Talk:inscribed matter
Hello.
The initial definition, also my first contribution to the wikictionary, was quickly tidied up by others and certainly looks more appropriate for a dictionnary. However, I'm pasting the original version here because some "subtlties" were lost in the shortening... and may be useful further on, such as in a Wikipedia article. I'm pasting, first the tidy version, then the original version.
tidy version
inscribed matter (uncountable)
physical material, containing an inscribed message, used as a means of communication between intelligences separated by astronomical distances
References nature.com/nature/journal/v431/n7004/abs/nature02884.html
original version
a SETI term designating a hypothetical method for transmission of messages between intelligences in the universe. Communicating over long time-spans, between relatively short-lived intelligences, these messages would be inscribed on a material or DNA type molecular medium as an alternative to electromagnetic transmission.
This is among the solutions proposed to the paradox of Fermi: it considers that no electromagnetic messages have been detected because the transmitting intelligence has opted for this, as yet, unexamined alternative.
References nature.com/nature/journal/v431/n7004/abs/nature02884.html