Here are some behaviors, beliefs, trends, observations, and actions that are universal across all human cultures, no matter the location. There may not be words for all these things, but all people recognize them.
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#1
Posted 02 August 2018 - 12:40 AM

#2
Posted 02 August 2018 - 03:29 AM

I'd be willing to bet many of them would be universal among some alien civilizations too.
#3
Posted 02 August 2018 - 03:21 PM

I'd be willing to bet many of them would be universal among some alien civilizations too.
I wonder if some of them are totally alien to the point none of the universals apply.
That said, how will us be able to move past beyond first contact with them?
#4
Posted 03 August 2018 - 05:06 PM

I think that some form of logic will be universal.
What we may some day discover is that emotions like love and having a sense of humor are not so universal among intelligent aliens beyond our solar system. They may have substitutes like a sense of duty and some understanding of irony and the absurd.
Just speculating here.
The principles of justice define an appropriate path between dogmatism and intolerance on the one side, and a reductionism which regards religion and morality as mere preferences on the other. - John Rawls
#5
Posted 03 August 2018 - 10:07 PM

They'll probably hold concepts equivalent to love, hate, good, evil, etc. that nothing on Earth has ever encountered before. They may be so alien we may not be able to comprehend them no matter hard we try due to the fact we've evolved strictly within the Earth's environment all this time. An sufficiently advanced AI maybe be able to do it.
During first contact, if we ask them if they are good in terms of benevolence and believe in the spirit of friendship, they may give us a look one would describe something like a deer in highlights. We'll do the same to them if they inquire about us.
You know, we can't relate with a rock but we know of its existence and what it is made of, and that's about as far as the relationship with it we can push. There is a risk we may perceive each other the same way.
We know the aliens exist and we're even contacting them, but will we have an understanding with them? Even empathy?
There is no guarantee using mathematics or proven laws of physics to communicate with them will even work. We're separated not just by distance but time as well, not to mention other dimensions we don't know of. If they're millions of years ahead, trying to use mathematics with them is like an insect emitting sounds beyond what the human ear can perceive. Might as well there's nothing to perceive.
They might develop a technology to allow them to perceive us but it may be just a one-way street since the simplest concept they try to convey of is too mind-boggingly complex for us.
Can we say "hello" to an ant? How does one greet an ant so it's aware of our intentions?
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