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Noam Chomsky: Language, Cognition, and Deep Learning | Lex Fridman Podcast #53
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Noam Chomsky: Language, Cognition, and Deep Learning | Lex Fridman Podcast #53

Noam Chomsky is one of the greatest minds of our time and is one of the most cited scholars in history. He is a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. He has spent over 60 years at MIT and recently also joined the University of Arizona. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep53-sb See below for timestamps, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Introduction 3:59 - Common language with an alien species 5:46 - Structure of language 7:18 - Roots of language in our brain 8:51 - Language and thought 9:44 - The limit of human cognition 16:48 - Neuralink 19:32 - Deepest property of language 22:13 - Limits of deep learning 28:01 - Good and evil 29:52 - Memorable experiences 33:29 - Mortality 34:23 - Meaning of life *PODCAST LINKS:* - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips *SOCIAL LINKS:* - X: https://x.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://instagram.com/lexfridman - TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://facebook.com/lexfridman - Patreon: https://patreon.com/lexfridman - Telegram: https://t.me/lexfridman - Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/lexfridman

Lex FridmanhostNoam Chomskyguest
Nov 29, 201935mWatch on YouTube ↗

Episode Details

EPISODE INFO

Released
November 29, 2019
Duration
35m
Channel
Lex Fridman Podcast
Watch on YouTube
▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Noam Chomsky is one of the greatest minds of our time and is one of the most cited scholars in history. He is a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. He has spent over 60 years at MIT and recently also joined the University of Arizona. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep53-sb See below for timestamps, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Introduction 3:59 - Common language with an alien species 5:46 - Structure of language 7:18 - Roots of language in our brain 8:51 - Language and thought 9:44 - The limit of human cognition 16:48 - Neuralink 19:32 - Deepest property of language 22:13 - Limits of deep learning 28:01 - Good and evil 29:52 - Memorable experiences 33:29 - Mortality 34:23 - Meaning of life *PODCAST LINKS:*

*SOCIAL LINKS:*

SPEAKERS

  • Lex Fridman

    host
  • Noam Chomsky

    guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, featuring Lex Fridman and Noam Chomsky, Noam Chomsky: Language, Cognition, and Deep Learning | Lex Fridman Podcast #53 explores noam Chomsky on Language, Human Limits, and AI’s Blind Spots Lex Fridman interviews Noam Chomsky about the nature of language, cognition, and the limits of human and machine intelligence. Chomsky explains language as an internal mental faculty that underlies thought, with external speech being a secondary use, and argues that language is central to human reasoning and creativity. He contends that biological systems, including our cognitive capacities, have built‑in scope and limits, illustrated historically by physics’ acceptance of unintelligible phenomena. Chomsky is skeptical that deep learning reveals much about human language or mind, seeing it as useful engineering but weak science, and closes with reflections on human nature, institutions, mortality, and life’s self-created meaning.

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