The Alien Civilization's Perception of Time
The alien civilization's perception of time is not merely a scientific setting — it is the central theme that tests humanity's ontological limits. They do not see past, present, and future as separate linear time, but understand everything simultaneously in a circular vision (the Hamiltonian way) where all moments coexist. This concept deepens the collision of scientific evidence and religious belief in the film, forcing us to question our very definition of human 'truth.'
The Non-Linearity of Time: A Challenge to Humanity's Linear Thinking
In Contact, communicating with an alien civilization was not simply a matter of overcoming a language barrier. It was an intellectual collision arising from a fundamental difference in how time and space are perceived. Earth's inhabitants understand time in the clear linear structure of "past → present → future." But the alien civilization is depicted as beings without this sense of tense, understanding the universe in a circular vision — the "Hamiltonian way" — in which all time coexists simultaneously. (F20, F21)
This difference in time perception influences even the structure of their language. While Earth's languages use linear characters according to time sequence, the alien civilization's writing takes a circular form that encompasses the flow of time.
1. Scientific Evidence and the Paradox of Time
This difference in time perception appears at the most dramatic moment. The signal received from Vega provides humanity with a grand civilization blueprint, but its contents follow the temporal axis of "history" familiar to humanity. In particular, the video of Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics opening declaration becomes shocking evidence that the alien civilization has captured even humanity's darkest historical moment in the form of "information" — showing that the aliens are observers who record the flow of human time, presenting a dimension of "recording" beyond simple contact.
2. The Accumulation of Knowledge and the Experience of Time
The level of knowledge of the alien civilization transcends human understanding — not simply from technological superiority, but from an ontological difference in the experience of time. A highly advanced civilization maintains a state of "full consciousness" in which individual lives are consciously built upon past experiences, with no need to learn everything from scratch. (F4)
For them, the acquisition of knowledge is an accumulation of practical experience from traveling around the galaxy and directly building and observing ecosystems — a fundamentally different dimension from Earth's school-based education. (F7, F8, F9)
3. The Intersection of Science and Faith
The difference in time perception deepens the opposition between Ellie Arroway and Palmer Joss. Ellie tries to accept everything only as "measurable and provable" scientific evidence. Palmer values "meaning" and "spiritual experience" even when scientific evidence is lacking. The alien civilization's concept of time presents a third domain that overwhelms both perspectives: time is not something that can be completely explained either by scientific equations or by religious doctrine — it is a fundamental "mode of existence."
This collision ultimately leads to the fundamental question: is what humans believe to be "truth" limited to physical evidence, or must it extend to encompass spiritual and philosophical contemplation?
Why It Matters
The alien civilization's non-linear perception of time is the deepest philosophical pillar of Contact. This setting elevates the work beyond a simple SF thriller into contemplation about humanity's intellectual limits and ontological existence. If the aliens had the same linear view of time as us, their existence would have been nothing more than 'a more advanced humanity.' The setting that they perceive time as circular exposes that humanity understands the flow of time only within the limited frame of 'progress' and 'history.' This reminds us of how many questions humanity's intellect has yet left in the domain of the unknown.
Other 떡밥 dives4
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The Challenges and Importance of the SETI Project
The SETI project symbolizes the domain of pure science — the exploration for intelligent extraterrestrial life. The project has the fundamental goal of collecting radio signals, but in the work it constantly faces funding shortfalls, scientific skepticism, and obstruction from power structures that prioritize practicality. SETI's journey poses the fundamental question of what place the value of 'experience' and 'belief' without scientific evidence should occupy in modern scientific society.
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The Vega Signal and Hitler's Broadcast
In Contact, the signal received from Vega was not simply alien communication — it contained a shocking video record of one of humanity's most controversial and darkest moments. This signal contains Adolf Hitler's opening declaration at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, serving as key evidence proving that an alien civilization had objectively observed and recorded human history. It becomes the occasion for humanity's dark history to be reexamined on a cosmic scale.
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Arecibo Observatory and Radio Reception
Arecibo Observatory is the physical heart of Contact and the pivotal stage for contact with intelligent life. This giant radio telescope goes beyond a simple scientific instrument to serve as an intermediary for humanity's most fundamental questions — scientific evidence versus religious belief. The signal from Vega received here provides humanity with a blueprint for a great civilization, while vividly exposing the limits of scientific 'proof.'
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Contact
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