Learn, hack!

URL

http://dewy.fem.tu-ilmenau.de/CCC/22C3/audio/mp3/22C3-569-en-lojban.mp3

File name

22C3-569-en-lojban.mp3

File size

26.9 MB

MD5

bd1b90eb597e019a62a34efc5f8c6a34

SHA1

47b56ed4c5abd4f17029c8030c5020ed0119f373

Lojban is an artificial language for humans. It was designed to be a more powerful means of communication between humans than "legacy" natural languages. Among other attractions, it is based on predicate logic and has an unambiguous grammar. It can be learnt within days. Lojban is an artificial language meant to be spoken by humans. Its distinctive features include a basis in logic (predicate calculus!), regularity (no exceptions), an isomorphic mapping between written and spoken form, and an unambiguous grammar. It was originally developed for research on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. This hypothesis states that the structure of one's language constrains one's thinking. Lojban was designed to minimize such constraints. It enables clear, powerful, and unambiguous communication among humans. Its rigorous grammar also makes it a prime candidate for communication with computers. Additionally, Lojban's clear phonetic structure makes it robust over noisy channels. This lecture aims to show that, just as we develop and use new programming languages for additional power, we can develop and use new languages for use among ourselves. It will provide a first glance at Lojban structure and grammar, and pointers to the readily-available learning material.