Which constant should we send to aliens?

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The discussion centers on which mathematical constant should be sent to aliens to demonstrate human intelligence. Suggestions include the Golden Ratio, prime numbers, and dimensionless constants like the fine structure constant, with arguments made for their universal recognition. Participants debate the effectiveness of various representations, such as binary code and continued fractions, to convey these constants. Concerns are raised about the potential for signals to be misinterpreted as noise and the challenges of ensuring that aliens would understand the mathematical concepts. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the complexity of communicating abstract ideas across species and the importance of choosing universally recognizable patterns.
  • #31
Alkatran said:
Actually, I think a good start for the data you send is:
1010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010
followed by
11001100110011001100110011001100110011001100110011001100
111000111000
etc...

You know, so they know it's not random.

Who said they would think it's random?

Now, you got them all hooked on what the first number is. They'll feel stupid for not knowing and never contact us because they don't want to look or feel dumb.
 
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  • #32
Why would we want to send them a constant? I don't think we can send them transcendental constants...I would rather send them e^ipi +1 = 0 too :)
 

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