Comments by "DynamicWorlds" (@dynamicworlds1) on "Would It Be Humanly Possible To Understand An Alien Language?" video.

  1. Complex language requires being able to encode information into a sensory medium with a high "bandwidth" and keeping that information in a specific order. Due to the way smells work, this makes a poor medium for this. Despite what hive insects like bees are able to achieve with it, they're limited to a specific set of information they can communicate. They do, however, make decent mediums for information sets that change on evolutionary timescales, such as emotions. Visual might seem like a good way to go, but it tends to be expensive (bio-luminescence or lots of movement) and often ties up important body parts when it's even capable of being fast enough. It will most likely be a 2ndary channel for information, much like how we use body language, but it's limitations get in the way of evolving as a primary medium for complex language. (though, unlike smell, it is possible, as we can see with sign language) Really, auditory, especially vocal, is the way to go, and convergent evolution will drive species towards it. That said, auditory ranges being incompatible could be a trial to overcome, though not insurmountable with some very basic technology. The big questions are: How does one attempt to teach one's own language to an alien? (they'll likely be trying to do the same with us anyway) How does one comprehend an alien mind? Think about taking a magic universal translator and sticking a hunter from the stone age, smith from 700AD England, noble from 1700AD France, farmer from 2000AD Congo, tax collector from 1300AD China, warrior from 1000BC Greece, fisher from 900AD Mexico slave from 100BC Rome, priest from 2000BC Egypt, monk from 1500AD Japan, and yourself in a room and try to have everyone just get along. Now realize that this is just the tutorial level because you're all the same species (using the same brains), from the same planet, all from within a few thousand years of each other, and most of you have some knowledge of at least 1 or 2 of the others. Now remove those advantages, have several billion voices clamoring behind them, arm everyone, and try to negotiate and cooperate without killing each other.
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