After Babel: The Quest for Universal Communication

Communication is everywhere.

From humans, animals, insects, plants, fungi, technology, and even life-as-it-could-be, communication seems to be a cornerstone of living systems.

But there is so much we don't understand about communication. For example, we don't yet have science-fiction universal translators that would allow conversations to happen across many different species. We don't even know if such a device would be possible. Where would such a device succeed and where would it fail?

This year's Cross Labs workshop will be a deep dive into what we don't know about communication. Rather than featuring a series of presentations, we feature a series of discussions where insights from several fields will be inspiration for wild brainstorming and idea-sharing.

At this workshop, you will meet a diverse group of scholars, researchers, and deep thinkers who explore communication in vastly different ways. Together, we will pursue the unknown and build a journey of exploration.

To join the workshop, please email contact alyssa.adams@cross-compass.com or olaf@cross-compass.com. Otherwise, you can catch each session on YouTube Live.

Each session will consist of in-depth discussions (with breaks) lead by panelists and facilitated by a moderator. Non-panelist participants are encouraged to join the discussion and contribute their ideas.

For those viewing the discussion on YouTube Live, please feel free to ask questions in the chat.

See below for the workshop schedule and details about each session.

SESSION 0: April 22, 18:00 JST

In-Person Reception & Poster Mixer

For our in-person participants, we will be hosting a catered welcome reception and poster mixer from 6pm - 8pm. Students are especially welcome! We encourage students to submit a poster for the poster mixer that showcases their recent research related to communication. Please submit your poster to alyssa.adams@cross-compass.com by April 17th.

SESSION 1: April 22, 20:00 JST

Welcome and Introduction by Olaf Witkowski

Talking to Aliens & the Mathematics of Communication

Panelists: Hector Zenil, Michael Levin, Clément Vidal, Fernando Ernesto Rosas De Andraca

Possible discussion prompts:

How can we distinguish any old signal from one that contains a message?
Do all signals contain messages?
What counts as a signal?
How can we understand what communication COULD be with beings that are completely alien to us?
How can we understand what communication COULD be with being that are already familiar to us?
What are the mathematical limits of communication?

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SESSION 2: April 23, 18:00 JST

Animal, Cell, and Non-Human Communication

Panelists: Andrew Barron, Andrew Adamatzky, Lana Sinapayen

Possible discussion prompts:

What do we know about animal communication?
What is preventing us from communicating with animals?
How do plants and fungi communicate?
How do single cells communicate?
What can we learn about communication more broadly from these examples?

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SESSION 3: April 24, 14:00 JST

Private Language, Consciousness, Perception, and Expanding Our Senses

Panelists: Nao Tsuchiya, Nick Chater, Malika Auvray, Yutaka Makino, Keisuke Suzuki, Sha Xin Wei

Possible discussion prompts:

What are the limits of what we can perceive and how does that help us communicate with others?
How do the components of individuals communicate with each other as a private language?
How will expanding our senses help us communicate with others?
Is it always necessary to "tune" our senses to effectively communicate?

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SESSION 4: April 25, 12:00 JST

Detecting Agents and Goal-Directedness

Panelists: Paul Colognese, Nathaniel Virgo, Martin Biehl

Possible discussion prompts:

What is an agent?
What is a goal?
Is communication always necessary to achieve a goal?
How does communication help us understand the goals of others?
Is it possible construct 'meta-agents' if individuals communicate among themselves in a particular way?

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SESSION 5: April 26, 10:00 JST

Philosophy and Ethics of Diverse Intelligences

Panelists: Carlos Gershenson, Eric Schwitzgebel, Jacob Foster, Stephen Wolfram

Possible discussion prompts:

What is intelligence, anyways?
How are communication and intelligence related?
As we build new technologies, how can we ensure we are caring for the future of intelligent beings?
How can we empower diverse intelligences to communicate with one another?

Closing remarks by Olaf Witkowski

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