The puzzle of how finite beings (humans) using a finite set of rules (grammar) and symbols (words) can produce and understand a potentially infinite number of novel, meaningful sentences. Even deeper: how does meaning arise from squawks and scribbles? The formal structure of language can be described, but the jump from syntax to semantics—from "word salad" to "I love you"—remains a profound gap between physical signals and understood ideas.
Example: "The AI can parse grammar perfectly and generate grammatically correct sentences about anything. The hard problem of linguistics is why its essay on heartbreak feels like a dishwasher manual, while a toddler's broken 'Daddy go?' carries a universe of meaning and longing."
by Abzugal January 30, 2026
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