The Language Barrier Something Star Wars and Star Trek side-stepped, but is perhaps the most vital aspect of exo-sentient communication: how exactly does one isolated race on one planet communicate with another isolated race on another? The only logical solution I have is for one race to abduct an adult from another race and acclimate them via schooling to where they can become an ambassador to the foreign race... and a hundred years later we have a shared knowledge. Your thoughts-
In Star Trek, they had their version of the Babel Fish with the universal translator. In Star Wars, none of the planets or species appeared to be isolated. They'd all been interacting for a long time.
It's a lot more complicated than that. It's basic understanding... it's kindergarden all over again... It's understanding concepts... it's something that will take a lifetime to learn.
Once a planetary life form has evolved sufficient consciousness to start interacting with it's intergalactic brothers and sisters, communication is not so much an issue anymore. As is obvious from the vast distances needed to travel in interstellar space, a knowledge of multiple dimensions, and how to fold and access different dimensions is needed before any contact with other consciousnesses can be made. At this particular moment in our history, we do not as yet, have the ability on a mass scale to access different dimensions. Certain particular individuals do, but as a species on the whole? It is not possible yet. Once access to these other dimensions for travel is routine, it is common knowledge that there is an over unity and grand design to the cosmos. If all are one, than no conscious beings thoughts are separate from another, and no "language" is, in fact, necessary. Interstellar, space faring species, that pop in and out of this third dimension, as they have access to other dimensions, have no need to rely on physical speech as their only means of communication. At that point, it may even be possible that we will find, there are other species here on our own planet that have already made a jump in consciousness? Perhaps the Redwoods of California have been communicating with the humpback whales in the deep oceans of the Pacific for thousands of years, in a telepathic way, which we are just not mature enough dimensionally as a species yet to understand. . . . who knows. :shrug: IMO though, when space travel is possible, the need for speech will be optional. For the enlightened, we already know, thoughts are things. How have we talked to EBE's now? They need not speak our language no matter what country they arrive in. . . they speak in tones of feelings, memories, impressions, images, etc., directly to the minds. No vibration or movement of the air with vocal chords are necessary, it's all done with their mind, through w/e dimension they have access to.
I firmly believe we will never understand alien language. We will anthropomorphize their similarities with us. But as far as communicating outside the chinese-room, never IMO.
Sure, universal principles will be shared. And we might form a sense of familiarity with them for that. But that is hardly communication, at least at a human level. edit: And symbols are how chinese-rooms operate
