X-Message-Number: 21675 Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 14:03:28 -0400 From: Daniel Crevier <> Subject: Self-defining symbols To Mike Perry and Tom Donaldson. For an example of a set of symbols that takes its meaning in itself, you may want to take a look at Brian McConnell's book "Beyond Contact" (O'Reilly, 2001). He builds a binary language from the ground up, for the purpose of conversing with extraterrestrials via radio telescope. The only assumptions made are that the ET'S know about radio, astronomy (which is pretty obvious if they receive the message), as well as numbers and mathematical logic (more iffy, but I don't see how you could build a radio telescope without that). Daniel Crevier Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=21675