4 replies to this topic

[Yuli Ban]

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.

Human Universals PDF

[Jakob]

I'd be willing to bet many of them would be universal among some alien civilizations too.

[Raklian]

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?

[caltrek]

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.

[Raklian]

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?