The hottest Language Substack posts right now

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Five critical patch updates for the English language

Thoughts on Writing • 99 implied HN points • 16 Sep 21
🎭️ Culture Language Communication Societal Issues Analogies
  1. A constructed language called Lojban aims to reduce ambiguity, demonstrating how language design can impact communication.
  2. Words like 'compare' and 'explain' can lead to misunderstandings due to multiple meanings, affecting how statements are interpreted.
  3. Language vulnerabilities can hinder effective communication and understanding, showcasing the importance of clarity and precision in expression.

Language models and language change, redux

The Counterfactual • 39 implied HN points • 07 Sep 22
🕹 Technology AI Language Communication Innovation Future
  1. Language models like GPT-3 could have different effects on how language evolves, including slowing it down, speeding it up, or having no effect at all.
  2. One possible outcome is that language models might make our communication more concise, which could lead to unusual and harder-to-understand language forms.
  3. While GPT-3 can generate reasonable ideas about language change, it's important to be skeptical of its understanding and treat its responses as interesting but not always reliable.
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Chaos train and monkey madness—fun with quantifiers

Infinitely More • 12 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🚌 Education Logic Language Mathematics Semantics Exercises
  1. First-order predicate logic provides a formal language and semantics capable of expressing fine distinctions and shades of meaning.
  2. Understanding quantifiers, such as ∃ and ∀, is crucial in first-order logic as they allow one to make statements like 'there is an x such that φ' or 'every x has property φ.'
  3. Engaging in logic puzzles and practice can help in developing a deeper comprehension of first-order logic concepts and their applications.

Descriptivism

Sunday Letters • 39 implied HN points • 25 Sep 22
📖 Philosophy Language Communication Argumentation Cognition Complexity
  1. Language is complex and can't be boiled down to strict rules. People use language in many different ways, and that's okay.
  2. Binary thinking often simplifies complicated issues, making it hard to have productive discussions. It's important to recognize that many problems aren't just black and white.
  3. Embracing complexity opens up better conversations. Instead of forcing a win/lose situation, focusing on the nuances can lead to understanding and progress.

Legibility

The Leftovers • 39 implied HN points • 10 Dec 21
📚 Literature Language Identity Writing Biography Translation
  1. Moving to a new place can make you rethink your identity and rewrite your story, leading to a sense of becoming unfamiliar.
  2. Writing in a second language can influence how you express yourself in your native language, blurring the lines between identities.
  3. In writing, balancing authenticity and legibility can be challenging, as it involves navigating personal identity and how others perceive you.

#38

The Nibble • 12 implied HN points • 17 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Models Language Robotics Programming
  1. Interesting developments in Indian Language Models and AI projects
  2. OpenAI bans TikTok for using GPT to train their own AI model
  3. New advancements like Stable Zero123 for 3D Object views and Tesla's Optimus Gen 2 humanoid prototype

Brick Lane Cybernetics

Cybernetic Forests • 39 implied HN points • 27 Dec 21
🎨 Art & Illustration Cybernetics Language Architecture Design Restoration
  1. Annetta Pedretti was a cybernetic linguist known for fostering conversations about conversations, emphasizing the importance of writing and communicating consciously.
  2. Language is a complex system that reflects history and meaning, requiring active listening, questioning, and response to understand its nuances.
  3. Cybernetics is about relationships between complex systems, such as language and architecture, and involves navigating boundaries, challenging clichés, and engaging in curious, slow-building conversations.

Things That Caught My Eye #7

Natural Selections • 4 implied HN points • 15 Oct 24
🔬 Science Biology Research Education Technology Language
  1. Scientists found that a dye in Doritos can make mice's skin transparent, helping to study them while alive. It's a strange but useful discovery for research.
  2. Written language and the alphabet took a long time to develop, with alphabetical order coming much later than the letters themselves.
  3. Boys and girls react differently to poor teaching, and this may influence how schools approach education for each gender.

E Pluribus Unum: Ilan Stavans on American English

The Octavian Report • 24 implied HN points • 21 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Language Literature History Education Identity
  1. American English is incredibly versatile and constantly changing, influenced by immigrants and young people.
  2. The debate on standardizing American English dates back to the Founding Fathers, showing a tension between preservation and evolution.
  3. Language, especially English, reflects societal divisions but unites individuals through shared communication, even amidst ideological differences.

Anniversary bonus: A sample from the archives of 2020

The Strategy Toolkit • 26 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🔬 Science Language Evolution Genetics Virology
  1. Language is a key element that distinguishes humans from other species and plays a vital role in human history.
  2. The study of the survival and extinction of languages over time reveals the impact of demographics, empire-building, and technological change.
  3. Reviving a dying language involves various strategies such as language nests, support from institutions, political action, and technology.

On Programming Purpose: Part 1

Robot Bible • 1 HN point • 05 May 24
🕹 Technology Language AI Programming Intelligence Robots
  1. Human language has evolved in a full circle, starting from symbols to pictures and now back to pictures used in programming, indicating the importance of symbols in communication.
  2. The debate between Chomsky and Everett on language acquisition challenges the idea of a universal grammar and suggests that language is deeply influenced by culture.
  3. Developing true emergent intelligence in programs requires more than just increased computational power; it involves exploring mechanisms to control autonomous systems predictably.

GRANTED: Why the Oxford comma is (sometimes) needed

Granted • 39 implied HN points • 15 Nov 20
🎭️ Culture Language
  1. Prestigious universities don't always lead to better performance, as motivation and talent matter more.
  2. Fragmented leisure time, caused by technology interruptions, can be improved by allocating uninterrupted time for relaxation.
  3. Countries with female leaders experienced lower COVID-19 fatality rates, showcasing effective crisis management.

Mono

The Leftovers • 19 implied HN points • 03 Dec 21
🎭️ Culture Language Nostalgia Home Memory Literature
  1. The importance and comfort of one's mother tongue and the feeling of home it provides.
  2. Realizing that the concept of 'home' can be an illusion and homesickness might be a fundamental state of being.
  3. The struggle with memories, homesickness, and the challenge of reconciling the past with the present.

Aaron Lee's Master Framework: Axiom & Master Formula

Autodidact Obsessions • 4 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🔬 Science Logic Language Philosophy Computational linguistics
  1. Aaron Lee's Master Framework explores the relationship between language and logic through his First Axiom, emphasizing the potentiality of language and how it evolves into actual meanings through various logical systems.
  2. The integration of Aaron Lee's Axiom with advanced logical systems like non-monotonic logic, mereology, fuzzy logic, quantum logic, paraconsistent logic, and substructural logic offers a structured model for understanding linguistic semantics and the transition from potential to actual meanings.
  3. The Master Formula resulting from this integration showcases the dynamic nature of belief revision, compositional insights, gradations of truth, probabilistic potential meanings, tolerance for contradictions, and contextual sensitivity, providing deeper insight into the complexities of language and semantics.

Comprehensive Integration of Aaron Lee's First Axiom With Advanced Logical Systems

Autodidact Obsessions • 4 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🔬 Science Logic Philosophy Language Cognition
  1. This paper integrates various philosophic theories on language with systems like Kripke Semantics, Quantum Logic, and Mereology, encompassing all languages and symbolic logical systems.
  2. Aaron Lee's First Axiom suggests that until language is used, words exist in a state of quantum possibility, lacking fixed meanings, which challenges traditional views of semantics.
  3. The comprehensive integration of Lee's Axiom with advanced logical systems could potentially revolutionize fields like AI and computational linguistics by offering a universal framework for solving complex problems.

People Play Coordination Games - Coordination II

Living Fossils • 3 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🔬 Science Language Communication Beliefs Culture
  1. Humans use language to efficiently convey ideas and thoughts, making it the ultimate coordination game of transferring information.
  2. The shared sound/idea mappings among groups of people in language are a result of solving coordination problems to move information effectively.
  3. Differences in language sound/idea mappings across groups exist due to multiple equilibria in coordination, showcasing the complexity of language evolution and usage.

Why is "right" the right direction?

Eternal Sunshine of the Stochastic Mind • 3 HN points • 28 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Language Traditions
  1. Different languages show a connection between the concept of 'right' as a direction and 'right' as something moral or lawful, indicating a common association in human language across cultures.
  2. The association of 'right' with positive notions and 'left' with negative ones is present not just in language but also in cultural practices, indicating a deep-rooted connection between language, culture, and human behavior.
  3. The preference for associating 'right' with good and 'left' with bad seems to have biological origins related to handedness and how our bodies interact with space, as demonstrated by studies on right- and left-handed individuals.

Language, perception, and empathy: Ukrainian's gaze

zverok on lucid code • 4 HN points • 16 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Language Perception Empathy War Community
  1. The rejected talk proposal at a Ruby conference focused on language evolution and empathy from the perspective of a Ukrainian experiencing war.
  2. The author reflects on the community's response to the war and discusses the challenge of coping with huge events like genocide.
  3. Connecting code clarity to truth, the author urges vigilance in recognizing when old thinking frameworks no longer align with new realities.

Use Simple Language

Rational Dino’s Substack • 2 HN points • 26 Mar 24
🚌 Education Communication Literacy Teaching Language Public Speaking
  1. Using simple language helps people understand you better. When we use complicated words and sentences, many might not get what we're saying.
  2. Many successful publications and companies use simple language. This makes it easier for everyone to read and enjoy their content, which leads to more people engaging with it.
  3. Improving communication skills takes practice. Using readability tools can help you simplify what you write, making it clearer and more accessible for others.

Sense, Reference, and "What is a Woman?"

Ethics Under Construction • 2 HN points • 03 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Language Gender Biology Debate Semantics
  1. Language is complex and words can have multiple meanings depending on context. Understanding the sense and reference of words is crucial.
  2. The concept of 'woman' can have different meanings based on social or biological contexts. Recognizing these different senses is important for productive discussions.
  3. Biological sex may be irrelevant in many situations, but there are contexts, like athletics, where it remains important. Balancing different senses of 'woman' is key to resolving debates about gender identity.

Learning a Chinese Song with GPT

Chinese Meme • 2 HN points • 17 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Language Music Literature Philosophy
  1. The Chinese song 'Sunflower' by Xie Tian Xiao and Cold Blooded Animal is a rock ballad with emotive vocals, melodic guitar riffs, and poignant lyrics.
  2. The lyrics of the song use beautiful imagery to describe nature, growth, and the influence of heaven's will, creating a sense of wonder and reflection.
  3. The song's message conveys hope, resilience, and growth even in difficult circumstances, emphasizing the idea of following the natural order and yielding to the forces of nature.

Vocabulary, granularity, & terministic screens | LSW#46

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 1 HN point • 08 Mar 24
🚌 Education Language Neuroscience Cultural Change Learning Techniques Interpretation
  1. Understanding problems as conditions of the game can help navigate workplace challenges more effectively.
  2. Immersion in challenges rather than resistance can enhance performance and freedom in various domains.
  3. Having a rich vocabulary and nuanced understanding can lead to better predictions and responses, benefiting overall effectiveness.

Symbolic Mereological Expression Of A New Theory On Language

Autodidact Obsessions • 1 HN point • 10 Feb 24
🔬 Science Language Logic Symbolism Philosophy
  1. Language exists in a quantum state of potential meanings until words are used, altering their semantic intentions.
  2. The application of words changes language from potential to actual, solidifying their meanings into rigid semantic intentions.
  3. A mereological framework views language as a whole composed of parts (words) and considers the relationships between these parts both before and after their usage.

Eight billion hogs, screaming

Numb at the Lodge • 2 HN points • 28 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Free speech Social media Language Censorship Technology
  1. Heavenbanning creates a virtual online world for individuals where they feel appreciated and praised.
  2. Freedom of speech is more than just the ability to say anything; it's about the right to be heard and have your message distributed.
  3. Communication and language impose limits on free speech, as expressing oneself requires adhering to a structured system.