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Underground > Laboratory >

Altruism and the Aliens.

18:44 / 25.03.03

From Nature:

SETI workshops selfless message
Artists and scientists discuss how to tell ET about morality.

Excerpts:
Twenty scientists, artists and philosophers will gather in Paris on Sunday and Monday to discuss how best to tell extraterrestrials about altruism.

This is the second in a series of workshops on communicating what it means to be human to alien civilizations. Last year's meeting debated ways of conveying human notions of aesthetic beauty.

Altruism is next up because it is a concept that cuts across cultures. It can also be expressed through mathematics that might be general enough for other beings to understand.

...

The workshop will also tackle the form of the message. An image, rather than a stream of data, would be best, argues computer scientist William Edmondson of the University of Birmingham, UK. "We're talking about postcards - any sequence of symbols is so constrained by culture as to be impenetrable."

Another option is to send a message that the receiver can interact with. For example, we could broadcast a computer program that played the prisoner's dilemma game, in which the temptation to cheat threatens the benefits of cooperating.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

11:20 / 26.03.03

I don't think I agree with Edmondson that a picture is necessarily better than language at transmitting an abstract concept, and while it may be cross-cultural on earth when it comes to talking to aliens would that not effectively be cross-'speciesal'? What to us may obviously be a picture of an altruistic act may be seen by a Vlhurg as a rather nasty bit of porn or halfway through preparing a meal.

The Prisoners Dilemma idea seems more along the right lines (can someone remind me of what the PD is? I do know, I've just momentarily forgotten). A framework that allows an intelligent being to understand through problem solving seems more useful than trying to give them information. It's 2001 really, isn't it?

12:53 / 26.03.03

Good old game theory.

Prisoner's Dilemma:

Two thieves get caught (they are guilty, I think) and get interviewed separately by a cunning policeman. The policeman admits to each that if neither of them talk, they will go free. If they both confess, they each get two years. But she also promises that if one confesses and the other doesn't, the latter will get ten years.

What to do? The risks are too great and they both confess.

The interesting thing about the prisoner's dilemma is what happens if you keep repeating it. So we play a game. If we cooperate, we both win 10 pounds. If we compete, we both get 1 pound. If one competes and the other cooperates, the competing guy gets 20 pound and the other gets nothing. You play this over and over.

What should you do? This is the same as the PD, but done lots of times. It turns out that the best strategy is not constant competition, but tit for tat. I'll do to you what you did to me last time - starting with cooperation.

23:25 / 26.03.03

Twenty scientists, artists and philosophers will gather in Paris on Sunday and Monday to discuss how best to tell extraterrestrials about altruism.

I thought the aliens were supposed to teach us about this shit? Talk about the blind leading the blind....man, we are so fucked!