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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: SF & Language - Minimums
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References: <01bc265a$a239f270$275ee8cd@sal9000> <5fldjl$4iv@van1s03.cyberion.com> <5fn3lg$8p7@sulawesi.lerc.nasa.gov> <33245A81.38D1@nbcc.nb.ca>
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 1997 17:08:36 GMT
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In article <33245A81.38D1@nbcc.nb.ca>,
Andrew Crisp  <mo036465@nbcc.nb.ca> wrote:
>Geoffrey A. Landis wrote:
>> 
>> But this is a big assumption, and what is the justification for it?  You
>> are assuming that they would have a technology that is similar to ours,
>> and intelligible to us, on the basis of one example of a technological
>> civilization: ours.  Essentially, your argument is that since all the
>> technological civilzations that we know are similar to ours, then all
>> technological civilizations are similar to ours.  But there is no content
>> in this statement!
>> 
>With all due respect, Dr. Landis, all technological civilizations will
>have a common basis (as "Scotty" would say, "Ye cinna change th' laws o'
>physics!" ;)  And most of the universal constants (lightspeed, pi, mass
>of electrons, et cetera) will be available.  
>
>Assuming a common medium (say radio, unless there's a much better way to
>communicate over interstellar distances), then we have a basis for
>communication.  An alien culture (or ourselves... we really should be
>beaming more messages; "I Love Lucy" and "Star Trek: Voyager" are really
>terrible ways for aliens to learn about humanity... but I digress) could
>transmit numbers in the following manner:
>	one pulse -- alien symbol for `1'
>	two pulses -- alien symbol for `2'
>	three pulses -- (but you get the idea)
[snip]

I would think any culture using radio technology would be comfortable with
binary numbers.  I'm not sure how far you could get communication just
with them, however.


-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
