--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Many people suggest using mathematics to…" description: "\"Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the aliens, and Dutch computer scientist Alexander Ollongren has developed an entire language (Lincos)..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/seth-shostak-2047_alexander_many-people-suggest-using-mathematics-to_2889792.jpg" --- # Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the… ![“Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the aliens, and Dutch computer scientist Alexander Ollongren has developed an entire language (Lincos) based on this idea. But my personal opinion is that mathematics may be a hard way to describe ideas like love or democracy.” quote by Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/seth-shostak-2047_alexander_many-people-suggest-using-mathematics-to_2889792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/seth-shostak-2047_alexander_many-people-suggest-using-mathematics-to_2889792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/313/seth-shostak-2047_alexander_many-people-suggest-using-mathematics-to_2889792.jpg) > “Many people suggest using mathematics to talk to the aliens, and Dutch computer scientist Alexander Ollongren has developed an entire language (Lincos) based on this idea. But my personal opinion is that mathematics may be a hard way to describe ideas like love or democracy.” [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mathematics may not capture all human concepts for communication with extraterrestrials. **In simple terms:** Math isn’t universal for feelings. Key Takeaway Explore alternative communication methods. Themes communication science philosophy Mood thoughtful curious Type speculative philosophical When to use this quote - space diplomacy - interstellar messaging - education curricula Key Concepts semiotics cognitive limits Questions to Reflect On - What non‑mathematical symbols could convey love? - How can we test alternative languages? A Different Perspective Relying solely on math could miss cultural nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alien/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computer Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-scientist/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Dutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dutch/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal/) [Personal Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-opinion/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) ## Related quotes > [If they want to talk about aliens and anything like that... that's part of the gift God gave us. That's what makes life exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/if-they-want-to-talk-about-aliens-and-anything-like-that-that-s-part/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [If we ever talk to aliens, their civilisation will be far more advanced than ours (because of distances involved). They won't be religious!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/if-we-ever-talk-to-aliens-their-civilisation-will-be-far-more/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [But I quite like the way you can talk about science without necessarily using mathematics, but using metaphors instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-thomas/but-i-quite-like-the-way-you-can-talk-about-science-without/) [Scarlett Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-thomas/) > [The only thing I am interested in using mathematics for is to have a good time and to help others do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-lockhart/the-only-thing-i-am-interested-in-using-mathematics-for-is-to-have-a/) [Paul Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-lockhart/) > [For most people, the major hurdle in grasping modern insights into the nature of the universe is that these developments are usually phrased using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/for-most-people-the-major-hurdle-in-grasping-modern-insights-into-the/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Computer science is not as old as physics; it lags by a couple of hundred years. 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They tried neural nets, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergey-brin/having-been-trained-as-a-computer-scientist-in-the-90s-everybody-knew/) [Sergey Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergey-brin/) > [The first proponent of cortical memory networks on a major scale was neither a neuroscientist nor a computer scientist but .. a Viennes economist:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-fuster/the-first-proponent-of-cortical-memory-networks-on-a-major-scale-was/) Joaquin Fuster > [I thank God for not making me a computer scientist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-bernstein/i-thank-god-for-not-making-me-a-computer-scientist/) [Daniel J. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-bernstein/) > [“Bezos also revered pioneering computer scientist Alan Kay and often quoted his observation that “point of view is worth 80 IQ points”—a reminder that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bezos-also-revered-pioneering-computer-scientist-alan-kay-and-often/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think I would ever be a doctor, but the reason I majored in science was because you could become a civil engineer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-skarsgard/i-don-t-think-i-would-ever-be-a-doctor-but-the-reason-i-majored-in/) [Bill Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-skarsgard/) ## More by Seth Shostak > [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Some pundits have proposed that the aliens have come here to breed with us. Apparently, too much bike riding or something similar has rendered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/some-pundits-have-proposed-that-the-aliens-have-come-here-to-breed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [As far as I can tell, the only unambiguous consequence of the claimed invasion of Earth by beings from another star system has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/as-far-as-i-can-tell-the-only-unambiguous-consequence-of-the-claimed/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Look, science is hard, it has a reputation of being hard, and the facts are, it is hard, and that's the result of 400…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/look-science-is-hard-it-has-a-reputation-of-being-hard-and-the-facts/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Give consideration to the fact that alien astronomers could have scrutinized Earth for more than 4 billion years without detecting any radio signals, despite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/give-consideration-to-the-fact-that-alien-astronomers-could-have/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [In a movie, it's often important to have aliens whose gestures and facial expressions can be 'read' by humans. And in the days before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/in-a-movie-it-s-often-important-to-have-aliens-whose-gestures-and/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Sure, nobody will make a fortune if we figure out why the Big Bang happened. But just about everyone would like to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/sure-nobody-will-make-a-fortune-if-we-figure-out-why-the-big-bang/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [If you could drive straight down, into a tunnel bored through the crust of the planet, you'd hit this molten mess in about an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/if-you-could-drive-straight-down-into-a-tunnel-bored-through-the/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [While I have always thought that the motivation for looking for E.T. was both self-evident and patently worthy, it's possible that I'm a victim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/while-i-have-always-thought-that-the-motivation-for-looking-for-e-t/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [I studied Latin in high school, and I was reading stuff from Cicero. And that signal took a few thousand years to get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/i-studied-latin-in-high-school-and-i-was-reading-stuff-from-cicero/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [About the only things that are unique to Earth are our biota and our culture. If aliens ever come here, they'd most likely be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/about-the-only-things-that-are-unique-to-earth-are-our-biota-and-our/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [This plucky NASA telescope is able to find planets en masse. If you compare planet hunting to prospecting for gold, then Kepler is equivalent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/this-plucky-nasa-telescope-is-able-to-find-planets-en-masse-if-you/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [The most attractive habitats for synthetic sentience might be the vicinities of exceptional sources of energy - for example black holes, or even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/the-most-attractive-habitats-for-synthetic-sentience-might-be-the/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Buying insurance is no one's idea of fun. And it's especially easy to berate something as funky-sounding as writing checks to defend our neighborhoods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/buying-insurance-is-no-one-s-idea-of-fun-and-it-s-especially-easy-to/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Plate tectonics is not all havoc and destruction. The slow movement of continents and ocean floors recycles carbon dioxide dissolved in the oceans back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/plate-tectonics-is-not-all-havoc-and-destruction-the-slow-movement-of/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) [Explore all 189 Seth Shostak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) ## More Alexander quotes > [I actually sat down and started three Alexanders at the same time. Two of them went in the trash and got stomped on because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/i-actually-sat-down-and-started-three-alexanders-at-the-same-time-two/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [Homer, Hesiod, Pythagoras, Plato, and Cicero, just to name a few, all lived in pagan societies. 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The famous Lucius Cassius, whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/lucius-cassius-ille-quem-populus-romanus-verissimum-et-sapientissimum/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“That valiant Macedonian supreme commander and emperor Alexander, in his thirties and the future Indian captain-general and emperor Chandragupta just on the threshold of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savarkar/that-valiant-macedonian-supreme-commander-and-emperor-alexander-in/) Savarkar > [“Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/alexander-the-coppersmith-did-me-great-harm-the-lord-will-repay-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When Alexander saw the depth of his empire he wept for there were no more worlds to concquer. Benefits of a classical education.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-gruber/when-alexander-saw-the-depth-of-his-empire-he-wept-for-there-were-no/) Hans Gruber > [“Annabeth nodded. "That's right.Alexander conquered Egypt.After he died, his general Ptolemy took over. He wanted the Egyptians to accept him as their pharaoh, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/annabeth-nodded-that-s-right-alexander-conquered-egypt-after-he-died/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“As Alexander would confess years later, sex and sleep more than anything else reminded him that he was mortal. One”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-freeman/as-alexander-would-confess-years-later-sex-and-sleep-more-than/) [Philip Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-freeman/) > [I'm a London girl, so I grew up on Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood... 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