"When it comes to the nature of reality, one of the most profound realizations that humans have had is that the laws of physics, the fundamental laws governing nature, appear to be identical everywhere and at all times. But if our own biology had been very different, or our environment had been very different, perhaps our senses, perceptions, and what we'd deduce as the laws or rules governing reality would be very different, too."
"One of the great discoveries to be made out there in the grand scheme of things is alien life: the first detection of life that originated, survives, and continues to live beyond our own home planet of Earth. An even grander goal that many of us have, including scientists and laypersons alike, is to find not just life, but an example of intelligent extraterrestrials: aliens that are capable of interstellar communication, interstellar travel, or even of meeting us, physically, on our own planet."
Detection of extraterrestrial life, especially intelligent life, is a major scientific and cultural goal, including beings capable of communication, travel, or direct contact. Many assume such beings would share human scientific frameworks and extend human knowledge of fundamental laws. Different sensory apparatuses, cognitive structures, or environments could lead to different observables and inferred rules, producing physics that appears unfamiliar or incommensurate with human formulations. Fundamental laws may be universal, but the representations, measurements, and mathematics developed by other intelligences could diverge significantly. Accounting for varied perceptual frameworks is important when searching for and interpreting alien intelligence.
Read at Big Think
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