John and Craig ponder the nature of words and what gives them meaning. Using new information on how large language models function, they look at the dizzying amount of connections words can create with other words, between humans, and their profound effect on the nature of consciousness. We promise we’re not high.

We also follow up on racist characters before answering listener questions on balancing deadlines with an artistic process and our ideal press junket questions.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig reflect on the impact left on them by the art and life of Sinéad O’Conner.

Links:

• Scriptnotes LIVE! at Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles benefitting HollywoodHEART
• Weekend Read 2, now available on MacOS.
• Large language models, explained with a minimum of math and jargon by Timothy B Lee and Sean Trott
• Word Vectors
• Decrypto
• Matt Gaffney’s Weekly Crossword Contest
• This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
• Sinéad O’Connor – Troy (Live At The Dominion Theatre, 1988)
• Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
• Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
• Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
• Craig Mazin on Threads and Instagram
• John August on Threads, Instagram and Twitter
• John on Mastodon
• Outro by Jake Weisblat (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

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You can download the episode here.