Lincos: Design of a Language for Cosmic Intercourse

(The book is discussed as part of a wider examination of SETI)

Vittrow’s scheme never came to fruition, but for about 150 years it was the best idea around. It wasn’t until 1960 that another proposal for ET communication came along, one that continues to shape the exolinguistic field that it founded. The proposal took the form of a book titled Lincos: Design of a Language for Cosmic show more Intercourse, and its publication marked the first artificial language constructed for the sole purpose of communicating with extraterrestrial life.

“It’s a groundbreaking work,” said Yvan Dutil, an astrophysicist with the University of Québec’s Télé-université, “but Freudenthal’s book is the most boring I have ever read. Logarithm tables are cool compared to it.” show less