jrk@sys.uea.ac.uk (Richard Kennaway) (01/11/90)
The "can syntax be sufficient for semantics" subthread reminds me of two things: 1. SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence). How might we tell that certain radio emissions received from the sky were sent by other intelligences? And if they were, could we ever understand them, if we never have any other contact with the senders? As an experiment, one might try generating meaningful (to the generator) signals, and (for want of any known extraterrestrials) give them to another human, say "here's this string of bits, what might it mean?" and see what interpretation they succeed in making of this chunk of pure syntax. In fact, I've seen this done (though only in the context of a popular science programme on TV.) 2. The book "Lincos", by Hans Freudenthal, presents an account of how one might design signals to be sent to other extraterrestrial intelligences and be understood by them. He starts with basic mathematics - counting, prime numbers, etc., and works up to describing social interactions. It's many years since I read it, so you'll have to look up the book yourself for more details. -- Richard Kennaway SYS, University of East Anglia, Norwich, U.K. Internet: jrk@sys.uea.ac.uk uucp: ...mcvax!ukc!uea-sys!jrk "There are two possible responses to any problem: to prove it insoluble, or to seek a solution."