• ALoafOfBread@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    People always say that, but like… what does that actually mean? Like we could work from first principles and just build a system of communication based on math?

    Gotta say I have my doubts. I have no idea what alien cognition would be like.

    • DomeGuy@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Counting is kind of basic. From one-two-three you can get fairly quicky to yes-no, and then comparisons, and with yes/no/more/less/same you have enough to fuzzle out whatever squak gigors.

      Aliens we could talk to at all wouldn’t be cthulu or q. They would live in the same basic reality we do, with entropy and gravity and the same elemetnts and stars. (They WOULD likely see different colors than we do, unless their sun was the same temperature as Sol and their planet the same size as earth)

      • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
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        4 months ago

        what if they don’t have the concept of atomic concepts: there’s no such thing as “one” because everything can be divided, until you reach wave/particle duality in which case there’s no singular state anyway? There’s no such thing as “two” because there can be no dividing line between phenomena that have no external nor internal boundaries? What if they cannot see or hear but use other senses we have no names for? What if they are a hive mind and don’t predate and thus have no concept of consent or denial/acceptance, and thus no concept of yes/no?