M. D. Lane
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mdlane2260.bsky.social
M. D. Lane
@mdlane2260.bsky.social
Mechanical Engineer, Analyst, Chess player, Writer, SF fan and lot of other things...
www.mdlanebooks.com
yes
August 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
7/7
Those lines represent direction in which things should be read.
As previously said, zero is the problem.
Hope that it will be understandable later when we will represent the numbers.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 13, 2024 at 3:44 PM
6/7
This page also represents the first 10 numbers (starting with zero) but that is not the purpose of this page. In some different setting those two can be different.
As previously said, under each digit is the straight horizontal line.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 13, 2024 at 3:44 PM
5/7
That is the main reason why not have it.
On the left side we have our symbols for digits (numbers).
On the right side there is the number of dots representing the value of each of digits.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 13, 2024 at 3:44 PM
4/7
This is the whole page representation.
Hope that is understandable.
If we choose that, maybe on the top of the page should have a title.
DIGITS
Or not. It is optional.
It is not explainable for them, for now anyway.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 13, 2024 at 3:44 PM
3/7
There are 10 different digits (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9).
First, we must try to explain them and after that we will go further.
The biggest problem is 0 – zero but let us hope that it will be understandable if will be seen with others.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 13, 2024 at 3:43 PM
2/7
We can use different representations, but I chose Arabic numbers – western style. It is simple notation, and I know it the best.
It doesn’t mean that is the best, because I don’t know all of them, and cannot judge objectively.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 13, 2024 at 3:43 PM
8/8
Short numbers or text in each line on the left side will suggest that we start from left. (I hope).
Unfortunately, it is not clear that we write from left to right. Hope that we will clear that later.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:15 PM
7/8
I will choose straight horizontal lines with generous space under each number or piece of text with whole width of paper.
That will say, I hope, that direction is horizontal.
Is it left to right or right to left?
It doesn’t say.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:14 PM
6/8
First rule. The handbook must be culturally neutral.
We need a universal language that transcends cultural differences.
What do you think would be truly universal?
It seems simple but it is difficult to answer, at least to me.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:14 PM
5/8
Color? – Dark on left side and light on right side or vice versa? Which color? Can color mean something … for example … RED as a danger… BLUE as deep … GREEN as religious meaning?
Anything else?
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:14 PM
4/8
Also, it is a way I am the most familiar with and it will be easier to explain some things.
So, how to say, “You should read this from left to right, horizontally”.
Arrows? - Can they be misunderstood as weapons?
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:13 PM
3/8
First page of Handbook.
How to tell aliens what is direction of our writing?
I will choose horizontal direction, from left to right.
Not because it is the best.
I don’t know that.
It is because that is the way English text is normally written.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:13 PM
2/8
It is important not only the symbol/letter but also position and there are one or multiple symbols for each digit. And we still speak about human species with same/similar basic culture and biology. There are other examples ...
#FirstContactHandbook
November 12, 2024 at 12:13 PM
5/5
This is just for the start. We also assume in those examples that they use the same base as we do … base 10. For example, if they use base 7 the same number will be written as 6561, with base 8 will be 4452.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 11, 2024 at 6:32 PM
4/5
For example, this is what Gemini says about that:
#FirstContactHandbook
November 11, 2024 at 6:32 PM
3/5
There are many more possible ways … even ways we will not easily understand but there is no reason why aliens will not use some way we don’t understand.
Even different human groups today and through history did it in different ways. #FirstContactHandbook
November 11, 2024 at 6:31 PM
2/5
For simplicity of explanation let’s assume that aliens write with this kind of numbers (0,1,2,3,4 …)
How will they write “two thousand three hundred and forty-six”?
2346 ?
6432 ?
2
3
4
6 ?
6
4
3
2 ?
These are just 4 basic possibilities.
#FirstContactHandbook
November 11, 2024 at 6:30 PM