Random Archive

Check out all posts in my 'random thoughts' archive. Click on a headline to read the teaser.

The ethics of generalization

There are currently a lot of discussions about the impact of AI on society, with particular focus on the harmful biases learned by machine learning models. While flawed data is often pointed at to explain the identified issues, the algorithms themselves are not innocent either. Read More ›

Thinking outside the box

What is that proverbial 'box of thoughts'? We'll investigate, using tools and insights from computational semantics and cognitive science. We'll train ourselves to visualise our conceptual space, with the aim to understand better what it means to move *in* it, *beyond* it, *with* others. Read More ›

Making sense when nothing makes sense

How do different scientific theories of meaning explain humans' thirst for 'making sense'? And what can we take away from them when trying to figure out our place in the world? Read More ›

A brief survey of classic work on compositionality

A quick journey through classic theories of compositionality and their latent features. Read More ›

My 2019 reading list, in brief

Some of the things I read in 2019, together with my reasons for reading them. Read More ›

Why do we read?

Some thoughts on recommending papers. Read More ›

Uncovering biases, really?

Researchers feel very righteous when they acknowledge social biases in the algorithms they create. But are they truly doing the right thing? Read More ›

On unconscious bias in language › Brilliant, decent philosophers

Language influences what people think a philosopher should be: decent and brilliant. Does this impact on the way the field is run, and who feels welcome? Read More ›

How small is the World Wide Web, really?

We are continuously told that the WWW is huge, and that we must rely on large corporations to navigate its immensity. But is this true? Read More ›