ABSTRACT
How do we start the decoding process of an alien communication signal? What is the sensory mode of the other species? What can we assume is in an alien signal? Scientists have been faced with many similar problems in the decipherment of nonhuman animal communication signals and defining intelligence here on Earth. Three factors are critical in decoding and interpreting nonhuman animal signals. First, we must categorize signal types, and knowing what sensory systems are used by a species. Multimodal signals, sequences of signals, graded and overlapping features, and prosodic and emergent features such as rhythm and synchrony can also provide complex information. New tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI), may help us understand patterns of modulation and encoding between species. Second, the use of metadata – including life history, relationships, individual differences, and ecology of a species or community – is critical for the interpretation of communication signals, both intraspecifically and interspecifically. Attempting to categorize and interpret potential future alien communication signals will be challenging. Exercising our data mining techniques and interpretive techniques could be critical for understanding a remote message in the future.
