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M. D. Lane

@mdlane2260

Mechanical Engineer, Analyst, Chess player, Writer, SF fan and lot of other things... www.mdlanebooks.com

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11.11.2024
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Latest posts by M. D. Lane @mdlane2260

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02.03.2026 22:35 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

bsky.app/profile/mlde...

02.03.2026 22:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Eye That Sees Tomorrow's Heaven (The Keepers Book 1) Amazon.com: The Eye That Sees Tomorrow's Heaven (The Keepers Book 1) eBook : Dean, M. L.: Books

An hour ago book is published on Amazon www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPLPMHR9.
M L Dean - The Eye That Sees Tomorrow's Heaven is the first book in the trilogy The Keepers.
Hope that readers will find it a good one.

If some of you decide to read it, please leave a review.

23.02.2026 21:00 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Journey (Distant Worlds Book 3) The Journey (Distant Worlds Book 3) - Kindle edition by Lane, M. D.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Journey (Distant Worlds Book 3).

My third book ...
Distant Worlds Trilogy
Book 3
The Journey
... the last in Distant World trilogy is published.
www.amazon.com/dp/B0FTTHT7QV

20.10.2025 15:06 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

yes

27.08.2025 18:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Book trailer M  D  Lane   Distant Worlds Book 2  Border Base
Book trailer M D Lane Distant Worlds Book 2 Border Base YouTube video by M. D. Lane SF Books

Distant Worlds Trilogy
Book 2
Border Base
Book trailer:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBk6...

12.04.2025 12:20 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Border Base (Distant Worlds Book 2) Border Base (Distant Worlds Book 2) - Kindle edition by Lane, M. D.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Border Base (Distant Worlds Book 2).

Distant Worlds Trilogy
Book 2
Border Base
Available for preorder:
www.amazon.com/dp/B0F3WFGM2R

12.04.2025 12:19 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

An hour ago book is published on Amazon a.co/d/arlN6wW.
Revelation is the first book in the trilogy Distant Worlds.
About 102k words.
Hope that readers will find it as a good one.
More about the book on my website www.mdlanebooks.com.
If some of you decide to read it please leave a review.

21.01.2025 22:38 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Book trailer M  D  Lane   Distant Worlds Book 1 Revelation
Book trailer M D Lane Distant Worlds Book 1 Revelation YouTube video by M. D. Lane SF Books

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVBS...

02.01.2025 18:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

7/7
Those lines represent direction in which things should be read.
As previously said, zero is the problem.
Hope that it will be understandable later when we will represent the numbers.
#FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:44 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

6/7
This page also represents the first 10 numbers (starting with zero) but that is not the purpose of this page. In some different setting those two can be different.
As previously said, under each digit is the straight horizontal line.
#FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:44 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

5/7
That is the main reason why not have it.
On the left side we have our symbols for digits (numbers).
On the right side there is the number of dots representing the value of each of digits.
#FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:44 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

4/7
This is the whole page representation.
Hope that is understandable.
If we choose that, maybe on the top of the page should have a title.
DIGITS
Or not. It is optional.
It is not explainable for them, for now anyway.
#FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:44 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

3/7
There are 10 different digits (0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9).
First, we must try to explain them and after that we will go further.
The biggest problem is 0 – zero but let us hope that it will be understandable if will be seen with others.
#FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:43 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

2/7
We can use different representations, but I chose Arabic numbers – western style. It is simple notation, and I know it the best.
It doesn’t mean that is the best, because I don’t know all of them, and cannot judge objectively.
#FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:43 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

1/7
Ok, we now have a decision (hopefully good one) how we will say directions on how to read our numbers and later letters and words.
Next thing is how we will represent content. As we said at the start, we will start with numbers. #FirstContactHandbook

13.11.2024 15:42 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 0

8/8
Short numbers or text in each line on the left side will suggest that we start from left. (I hope).
Unfortunately, it is not clear that we write from left to right. Hope that we will clear that later.
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:15 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

7/8
I will choose straight horizontal lines with generous space under each number or piece of text with whole width of paper.
That will say, I hope, that direction is horizontal.
Is it left to right or right to left?
It doesn’t say.
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:14 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

6/8
First rule. The handbook must be culturally neutral.
We need a universal language that transcends cultural differences.
What do you think would be truly universal?
It seems simple but it is difficult to answer, at least to me.
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:14 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

5/8
Color? – Dark on left side and light on right side or vice versa? Which color? Can color mean something … for example … RED as a danger… BLUE as deep … GREEN as religious meaning?
Anything else?
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:14 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

4/8
Also, it is a way I am the most familiar with and it will be easier to explain some things.
So, how to say, β€œYou should read this from left to right, horizontally”.
Arrows? - Can they be misunderstood as weapons?
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:13 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

3/8
First page of Handbook.
How to tell aliens what is direction of our writing?
I will choose horizontal direction, from left to right.
Not because it is the best.
I don’t know that.
It is because that is the way English text is normally written.
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:13 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

2/8
It is important not only the symbol/letter but also position and there are one or multiple symbols for each digit. And we still speak about human species with same/similar basic culture and biology. There are other examples ...
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:13 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

1/8
Now we know a few obstacles. There are many we didn’t mention. For example, Romans write their numbers with different rules. The same number they will write as MMCCCXLVI (MM => 2000, CCC=> 300, XL=> 40, VI=>6).
#FirstContactHandbook

12.11.2024 12:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 0

5/5
This is just for the start. We also assume in those examples that they use the same base as we do … base 10. For example, if they use base 7 the same number will be written as 6561, with base 8 will be 4452.
#FirstContactHandbook

11.11.2024 18:32 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

4/5
For example, this is what Gemini says about that:
#FirstContactHandbook

11.11.2024 18:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

3/5
There are many more possible ways … even ways we will not easily understand but there is no reason why aliens will not use some way we don’t understand.
Even different human groups today and through history did it in different ways. #FirstContactHandbook

11.11.2024 18:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

2/5
For simplicity of explanation let’s assume that aliens write with this kind of numbers (0,1,2,3,4 …)
How will they write β€œtwo thousand three hundred and forty-six”?
2346 ?
6432 ?
2
3
4
6 ?
6
4
3
2 ?
These are just 4 basic possibilities.
#FirstContactHandbook

11.11.2024 18:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

1/5
How to start?
Probably there are million ways. Some of them better, some of them not good enough.
I will choose to start with numbers. Seems easy but …
First things first. Let us think about it.
How will an alien write a number?
#FirstContactHandbook

11.11.2024 18:29 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 0

4/4
Follow along as we craft the ultimate guide for extraterrestrial visitors.
Who knows? One day, it might come in handy!
Let's make first contact a success story.
#FirstContactHandbook

11.11.2024 18:28 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0