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Language isn't quite that special

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2003

Joanna J. Bryson
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdomjjb@cs.bath.ac.uk http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/~jjb

Abstract

Language isn't the only way to cross modules, nor is it the only module with access to both input and output. Minds don't generally work across modules because this leads to combinatorial explosion in search and planning. Language is special in being a good vector for mimetics, so it becomes associated with useful cross-module concepts we acquire culturally. Further, language is indexical, so it facilitates computationally expensive operations.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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