100 Project Ideas

100 project ideas you can apply to Lex Fridman podcasts (or similar interviews), divided by themes like linguistic analysis, cognitive science, AI-human interaction, behavior analysis, memory, speech patterns, and more.

Linguistics & Language Processing Projects

  1. Speech Act Categorization: Categorize all utterances in a podcast episode (e.g., assertive, directive, expressive).
  2. Filler Word Frequency Analysis: Count and analyze filler words (“uh,” “um,” “like”) used by different guests.
  3. Code-Switching and Jargon Analysis: Analyze domain-specific jargon use (AI vs philosophy vs physics guests).
  4. Lexical Density Measurement: Calculate lexical density for each guest to compare cognitive load in language use.
  5. Pronoun Use Study: Track pronoun use (“I,” “you,” “we”) and tie to personality or topic (e.g., more “we” = collectivism).
  6. Emotion Word Frequency Analysis: Quantify emotional language used and chart it across different guests or episodes.
  7. Question Complexity Categorization: Rate Lex’s questions by cognitive demand (Bloom’s taxonomy).
  8. Turn-Taking Analysis: Graph how long each speaker talks before switching (dominance in conversation).
  9. Hesitation & Repair Structures: Identify self-corrections and hesitations; what do they reveal about uncertainty?
  10. Deixis and Contextual Language Use: Track “this,” “that,” “here,” “now” and how they relate to shared context.

Cognitive Psychology Projects

  1. Working Memory Load from Speech: Estimate cognitive load from the sentence complexity and pace.
  2. Implicit Memory Retrieval: Identify moments where guests recall past experiences—how fluent is the recall?
  3. Dual-Task Attention Test: Note when guests multitask mentally (e.g., remembering details while answering deep questions).
  4. Attention Span Mapping: Track when guests lose track or need clarification—what caused the breakdown?
  5. Mental Fatigue Markers: Analyze facial cues or changes in speaking pace indicating fatigue during long episodes.
  6. Long-Term Memory Access: Categorize memories guests retrieve (autobiographical vs semantic vs episodic).
  7. Conceptual Blending: Identify moments when two unrelated ideas are blended into a new metaphor or analogy.
  8. Inattentional Blindness Examples: Did guests miss obvious questions or fail to answer parts of a question?
  9. Framing Effects in Lex’s Questions: Explore how phrasing a question differently affects the guest’s answer depth.
  10. Memory Reconstruction Errors: Find instances where a guest may misremember events or details.

Social Cognition and Emotional Processing

  1. Empathy Markers in Language: Analyze how empathy is expressed linguistically or tonally by guests and Lex.
  2. Emotional Contagion Moments: Find episodes where Lex mirrors the emotion of the guest (sadness, laughter).
  3. Theory of Mind in Action: Identify when guests infer Lex’s mental states or Lex guesses theirs.
  4. Politeness Strategies: Catalog strategies used to show deference, mitigate disagreement, or show solidarity.
  5. Facework and Identity Management: Note how guests maintain their public identity or reputation.
  6. Disagreement Handling Strategies: Analyze how guests and Lex handle differing opinions.
  7. Emotion Regulation During Interview: Observe how guests manage anger, nervousness, or vulnerability.
  8. Prosody and Emotion Analysis: Study how intonation reflects emotions during high-stress or philosophical topics.
  9. Metacognitive Moments: Look for when guests reflect on their own thinking.
  10. Apology and Repair: Analyze how guests recover from saying something incorrect or controversial.

AI and Human Cognition Themes

  1. Comparing Human vs. AI Metaphors: Analyze metaphors used by guests when discussing AI and humans.
  2. Human-AI Parallel Discussion Threads: Track episodes where human cognition is directly compared to AI.
  3. Common Philosophical Biases in AI Talk: Identify cognitive biases embedded in AI ethics discussions.
  4. Futurism and Predictive Language Use: Analyze the linguistic structure of future predictions.
  5. Explainability in Human Terms: How do guests “explain AI” in a way that reflects human cognitive models?
  6. Moral Reasoning and Justifications: Track arguments guests use when discussing machine ethics or decision-making.
  7. Turing Test-Like Dialogue Analysis: Rate how human-like or robotic guests sound using Turing-like criteria.
  8. Embodied Cognition in AI Talk: Look for language suggesting that intelligence is physical, not just computational.
  9. Cognitive Bias Recognition in Guest Responses: Spot confirmation bias, Dunning-Kruger, or sunk cost fallacy.
  10. Counterfactual Thinking in AI Design Discussion: When discussing design choices, track “what if” and alternatives.

Philosophy of Mind and Consciousness

  1. Qualia References and Descriptions: Identify guests’ attempts to describe inner experiences or subjective reality.
  2. First-Person vs. Third-Person Descriptions: Compare language used to describe personal vs. theoretical experience.
  3. Free Will Argument Structures: Dissect argument logic in episodes about determinism or free will.
  4. Consciousness Descriptions: Compare how different guests define or describe “consciousness.”
  5. Panpsychism vs Materialism Vocabulary: Track word usage tied to philosophical positions.
  6. Dualism Language Patterns: Identify dualist thinking through metaphors or word choice (e.g., “mind” vs “body”).
  7. Phenomenological Language Use: Explore when guests talk about raw experience vs structured cognition.
  8. Thought Experiments Used: Categorize and critique thought experiments presented.
  9. Ethical Dilemmas and Reasoning Strategies: Dissect how guests handle ethical hypothetical scenarios.
  10. Time Perception Descriptions: Analyze how guests talk about their experience of time.

Language + AI + Cognition Crossover

  1. Natural Language Processing Inspired Metrics: Compare lexical diversity and topic drift over time.
  2. Lex’s Prompt Engineering Tactics: Analyze how Lex rewords questions to get more accurate or revealing responses.
  3. Top 10 AI Metaphors Used by Guests: Make a list and analyze each metaphor cognitively.
  4. Model of Human Cognition from AI Guests: Reconstruct a “model” based on multiple episodes.
  5. Predictive Coding Language: Identify where guests use prediction-heavy metaphors for cognition or AI.
  6. Exploration of GPT-like Thinking: Compare how guests describe AI vs how GPT-like models function.
  7. Contrast in “Thinking” vs “Feeling” in Tech Guests: Track analytical vs emotional expressions.
  8. Ambiguity Handling by Philosophers vs Engineers: Compare tolerance for ambiguity.
  9. Linguistic Indicators of Insight: Analyze moments of clarity or realization linguistically.
  10. Cognitive Offloading References: Find mentions of how tech helps (or harms) memory, focus, etc.

Behavioral Science & Psychology Themes

  1. Behavioral Nudges Described in Interviews: List examples guests mention for changing behavior.
  2. Motivational Language Analysis: Track language used when talking about goals or inspiration.
  3. Fear and Risk Language: Compare word use when guests talk about fear, failure, or danger.
  4. Flow State Descriptions: Gather and analyze definitions of “being in the zone” from various episodes.
  5. Habit and Routine Descriptions: Linguistic structure of discipline-based habits (e.g., Jocko, David Goggins).
  6. Behavior Change Through Language: Identify self-talk or affirmations guests use.
  7. Self-Control and Impulse Language: Study how people talk about resisting temptation.
  8. Motivational Interviewing Reflections: Analyze Lex’s reflective listening skills.
  9. Cognitive Dissonance Language: Detect conflict between belief and behavior in guest stories.
  10. Decision-Making Breakdown: Dissect how guests describe big life decisions.

Visual/Paralinguistic & Multimedia Projects

  1. Body Language in High-Stress Topics
  2. Eye Contact Frequency and Meaning
  3. Microexpressions at Emotional High Points
  4. Head Nod Frequency as Engagement Indicator
  5. Smile Patterns During Introspection
  6. Blink Rate and Cognitive Load
  7. Guest Posture Analysis by Topic
  8. Hand Gestures in Technical Explanation
  9. Facial Tension During Controversial Questions
  10. Synchrony Between Lex and Guest

Creative & Experimental Projects

  1. Create a Cognitive Profile of Each Guest
  2. Reconstruct a Memory Map from One Episode
  3. Turn the Interview into a Concept Map
  4. Build a Linguistic Timeline of an Interview
  5. Highlight All Cognitive Bias Mentions
  6. Recreate an Interview Using Only AI-Summarized Dialogues
  7. Score Each Answer for Epistemic Certainty
  8. Map Out Topic Branching and Loops
  9. Create a “Socratic Question” Map
  10. Build a Decision Tree Based on Guest Logic

YouTube & Multimedia Integration

  1. Create Clips Teaching Cognitive Concepts from Lex’s Interviews
  2. Create a Podcast Breakdown as a Teaching Tool
  3. Animate a Concept Map of One Deep Conversation
  4. Make a Mini-Documentary on a Cognitive Phenomenon via Lex’s Guests
  5. Extract Quotes to Illustrate Cognitive Science Terms
  6. Use Voice AI to Mimic and Test Lex’s Questions
  7. Create a Video Essay on AI Consciousness via Guest Views
  8. Design a Mini-Course Around One Interview
  9. Create a Cognitive Bias Bingo Game Using Interviews
  10. Build a Knowledge Graph from Lex Fridman Episodes