The Last Theory Think like an alien with Stephen Wolfram
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Jan 2, 2026 
Stephen Wolfram, a computational scientist and founder of the Wolfram Physics Project, dives deep into how different observers perceive the universe. He compares human language to the olfactory world of dogs and ponders if we could truly communicate with extraterrestrials. Wolfram critiques science fiction's portrayal of aliens and discusses the implications of thinking like one. He also explores the role of AI and alternative senses in expanding our understanding of reality, all while navigating the mind-bending concept of the ruliad.
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Taxonomy Of Different Observers
- Stephen Wolfram highlights a taxonomy of observers, from humans to very different intelligences like pets or aliens.
- He stresses it's extremely hard to truly imagine what non-human observers experience beyond superficial similarities.
Beyond Compositional Language
- Wolfram questions what expressive systems beyond human compositional language might look like for richer minds.
- He suggests computational thinking may hint at higher-level forms of thought beyond our language.
Concrete Examples Of Alien Minds
- Wolfram uses cats, dogs, and hypothetical brains with trillions of neurons as concrete examples of differing cognitive capacities.
- He admits it's difficult to know whether animals could internalize human-like compositional language.