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Social Commentary
Examine how language reflects and influences social dynamics, power structures, and cultural values.
It’s all about prediction
When we realise that AI is essentially a prediction tool, it becomes less intimidating and more understandable.
The secret sauce of English
English has a hidden layer of complexity that often goes unnoticed and it can completely change the meaning of a word.
Don’t believe the AI hype
Everyone needs to get a grip. AI is being hyped up to be a super-intelligent technology, but in reality, it’s not.
Monty Python and spam
The term "spam" originally referred to a brand of canned meat but electronic "spam" has a very different history.
The spirit of the game
Let's talk cricket! Specifically, let's talk about a common expression used to describe the idea of fair play and sportsmanship.
Age is not just a number!
In most countries, your age is determined by the number of years since you were born - but not all.
AI is stupid
Here is something about AI that everyone seems to keep missing. AI models are not inherently intelligent or knowledgeable!
Why Australia?
The name "Australia" for the continent and country has its origins in the Latin term "Terra Australis."
The origins of Ms.
The title "Ms." originated in the 20th century as a way to address women without specifying their marital status.
When your name is your job
An aptronym is a person's name that coincidentally suits their profession, character, or circumstances in a humorous or ironic way.
Equality versus Equity
While equality and equity are often used interchangeably, they actually have different meanings.
The challenges facing AI
One of AI's biggest challenges today is developing systems that generalise and learn from data and contexts.
Why linguists work in AI
AI systems need to understand and generate language to communicate effectively with humans.
Introducing contronyms
Synonyms are similar words. Antonyms are words that are opposites. Contronyms are their own opposite!
Are you a ‘cheug’?
You might have noticed the word "cheugy" popping up online and wondered what it means and how to pronounce it.
The order of adjectives
The order of adjectives is a grammar rule of English that you’ve probably never heard of but use every day.
Why love means nothing
In tennis, the word 'love' represents a score of zero. It’s been used this way since the late 1800s, but no one knows why.
“We the people…”
Among the most important changes to the draft of the United States Constitution was a critical phrase in the very first line.
From Amazonas, Yoda is
Why does Yoda speak the way he does? Where does his language come from? Where on Earth would you find Yoda?
Why Canada?
There are a lot of place names in the world that are derived from existing place names but Canada isn’t one of them.