Skip to main content

Arrival: A nice linguistic fiction

By
-----SPOILER ALERT-----

Arrival was an amazing experience. Firstly, it is the first alien film I have seen, in which they are not here to kill us.  That itself is a breath of fresh air.  Given that it is not about killing each other, we need to communicate. This leads to several interesting ideas.  Would we be able to communicate with an alien species?  Many linguists believe that communication between people speaking different languages on earth was possible because there are a lot of basic similarities between any two languages.  Some also believe that this "Universal grammar" is wired in the brain.  Now a sentient species from another planet might have a very different brain.  So, it does not seem obvious that we might be able to communicate with each other.  In the movie, however, different the language might have looked, followed a "Universal grammar" similar to languages on earth.  Notice that the book written by Louise (the protagonist) had "Univeral grammar" in its title.  We are already into the territory of what I would call a linguistic fiction.

I also found it interesting that, though in passing, they expressed some of the questions in the mind of many mathematicians and philosopher.  Will an alien race be able to appreciate our Mathematics?  Being a mathematician, I know several people who believe any sentient being would be able to appreciate our mathematics.  So, in some sense, they view mathematics as the ultimate form of art.  Other art forms obviously will not be appreciable to a being which does not share similar sense organs.  For example, we cannot expect an organism which has no auditory capacity to appreciate music.  The makers of this film do not share this idea. In fact, there was a passing mention that the aliens are able to follow some of the ideas in mathematics but not others.  I would also like to believe that Mathematics is not holier than other domains.
          
The climax takes the linguistic-fiction to a whole new level.  There is this notion in cognitive linguistics that, our language can influence the way we think.  For example, we cannot think about ideas for which we have no words.  So adding vocabulary can help us think better.  They stretch this idea.  Learning the alien language, which is a non-linear language, helps Louise to see time non-linearly.  This enables her to see the future, for example.  I agree it is stretching it a bit too far.  And this might put some people off.  But, I enjoyed it.  It is an amazing thought, even more so because it is so bizarre.  This also gives a brand new explanation to prophecies.  In a more scientific world, this gives a theory for the time travel of information -  the theme for many science fiction stories like "Stein's Gate".  Of course, there is less of science and more of fantasy in this.  Nevertheless, it is an interesting idea.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51343430

Labels:

Comments

  1. LaZarus25 August 2021 at 17:02

    If you liked this movie, then you should definitely read the short story which this is based on _ Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang. The movie is better in terms of the visual concepts and the storyline at the end but the novella has way more scientific elements explained to it.

    Spoiler: Also this Novella is written in two timelines which is the most amazing part, which gets connected at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6 December 2022 at 02:50

    Meanwhile, non-public chat rooms on Discord are rising in recognition, especially with bettors under 30. Although many younger bettors flip to websites like Audacy and the Action Network for gambling advice, additionally they observe folks like Big Tone to see their 온라인카지노 bets and typically tail them. Some folks, like McAfee, who has 2.5 million Twitter followers, influence on a nationwide scale, as his Super Bowl parlay escapade proved. Then there are those who acquire cachet inside their friend teams for cashing their bets. The identical tribes oppose another measure on the ballot, Proposition 27, that might permit on-line and mobile sports activities betting outdoors tribal lands. Sports betting 1.zero was all about acquisition and, because it strikes into sports activities betting 2.zero, product is necessary thing} differentiator for sportsbook operators, based on 888 Holdings’ US president Howard Mittman.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Naruto; the saddest death

By
For me, the saddest death in Naruto, is undoubtedly, Yashamaru's death. Let me say a few words about why I think so. For me death by itself is not sad. I would in fact say that death is a blessing for the one who is dying. It is sad for those who are left behind. From that perspective I think Yashamaru's death is the saddest. Yashamaru was the only comforting figure in the life of Gaara. The moment it is revealed that the assassin who tried to kill him was that same Yashamaru was heart breaking. The way Gaara cries "Yashamaru.." still resonates in my mind. Loneliness is one of the central themes of the anime. And, that scene captures it so magnificently. One of the most touching moments in the anime. There are several other deaths for which I shed a lot of tears. Like the deaths of Haku or Zabuza or Jiraiya or Obito. But they truly shine through their deaths. As Jiraiya himself says "The true measure of a shinobi is not how he lives but how h
1 comment
Read more

Deepavali - an interesting twist to a Greek Myth

By
Greek mythology contains tales of dangerous semi-human enchantresses called Sirens.  They seduce travelling sailors to their island using music and song to shipwreck on the rocky coasts.  Odysseus wanted to listen to the song of Sirens.  Heeding to the advice of Circe, he asks his crew to fill their ears with beeswax(so that they will not hear the song) and tie him to the mast of the ship.  He instructed the sailors that they are to leave him tied even if he orders to do otherwise.  Thus he could hear the song of the siren while escaping the treacherous end at the hands of Sirens.  This idea is called pre-commitment and is a favourite of many self-help gurus. The Tamil movie Deepavali gives an interesting twist to this story -  the hero is not Odysseus but a crew member.  Let me elaborate.  The heroine in this movie suffers from post-traumatic memory loss.  Troubled by the stressful experience of not recognising people she is supposed to recognise, she decides to go away from home. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Naruto; My favourite anime

By
I am a huge fan of anime and I have watched several anime. However, no matter how many anime I watch, Naruto manages to remain my favourite. No anime could emote as much as Naruto - it makes me cry, it gives me goosebumps, it makes me laugh and so much more - and it manages to do that every time I re-watch Naruto. What is most surprising is that, there are scenes which made me genuinely scared. I was afraid what will happen to the characters I love, even though it is obvious that nothing will happen to them. For example, Naruto's and Sasuke's first confrontation with Orochimaru at Shi-no-mori (forest of death) is so scary. And not just this fight, there are so many fights where you feel that fear. I quoted this example, because this fight scared me the most. I don't remember getting scared while watching other anime. Anime in general are good at making you cry or give you adrenaline rush, but this is unique to Naruto. There are anime which has made me cry as mu
Post a Comment
Read more