What If There Were A Better Indicator of Extraterrestrial Communication?

Question

We assume that a super intelligent race of beings would use only prime numbers to send a greeting to beings such as ourselves, but is it not true that prime numbers eventually begin to form a pattern as the values of numbers increase? Would it not be a far more sophisticated form of communication by using the perfect squares? For example, if we received a pulse that extends precisely 81 seconds after which it would be followed by a similar interval of silence that lasted 81 seconds, then receive a pulse of nine beats lasting exactly nine seconds---again, to be followed by an interval of nine seconds of silence, and then finally we receive three beats followed by three beats of silence. What if this process was repeated three times before being repeated by 81 minutes of silence before repeating the sequence of 81 pulses. Would this not be a more elegant signature from a vastly superior intelligence?

Answer 1

what if a superintelligent form of extraterrestical life interprets everything they observe as squares for some reason ?
in fact it does not matter much.
Seti searches for ANY regular intelligent pattern, so i think this includes both squares and prime numbers.

but let me ask something in return
there was a debate wether we should send signals ourselves.
given the fact that most transmissions from earth do not really reach out that far. wouldn't Aliens think the same, that it won't make such sense to waste resources on that ?

i appreciate the work of Carl Sagan in his book Contact. its a nice story about learning to know about extraterrestical life. but the chances to get a proper signal from somewhere or to reach a foreign civilisation with a transmission are near zero.

If we ever get to terms in that we should try to discover technologies getting rid of the 'speed limit of light'.
Any idea how ?
to our misfortune noone yet has

Answer 2

The idea behind sending prime numbers is that there is no known natural phenomenon that generates primes. In fact, there is no known formula to generate prime numbers. One would have to conclude such a signal was from intelligent beings. There are, no doubt, other schemes than prime that could be used, but prime seems to be the simplest.

I don't know why the other answerer thinks a more advanced civilization would convert themselves to metal and silicon? Doesn't sound very appealing to me. I would think they would just extend their lifespans.

Answer 3

super intelligent beings would turn themselves into more durable silicon and metal forms, so they could come talk to us in person.. think about it... so you can talk in perfect squares or prime numbers.. so what? you are only transmitting what we both already know, and even so... the lag time means that that life might be billions of years ago.. no.. i think that truly super intelligent beings would attempt space travel, rather than rely on smoke signals