Science and Improv at Kaffe Kid - (Mis)managing the illusion of communication (Eng)

What happens when science meets improv comedy?

Experience it yourself during an evening filled with both learning and laughing. Kick off the night with a captivating scientific presentation by our guest researcher showcasing their latest and most cutting-edge research. Then, watch as our improvisers take center stage transforming what we’ve learnt into a fully improvised comedy show.

This evening’s guest researcher is Christine Howes and she will give a lecture on:

(Mis)managing the illusion of communication

"George Bernard Shaw once said "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." He's got a point: we never really share the "same" language as anybody else - we bring different experiences to any conversation; we have different previous interactions, different cultural backgrounds, and different social communities. This means that mismatches between our takes on a conversation are not the exception, but the norm. The ability to deal with these mismatches on the fly underpins successful communication.

In this talk, I will look at some ways that the same resources that we need in order to resolve mismatches on the fly (huh?) can be exploited for humour, confrontation, or deceit."

Christine Howes is a Professor of Computational Linguistics at the University of Gothenburg, where she serves as Deputy Head of the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science. Her research focuses on linguistic interaction, particularly how people manage misunderstandings in dialogue.