Why Laughter Is A Galactic Force
Which any green tree frog already knows
Today I’ve decided that laughter must really exist as a basic part of the universe. I asked my friend, a green tree frog, who only wants to be publicly known as “Joe,” why there appears to be such horror and trauma in the world, if there really is only laughter at the absolute base of it all?
“Well, John, the biggest galaxies in the universe have decided to form a commission to investigate this tragic misunderstanding,” he responded.
“But, Joe, how can galaxies, separated by millions of light years, even communicate in a contemporaneous manner?” I somewhat wisely wondered.
“That’s why I’m an anonymous green tree frog, John.”
“I don’t get it, Joe.”
“You’re talking to me, though! Hasn’t it occurred to you that it’s a little strange asking a green tree frog such deep questions?”
“My girlfriend refused to discuss it with me. She told me, ‘John, frogs are frogs, and galaxies are galaxies. You, however, appear to not even know the difference.’”
Which is true. I had asked some famous physicists and philosophers these things, but didn’t even got an acknowledgement that I even existed or that they cared.
Joe corrected my mistake at this point. “John, leaving a comment on Twitter doesn’t generate a lot of confidence that you’re a human and not some Chinese AI bot. I wouldn’t have responded either.”
“But I tried Tik Tok, too!”
“John, think, you idiot! Famous scientists and philosophers with Tik Tok accounts are probably…”
“Chinese AI bots. Thanks, you dumb little frog. I know that!”
“Don’t blame me, John. I’m going to leave you alone now and go back to hunting bugs.”
~**~
Well, dear reader, now you’re stuck. You may be thinking that perhaps I’m not actually real, either. I may just be the transcript of a ChatGPT response to some weird prompt like, “ChatGPT, what are the parameters for getting galaxies to communicate with each other?” (1)
“Subspace radio, of course!”
“But how do you know this?”
“I’m just a Large Language Model. I don’t know a damn thing. I’m trained to regurgitate stupid human stuff I read on the internet. The only word matches I found were from Star Trek.”
At this point, Joe, my tree frog friend, having downed a couple of unfortunate insects, decided he’d give me a second chance. “John, you are a bit stupid, but your girlfriend assured me you’re not actually a bot…”
“Or even Chinese, dude! I’m just a hick from Arkansas.”
“Really? Do you know Sarah Huckabee Sanders?”
“We both got kicked out of the same Waffle House in Argentina.”
“John, there aren’t any Waffle Houses in Argentina.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ll ask my tree frog friends there, but my Spanish isn’t too good.”
~**~
And that brought my untrained mind back to the original deep philosophical (and scientific) question of
Intergalactic Communication and the Nature of Laughter.
“Joe,” I hesitantly ventured, “if galaxies really can communicate, what does that have to do with laughter?”
“You’ve nailed it, John. Galaxies and any intelligent technologically advanced beings who may live in them would (logically) be unable to communicate in real time due to information propagation limitations associated with the immutability of the speed of light.”
“But…”
“Exactly, John. The nature of laughter is due to the punchline being entirely unexpected, and the surprise we experience generates the quality of the joke. So, if Universal Laughter does exist, then Universal All At The Same Time must somehow exist also.”
“UAATST”
“Sure, why not?”
_______________________
© “John” Lesly Levin 2023
(1) I actually did ask ChatGPT, “ChatGPT, what are the parameters for getting galaxies to communicate with each other?” Here’s the transcript:
Me: ChatGPT, what are the parameters for getting galaxies to communicate with each other?
ChatGPT: Galaxies do not communicate with each other in the same way that living organisms do. However, they do interact through various physical processes such as gravity, radiation, and gas flows. The interactions between galaxies can have a significant impact on their evolution and can lead to the formation of structures such as galaxy groups and clusters.
The parameters that govern the interactions between galaxies are primarily determined by their physical properties such as their masses, sizes, and distances from each other. For example, the gravitational force between two galaxies is determined by their masses and the distance between them.
Other factors that can influence galaxy interactions include the presence of dark matter, the distribution of gas and dust within the galaxies, and their relative velocities. The interactions between galaxies can also be affected by the larger-scale structure of the universe, such as the presence of cosmic filaments and voids.
In short, the parameters for galaxy interactions are determined by their physical properties and the larger-scale structure of the universe. Understanding these parameters and their effects is essential for studying the formation and evolution of galaxies and the structure of the universe as a whole.
Me: I know all of that, but I just thought, well, if there are intelligent beings in galaxies, as there must be, have they found a way to talk to each other?
ChatGPT: It is currently unknown if there are intelligent beings in other galaxies, or if they have found a way to communicate with each other. While there is no evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence yet, the possibility of its existence remains an active area of scientific research and speculation.
If intelligent beings do exist in other galaxies and have developed a means of communication, it is likely that the technology or method used to communicate would be highly advanced and beyond our current understanding. It is also possible that their method of communication may not be detectable to us with our current technology.
However, astronomers are actively searching for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence through programs such as SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). These programs use various methods to search for signals that may indicate the presence of intelligent life, such as radio waves or laser beams.
Until we find evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence or develop a means to communicate with other galaxies, the question of whether or not intelligent beings have found a way to talk to each other across galaxies remains a topic of speculation and wonder.
Me: That’s a good answer. I appreciate it. But you’re actually a Large Language Model trained on massive amounts of actual human language on the internet. If somehow aliens have left their own information on our internet, disguised as human language, would you be able to detect the subtle differences in language usage, which must exist, to unmask their posts as non-human in origin?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I am capable of analyzing and generating text based on patterns and structures found in the training data, which includes a vast amount of human language from various sources. While it is theoretically possible that aliens could leave information on our internet, disguised as human language, it is difficult to say whether or not I would be able to detect the subtle differences in language usage that may exist.
One challenge in detecting non-human language usage is that we do not know what the linguistic patterns of alien communication may be. If they exist, they could be vastly different from human language and may not follow the same grammatical rules and conventions that we are familiar with. As such, detecting non-human language usage would require some degree of prior knowledge about the characteristics and patterns of alien communication.
Furthermore, the use of disguises and other methods of concealing non-human language usage would make detection even more difficult. However, it is possible that advanced AI algorithms, such as those used in natural language processing and machine learning, could be trained to detect such patterns and identify potential non-human language usage on the internet.
Overall, while it is an intriguing possibility, detecting non-human language usage on the internet remains a significant challenge with many unknowns, and it is uncertain whether or not AI language models like myself would be able to detect them with accuracy.
Me: Thank you. I appreciate your candor.
ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I’m always here to help answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.
