Dissecting Alien Language: Linguistics, Math and Multimodal Communication in Disclosure Day

The episode uses a linguistics lens to explore what makes alien language sound truly foreign on screen and what real researchers would consider when attempting to decode an extraterrestrial signal. Host Rachel Feltman chats with Jeffrey Punsky about why films often bias toward Western phonology, how constructed languages like Klingon illuminate the idea of alien speech, and why mathematics might be a universal bridge in interspecies communication. The discussion also touches on multiple modalities beyond spoken language, including signs and smells, and the ethical and practical questions that arise when humanity contemplates first contact.

• Realistic constraints in film shape our expectations of alien phonology.
• Mathematics could serve as a universal message across species.
• Constructed languages demonstrate how authors craft “alienness” while staying communicable.
• Communication may rely on multiple modalities, not just sound.

Introduction and framing

The podcast centers on a question that sits at the intersection of science, cinema, and language: what would alien communication really be like, and how would scientists go about understanding it? Hosted by Rachel Feltman, the episode spotlights the summer film Disclosure Day and shifts quickly to a deeper inquiry about how linguists imagine extraterrestrial speech. The guest, Jeffrey Punsky, is an associate professor in the School of Languages and Linguistics at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. His work spans real human languages and the speculative domain of alien speech, including ideas about Hamlet in Klingon and the possibility that mathematics could be the most dependable medium for interspecies communication. The conversation positions alien-language questions as not only a science fiction concern but a tool for thinking more clearly about human language itself.

Background and motivation

Punsky explains how his fascination with alien languages grew from his academic work with constructed languages and the study of how languages can be embedded, taught, and theorized. He notes that the question of aliens offers a way to step outside the boundaries of what we know about human language and to test the universals and constraints that linguists infer from Earth languages. The aim is not to prove aliens exist but to use the thought experiments about alien speech to illuminate gaps in our understanding of human language, including what sort of messages would be receivable and translatable by nonhuman intelligences.

Phonology, physiology, and the limits of realism

A central point in Punsky's discussion is the realism of alien vocalizations in fiction. He observes that many science fiction portrayals depict aliens with vocal tracts essentially identical to humans, simply producing different sounds or languages. This Western-centric bias—where the sound inventory mirrors Western European languages—limits the range of possible alien phonologies that could be depicted on screen. The trailer for Disclosure Day in particular features popping and clicking sounds that feel alien to Western listeners, but Punsky points out that true alien speech could involve sound production mechanisms far beyond human capabilities. He notes that while there are human languages that use clicks—found in southern Africa among various Khoisan languages—the way those clicks are integrated and the broader phonemic system would likely look very different if the vocal apparatus were truly non-human.

Beyond sound: the universality of math and multimodal communication

Beyond phonology, the guest emphasizes that contact scenarios would likely hinge on technologies that would necessitate messages understood by recipients with unknown biology. The idea that mathematical relationships could serve as a universal message arises from the assumption that any civilization capable of interstellar communication must share some form of abstract reasoning about patterns, numbers, and relationships. Punsky also discusses the Voyager plaque as a human attempt to encode knowledge in a way that could be decoded by nonhuman intelligences, and he argues that future transmissions might need to consider non-auditory modalities. He highlights the potential for multimodal communication that could include visual signals, gestures, and even olfactory cues, given how different sensory systems shape perception and memory.

Empathy, math, and the true language of the universe

One of the episode’s memorable moments is the discussion around the proposition that empathy and math could be two sides of the same coin in interspecies understanding. A clip from Bri Kane’s interview with film screenwriter David Cope raises the question: is empathy or math the true language of the universe? Punsky acknowledges the value of both: math provides a precise, shareable framework for encoding messages, while empathy and shared human context can facilitate interpretation and translation. The takeaway is that successful communication would most likely rely on a combination of stable, universal structures and the ability to relate to another intelligence’s perspective and sensory modalities.

Constructed languages, favorites, and design principles

The conversation turns to constructed languages as a lens for understanding alien speech. Punsky shares a soft spot for Klingon, praising its deliberate alienness, including its object–verb–subject order and the unusual phonetic inventory. He admires the way constructed languages can push us to think about what makes human languages human and what would render an alien language intelligible to human learners. He also reflects on the broader Tolkien-inspired tradition of invented languages and the creative process behind developing a system that remains learnable while aesthetically distinct from natural languages.

First contact: strategy and modality considerations

When asked what he would do if contact actually occurred, Punsky emphasizes that the approach would depend on how the message was received. If aliens physically arrive, basic naming terms would be established to enable cross-language communication, while radio-based contact would require more careful decoding and back-and-forth messaging. He references Arrival as a model for cross-language naming and bridging, but he also cautions that language is modality-nonspecific: even sign languages, tactile communication, or olfactory signaling could form parts of a viable communication system. This broadened view challenges the assumption that language is strictly an auditory phenomenon and invites speculation about how aliens might utilize senses unfamiliar to humans.

Olfaction, sign, and the future of cross-species linguistics

The discussion ends with a provocative look at non-auditory modalities. Are there plausible alien communication systems based on scent, touch, or gesture that could persist over time and be decipherable by humans? Punsky suggests that smells can linger and layer messages, offering a kind of multi-temporal structure that oral language does not easily provide. While this remains speculative, it demonstrates how engaging with alien-language questions can sharpen our understanding of the full spectrum of human communication and the ways our language theories might need to adapt to truly cross-species interaction.

Takeaways and looking forward

Throughout the episode the thread is clear: alien languages, whether depicted in cinema or imagined in theory, are valuable heuristics for testing our understanding of human linguistics. They push researchers to consider universals and limits, to examine the role of modality in language, and to imagine how humans could communicate with nonhuman intelligences using a blend of mathematical precision and empathetic interpretation. The episode closes with an invitation to see the Disclosure Day conversation as part of a broader exploration into the future of science communication, language, and the enduring puzzle of how beings—whether from Earth or beyond—could understand one another.