Question

Invasions of Movie Aliens. Choose a science fiction movie in which aliens are presumed to be visiting Earth. Identify at least three ideas in the movie that either do or do not meet the standards of being testable by science. Describe each in detail.

Short answer

"Arrival" presents ideas like alien language (testable via linguistics), altered time perception (non-testable), and alien physiology (speculative in astrobiology).

Step-by-step solution

Choose a Science Fiction Movie

For this exercise, we'll choose the movie "Arrival" (2016), which depicts aliens visiting Earth.

Identify Idea 1 - Alien Language

One significant idea in "Arrival" is the ability of humans to learn and understand the alien language called Heptapod B. This concept can be partially tested scientifically through linguistics and cognitive science, as it examines how language can shape thought.

Identify Idea 2 - Time Perception

The movie proposes that learning the alien language affects the perception of time, allowing the protagonist to experience events non-linearly. This idea challenges our scientific understanding of time perception, which is currently not testable by scientific methods.

Identify Idea 3 - Alien Physiology

Another concept is the physiology of the Heptapod aliens, who possess features vastly different from any known life on Earth. While speculative, the study of possible alien biologies could be tackled via astrobiology, although currently, we lack real-world data to verify these specifics scientifically.

Key concepts

Alien Language

In the realm of science fiction, the exploration of alien languages sparks endless fascination. The movie "Arrival" provides a vivid portrayal of this concept with the introduction of Heptapod B, a unique alien language. Unlike Earth languages, which are typically linear and sequential, Heptapod B is depicted as a circular system. In the film, this language does not separate time into past, present, and future, suggesting that understanding it could alter a person's perception of time.

From a scientific perspective, studying how language influences cognition is an actual field of inquiry. Linguists and cognitive scientists study how language can shape thought patterns and perceptions. The idea here is somewhat grounded in the "Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis," which explores the relationship between language and thought. While no real-world language allows users to perceive time as portrayed in "Arrival," the concept highlights a potential intersection between language and cognitive comprehension. Moreover, examining alien languages challenges scientists to think beyond existing linguistic frameworks and to consider how communication might be constructed differently across the cosmos.

Time Perception

In "Arrival," the idea of time perception changes significantly when the protagonist learns Heptapod B. This concept is central to the movie's narrative but, unfortunately, doesn't align well with present-day scientific understanding.

Time perception is the subjective experience of time, which can vary slightly due to psychological and environmental factors. Humans tend to perceive time linearly, meaning they experience events in a chronological order. "Arrival" presents a fascinating twist by suggesting that one's perception of time could fundamentally change with a new language. While intriguing, this notion of non-linear time perception remains untestable for now.

Current science takes a more linear and measurable approach to time. Physicists study time as a dimension, a component of the space-time continuum, explored within Einstein's theory of relativity. The concept of directly altering time perception through language stretches our current scientific boundaries and ventures into speculative territory. Yet, it opens up philosophical discussions about free will, determinism, and the nature of future events.

Astrobiology

Astrobiology is the interdisciplinary study concerned with understanding the potential for life beyond Earth. In movies like "Arrival," the depiction of alien physiology and biology invites us to consider what form extraterrestrial life might take. In the film, the Heptapods are markedly different from terrestrial life, with unique biological features and abilities.

While astrobiology remains largely theoretical due to the lack of physical evidence, it's a field of considerable interest. Scientists gather clues from extremophiles, organisms on Earth that thrive in extreme environments, to speculate about potential alien life forms. Discoveries of microbes in deep-sea thermal vents, the cold of the Antarctic, and the depths of Earth's crust feed into models of what life might look like elsewhere in the universe.

Although we can't directly observe alien biologies, projects like the NASA Astrobiology Institute leverage research from multiple scientific disciplines—like chemistry, geology, and biology—to understand what signs to look for when searching for life on other planets. By exploring possible biochemistries and ecosystem scenarios, astrobiologists aim to broaden the scope of what is possible in alien life, bridging science fiction imaginings with scientific pursuits. Such interdisciplinary research continues to push the boundaries of our understanding and set realistic grounds for the search for extraterrestrial life.