What does it mean to be human?: Reflections on the portrayal of pain in interstellar messages

Abstract

If there is any way that humankind is unique in the galaxy, perhaps it is insofar as on Earth, our joys and our pains are so exquisitely balanced. If pain is an obstacle that has been overcome by more advanced extraterrestrial civilizations long ago, then our descriptions of our suffering may significantly contribute to other civilizations’ understanding of our species and our culture. By drawing on some of the same methods Freudenthal uses in Lincos to describe the physical universe, we can also provide detailed descriptions of our bodies. Portraying ourselves as embodied and vulnerable, we might provide outward signs of our inward distress. In addition, the link between the physical and the subjective experiences of pain provides a vehicle to address one of the greatest challenges of interstellar communication: explaining human subjectivity.