Word: hogben
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Assume, said Hogben, that the earth's "E.T.N." (Extraterrestrial Neighbors) can perceive or record radiation in some part of the electromagnetic spectrum (light, heat, radio waves, etc.) Also assume that the earth can send such radiation strongly enough to reach the nearest planets. After all, radio waves are being beamed to the moon as a matter of routine, and their feeble reflections, bounced back to earth, are heard easily...
First Words. But what can earthlings say that their Extraterrestrial Neighbors will understand? Let's begin, said Hogben, by some small talk about numbers, whose properties do not vary from planet to planet. Most numerical systems (the Roman, Chinese, Mayan) grew out of simple tally marks. One mark stood for "one"; two marks for "two," etc. Probably the Neighbors passed through a similar stage in their early intellectual development and have records of it. So Hogben's first message into space would be an equation in simplified Roman numerals...
...plus II plus HI equals IIIIII." The numbers are "dashes" (single strokes repeated), and the plus signs and equals sign are "flashes." By flashes Hogben means easily recognized groups of radio signals, rather like the letters of the Morse code...
...building up the numbers, Hogben pointed out, earthlings won't necessarily use the decimal system, which originated from the fact that humans have ten fingers. They cannot assume that the Neighbors have ten fingers-or any fingers at all, for that matter. But some "rank system" is needed, so he suggests basing earth's numbers not on ten but twelve, which is handier mathematically, anyhow...
...Hogben gives much attention to the question of a question mark. If the Neighbors can be induced to respond and take active part in the discussion, the teaching process should be easier. The morale of the teachers should improve, too, as soon as they are convinced that their class is attentive...