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File: UnderstandingNaturalLanguageIsHard [[[> This page has been _ TaggedAsLanguage ]]] When we listen to someone, do we actually hear and parse what they say, or do we somehow /gestalt/ what they "must have meant"? Do we actually construct in our minds a sentence that is close to the one they said, and has a plausible meaning? Lots of times I've heard people say something that's patently false, and yet believe they have expressed themselves clearly. Others have then supported them, and the look I get is clearly "What the hell is wrong with you?!?" So I'm starting to collect examples, and perhaps will write about this more completely and coherently some day. Here's my first explicit example: * This famous roboticist doesn't think Elon Musk understands AI[0] * Actually there is a stronger statement here. I believe the sentiment intended is: * This famous roboticist thinks Elon Musk doesn't understand AI. Can you see the difference? You see, my mother doesn't think Elon Musk understands AI. The thought * "Elon Musk understands AI" is a thought my mother has never had. In fact it's almost certainly a thought almost no one in the world has had. So the sentence /as/written/ is extremely weak. [0] ''' <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/19/this-famous-roboticist-doesnt-think-elon-musk-understands-ai/"> Rodney brooks talks about Elon Musk. ''' </a> ---- Here's another example of weird language things. This tweet: * https://twitter.com/wilw/status/532507283830607872 In that, "Wil Wheaton" (@wilw) wrote: * I haven't even been in New York City _ for 12 hours, and Roman has called me _ to go bowling 15 times. Each half of this has at least two interpretations. * I haven't even been in New York City for 12 hours: * I have been away from NYC for over 12 hours; * I've been in NYC for only 12 hours. * Roman has called me to go bowling 15 times: * Roman has called me 15 times to go bowling; * Roman has called me, suggesting we go bowling 15 times. Picking the right interpretation is a matter of working out what the most plausible meaning would be, and then just assuming that's it. ---- Another one - what does this actually mean? * The iPhone Is Guaranteed to Last Only One Year, Apple Argues in Court * https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/j5geby/the-iphone-is-guaranteed-to-last-only-one-year-apple-argues-in-court Does this mean that Apple guarantees that given an iPhone, they guarantee that after one year it will no longer work? If that's /not/ what it means: * How do you know? * What should it mean? * How do you know /that/ ? ---- This is related to the thing I wrote on NotIfYouHurry.