第5部分(第3/7 頁)

was　nothing　inevitable　about　how　we　looked　at　the　universe。

Men　already　had　trouble　municating　with　intelligent　＇＇28＇＇　Earthly　creatures　such　as　dolphins；　simply　because　dolphins　lived　in　such　a　different　environment　and　had　such　different　sensory　apparatus。

Yet　men　and　dolphins　might　appear　virtually　identical　when　pared　with　the　vast　differences　that　separated　us　from　an　extraterrestrial　creature…a　creature　who　was　the　product　of　billions　of　years　of　divergent　evolution　in　some　other　planetary　environment。　Such　an　extraterrestrial　would　be　unlikely　to　see　the　world　as　we　did。　In　fact；　it　might　not　see　the　world　at　all。　It　might　be　blind；　and　it　might　learn　about　the　world　through　a　highly　developed　sense　of　smell；　or　temperature；　or　pressure。　There　might　be　no　way　to　municate　with　such　a　creature；　no　mon　ground　at　all。　As　one　man　put　it；　how　would　you　explain　Wordsworth's　poem　about　daffodils　to　a　blind　watersnake？

But　the　field　of　knowledge　we　were　most　likely　to　share　with　extraterrestrials　was　mathematics。　So　the　team　mathematician　was　going　to　play　a　crucial　role。　Norman　had　selected　Adams　because；　despite　his　youth；　Harry　had　already　made　important　contributions　to　several　different　fields。

〃What　do　you　think　about　all　this；　Harry？〃　Norman　said；　dropping　into　a　chair　next　to　him。

〃I　think　it's　perfectly　clear；〃　Harry　said；　〃that　it　is　a　waste　of　time。〃

〃This　fin　they've　found　underwater？〃

〃I　don't　know　what　it　is；　but　I　know　what　it　isn't。　It　isn't　a　spacecraft　from　another　civilization。〃

Ted；　standing　nearby；　turned　away　in　annoyance。　Harry　and　Ted　had　evidently　had　this　same　conversation　already。　〃How　do　you　know？〃　Norman　asked。

〃A　simple　calculation；〃　Harry　said；　with　a　dismissing　wave　of　his　hand。