What happens when computers can use language like humans can? Language workers may be out of a job.

Translators, teachers, and others are watching with concern. But is there reason to think that we’re on the verge of solving all the computational language problems? Or are some things just too hard for computers?

Linguist Daniel Midgley gazes into the crystal ball on this episode of Talk the Talk.


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Promo

Promo with Kylie Sturgess: 2016-02-16: 11

Show notes

xkcd 1140: Calendar of Meaningful Dates
http://www.xkcd.com/1140/

Missing 11th of the Month
http://drhagen.com/blog/the-missing-11th-of-the-month/

Port Angeles street signs honor Klallam history
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20160214/news/302149975/port-angeles-street-signs-honor-klallam-history

Canada’s new national font was designed to include aboriginal languages
http://qz.com/574312/canadas-official-new-united-font-was-designed-to-include-aboriginal-languages/

Canada’s New Typeface Unifies the Country’s Many Languages
http://www.wired.com/2015/12/canadas-new-typeface-unifies-the-countrys-many-languages/

City Debuts Local Punjabi Street Signs
http://www.ckpg.com/2015/12/10/local-punjabi-street-signs/

Dual Naming Project takes off in Denmark (PDF)
http://www.noongar.org.au/images/pdf/forms/SWALSC_Newsletter_August_edition2_2013.pdf

Robots will take over most jobs within 30 years, experts warn
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12155808/Robots-will-take-over-most-jobs-within-30-years-experts-warn.html?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_pq_fb_20150423

The Language Barrier Is About to Fall
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-language-barrier-is-about-to-fall-1454077968

Tech is removing language barriers – but will jobs be lost in translation?
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/19/tech-removing-language-barriers-jobs-lost-translation

Push technology: why online translation may be Googling interpreters out of a job
http://www.dw.com/en/push-technology-why-online-translation-may-be-googling-interpreters-out-of-a-job/a-17979947

The Translator’s Blues
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/webhead/2006/01/the_translators_blues.html

Does rise of machine translations threaten interpreters?
http://www.ecns.cn/2016/01-28/197408.shtml

Cats and Dogs Trigger Machine Translation Row in Canada
https://slator.com/technology/cats-and-dogs-trigger-machine-translation-row-in-canada/

Scientists develop ‘psychic robot’ that can predict our actions
http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-develop-psychic-robot-that-can-predict-our-actions

Dr. Bellos or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Machine Translation
http://www.worldaccent.com/blog/2012/08/machine-human-translation.html

First Dog on the Moon
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2016/feb/12/gravitational-waves-science-should-go-out-and-buy-a-lottery-ticket-right-now

Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have something in common
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/what-do-trump-and-sanders-have-in-common-508860995748

Urban Dictionary: fangirling
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fangirling

From Mike:

image1

Image credit: http://www.translatorsfamily.com/assets/templates/translatorsfamily/images/future%20of%20translation.jpg


Transcript

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