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this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2025
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If we ever do met intelligent alien life, there's no guarantee such a thing will make any sense to them.
I mean, for one, they may not have eyes to see your drawing among a million other likely faulty assumptions in your scenario.
But if they evolved to be right triangles with their sides marked by three dots, four dots, and five dots, then the message will be spot on.
If they can't "see", then how would they ever travel intergalacticly? Seriously, they've have some form of sight sense, even if it's braille.
And the point is that math is indeed universal. The ratio of a triangle will never change. And again, if you're a space fairing civilization,you'd have figured out triangles. You're confusing differences in culture with basic rules of the universe. It'd be like saying "what if they don't know what gravity is?" like they just somehow float around because they're ignorant of the laws of gravity.
Braille very specifically isn't sight sense... Which I assume is probably a typo.
Have I got a book recommendation for you btw
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary
No, it's not a typo. I'm pointing out that even if they have no eyes, they'd still have sensory input and within that input you'd still find "visual descriptions". You can still describe something as square or round or "emanates this wavelength of light" or "this object is 5m away from me" without eyes. Eyes are not a prerequisite for describing things and if they are space fairing, they've figured out something. You wouldn't be able to build a ship without some system in place. So sure, they may be vastly different, but some common things have to exist. And math will always be one of those. Change your number system and ratios still stay the same.
No, it's not a typo. I'm pointing out that even if they have no eyes, they'd still have sensory input and within that input you'd still find "visual descriptions". You can still describe something as square or round or "emanates this wavelength of light" or "this object is 5m away from me" without eyes. Eyes are not a prerequisite for describing things and if they are space fairing, they've figured out something. You wouldn't be able to build a ship without some system in place. So sure, they may be vastly different, but some common things have to exist. And math will always be one of those. Change your number system and ratios still stay the same.