Gershon Kingsley - Popcorn

InvaderREN

Sorry for such a specific post...

But is this not one of those melodies like in close encounters of the 3rd kind, that we play back to each other?

Popcorn

Is this not such a basic melody that no intelligent race would not happenstance upon it, much like happy birthday?

If ever there was a universal constant, is this not it? Should we attach this midi sequence to all future space probes?

OK, so you got me, I played Pengu on the BBC micro... But my point remains.. Are there universal melodies/constants/equations (1+1=2) that are just fundamental across all intelligent life?

If were we were to "make contact" and play them "Evangelon baby! would they not take notice?

What are the universal constants? Music? Mathematics? Art?

I. Don't. Know.

InvaderREN

DOUBLE POST... Oh... the HUMANITY...

Popcorn Techno remix

C'mon people.

This is Universal right?

Dr. Timo

That song sadly died many years ago:

InvaderREN

That song sadly died many years ago:

Oh god, please delete that video out of my brain juice!



I still think that certain melodies are universal, whatever that means...

Sail

Going to have to disagree with you, here. You could maybe say that certain rhythms could be "universal," but melodies are very different across cultures. You'll find 4/4 rhythms somewhere in the native music of any culture because it is similar to the way our hearts beat. We are biologically linked to duple time signatures. But if you look at melodies in cultures pre-European influence, they are not very similar.

That said, however, there are musical scales that seem to be universal across cultures, the pentatonic scale being one of them. It is the scale that we tune wind chimes to and the scale that birds sing in. Every note harmonizes with every other note in the scale and we've found that humans have this scale hard-wired into their brains.

InvaderREN

Cool video.

But how awesome would it be to meet an alien race for the first time and have that cultural exchange. We pass over some Bach, Beatles and some MJ. What would we get in return? And of particular interest to myself, to what degree of overlap would we have? What percentage of music would there be that we have both independently discovered?

So fascinating.

You can apply it to any science I guess. Their algebra would be the same as numbers are a mathematical certainty in our universe, however, their symbols would all be different. Would they use an "=" for equals or some other symbol?

The plus sign "+" is such a basic symbol that you would have to assume they use it, but what property would they assign to it?

I could go on for ages. What about art? Because its subjective... What would they consider to be the pinnacle of their artistic achievements?

Not nine

What would we get in return?

Zaphod's third bewailing of the death of a biological parental figure, in asphyxias minor.

Rym

What would we get in return?

You're assuming there's even a chance they might "hear," in that they place importance on the vibrations of the constituents of an atmosphere within a particular range.

Luke Burrage

The plus sign "+" is such a basic symbol that you would have to assume they use it, but what property would they assign to it?

Maybe they only write in one dimension, like on a string, and the concept of letters on pages never came up. Like Morse code. It's like saying "---..---" is so obvious, what would they assign it? Or maybe they use different shades of color in a grid. Or maybe three dimensional projections in water, as do dolphins. Or maybe zigzag groves carved into wood, never crossing over each other to create a right-angled cross.

InvaderREN

If they come down in what we would consider to be some kind of space craft, we can assume a rich history in physics and most likely some kind of physical body that needs protecting from the ravages of space. I think we have a good chance of overlap. Even SEEING their ship will be like looking at art.

If they appear in a burst of light, streamers and confetti, then yeah... we might have a small problem appreciating their great works. Which are probably quantum or on a whole different vibration.

Still, couldn't hurt to turn on a strobe and blast em with some Kingsley. Just in case.

WindUpBird

If they come down in what we would consider to be some kind of space craft, we can assume a rich history in physics and most likely some kind of physical body that needs protecting from the ravages of space. I think we have a good chance of overlap. Even SEEING their ship will be like looking at art.

Inchoroi.

InvaderREN

Inchoroi

I had to Google that...

I should read those books huh?

Can't seem to find an Audio book version. Might have to do it the old way.

Rym

Inchoroi.

OK, I laughed out loud at that.

In the crew, jokes about "being a race of lovers" or off-handed "a man has got to remember" references are commonplace, but I'm always slightly taken by surprise when they come from another quarter.

You ALL should read these books. ;^)

WindUpBird

Inchoroi.

OK, I laughed out loud at that.

In the crew, jokes about "being a race of lovers" or off-handed "a man has got to remember" references are commonplace, but I'm always slightly taken by surprise when they come from another quarter.

You ALL should read these books. ;^)

I've been on a ranch for the last week. Pretty much all I have done is hike, fish, ride horses, and read R. Scott Bakker. The books are incredible; I'm on a quest to get every one of my geeky friends to read them.