coreyspowell,
@coreyspowell@mastodon.social avatar

If we ever discover an alien artifact, will we be able to understand it?
Archeologists can't even understand these ubiquitous objects made by the Romans 1800 years ago!
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/514246/are-roman-dodecahedrons-worlds-most-mysterious-artifact #astronomy #aliens

zachnfine,
@zachnfine@mastodon.social avatar

@coreyspowell For stabilizing temporary flagpoles in mud? Cup holder?

JorgeStolfi,
@JorgeStolfi@mas.to avatar

@coreyspowell

Is there somewhere a statistical study of hole sizes and dispositions, absolute and relative?

(Reminded me of a wonderful story about a statistical study of the patterns of spots in Etruscan and Roman dice, and figuring out the Etruscan words for the digits...)

JorgeStolfi,
@JorgeStolfi@mas.to avatar

@coreyspowell

IIUC all of them have the same dodecahedral shape, round holes of different sizes, and knobs at the corners. Right?

So any proposed explanation must REQUIRE those three features. Most of the theories in that article fail to explain at least one of those features, usually the knobs.

For instance, if it was a measuring device, a flat version would be much more practical, and the knobs would not be essential so some finds should lack them...

numbakrunch,

@coreyspowell The Platonic solids we're all understood by Greeks many centuries before this. Nothing mysterious here. #icosahedron #dodecahedron

NorCal_Lynne,
@NorCal_Lynne@mstdn.social avatar

@coreyspowell Maybe they are just art and had no function other than to admire them. :)

coreyspowell,
@coreyspowell@mastodon.social avatar

@NorCal_Lynne Quite possible! That's one of the theories.

Imagine if we find a piece of alien tech, spend centuries trying to decode it, and it's just a decorative paperweight.

dynamic,

@coreyspowell @NorCal_Lynne

Flipping things around, also imagine if we find a piece of alien tech, spend centuries trying to decode it, and it turns out to be audio of ocean waves and animals sounds O_O

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

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