The Language Project Podcast
Come and take a listen to all the ways that language impacts our society! In this podcast we'll explore various topics related to language - everything from how it defines us as humans, how it manifests itself in our technology and our media and arts and impacts the way we think, and how its automation makes our lives easier but also brings its own set of ethical challenges. I'll be joined by many special guests whose own lives have been notably impacted by language, as well as experts in the field of linguistics.
The Language Project Podcast
Computational Semantics: Interview with Professor Erk
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Jay Mason
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Season 2
Come join me as I speak with Professor Katrin Erk, a professor of Computational Linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin. We explore what sparked her initial interest in this field, as well as her specialty in computational semantics. We learn about the challenges of understanding the meaning of sentences, and how formal logical structures and machine learning can be very helpful in certain situations, but can't always handle more nuanced or longer stretches of text. I was especially intrigued by how Professor Erk illustrates these challenges through her research on how advice in various on-line forums can take on different and nuanced forms!