this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2025
        
      
      1120 points (98.2% liked)
      Science Memes
    17231 readers
  
      
      1085 users here now
      Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
        founded 2 years ago
      
      MODERATORS
      
    you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
    view the rest of the comments
 
          
          
What's more profound is that math is universal - after some teething pains with regards to understanding conventions, any alien technology should be comprehensive by us, and vice versa.
Well... up to the base calculation methods. Logic is universal. Math is a set of rules. Aliens might rule different.
I would say (not an expert) math is a representation of (numerical) logic, and as it gets more complex, the conventions if representing logical ideas need to be laid out. But that said, once done (teething pains), a learned and read peer "in the art" should be able to both comprehend and communicate at least mathematical ideas, and as a (gradual) extension to this, applied technology.
Put another way, 'greek' ideas should be easier to communicate with than 'latin' ideas.
However all bets out the window if aliens have a straight up 'God' that just gives them stuff and they are themselves dumb as doornails. In which case we have a few common denominators already living it up.
"Wait you all started with base 60 and left it? It took us millenia to realize that it was the best choice, and once we did we never looked back"
I think 840 is a better base number. It has 32 factors which is itself a power of 2. That is a highly versatile counting system if you ask me. But you didn't so I apologize for asserting so.