Signs of Life beyond Earth: A Semiotic Analysis of Interstellar Messages

Previous proposals for communicating with extraterrestrials have relied heavily on pictorial messages, regardless of whether communication is via electromagnetic radiation or by spacecraftborne messages. Pictorial messages can be categorized according to whether the pictures can be shown directly or whether they must first be formatted. The author discusses the advantages of direct representations and critiques the universality of pictorial representation. He proposes an alternative to the use of pictures to communicate, drawing on semiotic distinctions. With the author’s approach, iconic representations—in which the sign bears a physical similarity to that which it represents—are shown directly, rather than in a format that must be reconstructed or decoded. This method of communication is illustrated with messages based on quantum-mechanical phenomena. The advantages of having the content of a message reflected in the form of the message are detailed.