HEDRICK@RUTGERS.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP (08/15/83)
From: Charles Hedrick <HEDRICK@RUTGERS.ARPA> Somebody asked about really alien aliens a month or so ago. Still Forms On Foxfield (Joan Slonczewski), which I have mentioned before in other contexts, has a group of creatures whose fundamental senses are chemical. They can analyze chemicals, and also synthesize them. They count by exuding a progression of large molecules (e.g. CH4, C2H6, C3H8, etc., although as I will explain shortly, it would not come out so neatly). Because they deal a lot with atomic and molecular levels, they have a good understanding of quantum mechanics. Indeed their intuitions are based on it. It is a neat reversal of our situation. We understand intellectually that particles can decay, and various aspects of the uncertainty principle. But we don't "feel it in our bones". We have to calculate such effects. These creatures' intuitions are formed by quantum mechanics. They know intellectually that macroscopic objects won't decay, but you have to reassure them every so often that you, they, and the world are still there, or they will assume you have decayed and just wander off. There are a number of other ways in which the portrayal of these beasties is unusual but well thought out, however I have made a vow to keep my messages to a screen-full, so I won't give away all of the details. -------