_Dem
Apr 2021
#6
Yes deciphering ancient Earth texts would also be a great way to figure out alien languages.
Irish_Dem
Apr 2021
#14
As far as we know, animals do not have "languages." Communicating with sound is not necessarily
Martin68
Apr 2021
#15
We don't really know. The study of animal language has been based upon human language.
Irish_Dem
Apr 2021
#16
Chomsky's theories are only one approach to language analysis. If he is right, though, then
Martin68
Apr 2021
#17
It is hard to argue with Chomsky's claim that language is innate, wired-in, a Darwinian adaptation.
Irish_Dem
Apr 2021
#19
I bow to your experience, education ad skill set. While I don't have a degree in language, I
Martin68
Apr 2021
#21
Reminds me of a humorous Kurt Vonnegut story, the aliens communicated by farting and tap dancing
Walleye
Apr 2021
#3
"ancient languages we can't decipher".. I wonder how much different this is than decoding
mitch96
Apr 2021
#10
Forget aliens and other species on this planet. We, as humans, have difficulty communicating with
niyad
Apr 2021
#7
Well, so far we haven't cracked the codes of dogs barking or cats screeching at each other...
TreasonousBastard
Apr 2021
#9