Essay
Written By Indigo Hawk
Transmitted 8/30/12024
0: * ** *** **** ***** ****** ******* ******** *********
1: ***O*** *O* *****O*****
2: *OQ **OF ***OC ****OP *****OL ******OJ *******OE ********OM *********OW
3: WO********* QO* LO*****
4: FKCOL QKQOF EKFOW
5: LOCKF FOQKQ WOFKE JOCKC
6: FRQOQ ERCOP QOWRM
7: QRQOB BOJRJ WRWOB
8: QRBOQ CKBOC BKBOB BRBOB
9: LKLOQB QQRLOJ WWKQOQBB CBOPLRQL
This is a small sample of how I imagine some of the first intentional communications with intelligent aliens will look like. I’ve randomized the symbols used because no matter what symbols are used they will be inherently meaningless. As long as they are consistent the underlying message should still be understandable. The goal of this message is to convey repeatable patterns, in this case basic mathematics.
When it comes to alien intelligence basically nothing can be taken for granted. So starting at the most basic principles of the universe is required, hence starting with mathematics. From there concepts like physics can be conveyed and later basic chemistry. Notice that there is little to no information about humans in this, that’s because we couldn’t convey that information in an understandable way. That being said, it doesn't remove the possibility of sending this kind of information, just that it would be sent with the understanding that it may not be understood.
Assuming that the nearest intelligent life is outside of the solar system and many light years away it would make sense to send very long messages. Say we find intelligent life in alpha centauri, which is 4.25 light years away, it will take about 8 years to get a reply to any message we send. So why not send a message that takes a month or 2 to broadcast and send it multiple times to prevent random noise from corrupting the message. It may take a year or 2 for the information in the message to be understood but there’s not much of a difference between 8 and 10 years when it comes to Interstellar communication.
Here is the key translate the message yourself
Key:
B Q F C P L J E M W
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
K R O
+ - =