Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
How do metaphors help humans solve problems — and why can’t AI use them the same way?
In this Power of Possibility (POP) Talk, University of Idaho Professor Bert Baumgaertner explores how metaphorical thinking gives humans a unique edge in reasoning, creativity and problem-solving. Through the Metaphor Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus (MARC) Project, he investigates what our use of language and abstraction reveals about human intelligence — and what even the smartest AI systems are still missing.
Learn more about the MARC Project at https://marc.nkn.uidaho.edu.
Discover more pop talks: https://www.uidaho.edu/research/news-events/pop-talks
How do metaphors help humans solve problems — and why can’t AI use them the same way?
In this Power of Possibility (POP) Talk, University of Idaho Professor Bert Baumgaertner explores how metaphorical thinking gives humans a unique edge in reasoning, creativity and problem-solving. Through the Metaphor Abstraction and Reasoning Corpus (MARC) Project, he investigates what our use of language and abstraction reveals about human intelligence — and what even the smartest AI systems are still missing.
Learn more about the MARC Project at https://marc.nkn.uidaho.edu.
Discover more pop talks: https://www.uidaho.edu/research/news-events/pop-talks
