What made you go WTF today?

[GGT]

I've been having some quasi-seizures recently. Not just the restless leg syndrome where I could kick-box anyone, and the cats fly off the bed with wide eyes and claws ready, hissing.

No, this is the tongue-biting startling type of thing. Quite painful and disconcerting. If you've ever had a sore on your tongue or the roof of your mouth, you know what I mean. It seems mammoth. It bothers you all day, every day, until it heals. But I've bitten my tongue before it can heal, on both sides, during insomniac periods where I finally fell asleep.

Is it much better to get some hard sleep with crazy dreams, even if it means tongue biting? WTF?

[Khendraja'aro]

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...contained-tags

[coinich]

It took me a minute, but I lol'd.

[Nessus]

IBM's Watson computer competed on Jeopardy last night. He is besting my favorite, Ken, who I remember watching so many years ago.

But even machines understand that you don't name He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! (he wasn't quick enough when Voldemort was the question). He had a few other issues as well, but I really think Watson is handicapped here. It could ring in instantly and do the answer processing before his time ran out; even if he missed one, his answers were right enough often enough to keep him positive, and to keep the others from scoring. Ken picked this up after the commercial break.

Wonder how the second half will turn out.

Aww, I wanted to make a thread about this

It was pretty damn inspiring seeing it do that, and I'm only barely literate when it comes to computers

That shit has a good chance of putting a whole lot of people out of work

[Wraith]

I meant to watch it, but then forgot. Saw OG's message yesterday and swore I'd watch the second part at least, but then forgot again.

[Catgrrl]

It was pretty interesting. Watson wiped the floor with both of them. IBM is donating the money to two different charities. The winnings were $1mil, with Ken (second place) getting $300K and Brad (third) getting $200K. They said they would also donate a portion of their winnings to various charities.

I was a little disappointed to hear that Watson doesn't actually process the answers given from speech to text, but rather the answer is sent to him in text as it comes up in the game. But, still, considering that it was still fascinating to see him in action. And he did get some wrong (though they were the daily double ones; if he wasn't confident he didn't ring in the other times).

[Wraith]

Spoilers!

Well, not really. The third part hasn't aired here yet though, and I did manage to schedule this one on my DVR now.

[Ominous Gamer]

[Catgrrl]

Sorry Wraith

[Wraith]

Sorry Wraith

Nah, don't be. I figured it'd go about this way - this is a marketing thing for IBM, and they wouldn't have done it at all if they weren't pretty confident Watson could win, so it's an expected outcome.

That shit has a good chance of putting a whole lot of people out of work

In Computer Science, success is often measured in how many jobs you destroy. Surely, it is the most evil field of study.

[Timbuk2]

Ok, I didn't watch this, but it sounds ridiculous.

How on earth can any person answer any knowledge-based questions faster than a computer with a complete database?

Computers have been faster and more accurate than people in such matters for decades now.

So I guess I'm missing something.

[Ominous Gamer]

Ok, I didn't watch this, but it sounds ridiculous.

How on earth can any person answer any knowledge-based questions faster than a computer with a complete database?

Computers have been faster and more accurate than people in such matters for decades now.

So I guess I'm missing something.

Find the first show somehow.
Its not the knowledge thats the problem, its the ability to understand human langauge. Especially in a format that Jeopardy uses. Some of the first attempts of Watson were hilariously awful.

[Catgrrl]

Yes, any of the categories that had puns or the wording was awkward, Watson had a low probability of guessing (they showed his top three answers even if he didn't ring in). He didn't do very well on the fashion category either.

[Timbuk2]

O I C.

Voice/language/vernacular-recognition is the stumbling block.

[Nessus]

It was pretty interesting. Watson wiped the floor with both of them. IBM is donating the money to two different charities. The winnings were $1mil, with Ken (second place) getting $300K and Brad (third) getting $200K. They said they would also donate a portion of their winnings to various charities.

I was a little disappointed to hear that Watson doesn't actually process the answers given from speech to text, but rather the answer is sent to him in text as it comes up in the game. But, still, considering that it was still fascinating to see him in action. And he did get some wrong (though they were the daily double ones; if he wasn't confident he didn't ring in the other times).

While voice/language recognition is an important and fascinating field in and of itself, the capabilities that this system hints at are simply mind-boggling. Tim$2 was baffled at what the hubbub was about, so in layman's terms, Watson's progeny will be somewhat like a computer version of House. Without the psychological disorders. This will revolutionize so many things it's insane. One of the IBM guys interviewed compared this to the moonwalk, and I'm hopefully optimistic that they weren't that far off. In terms of lessening human suffering and increasing our ability to comprehend the world and ourselves. And what to do with that comprehension, most of all.

[Steely Glint]

One of the IBM guys interviewed compared this to the moonwalk

???

[Nessus]

The moon walk, then. You know, Buzz Aldrin?

[Wraith]

O I C.

Voice/language/vernacular-recognition is the stumbling block.

Information storage and retrieval of this type (or perhaps lack of) is also interesting, though I suppose you could consider that as a sub-problem of natural language processing.

[Catgrrl]

So, I got a package from Nielsen Ratings asking me to fill out a TV diary this week and mail it back to them for their survey.

There was $30 cash in the envelope. I was probably going to do the survey anyway, but now I really feel obligated. Why would they put money in there?! I feel so weird about it.

Those Nielsen people are quite persistent; I have gotten two reminder postcards AND they called me this morning to remind me to start the survey today, and give me some tips to make it easy on me. Geez! But I am going to do it.

[Crowheart]

Just don't watch TV this week.

If they ask why, just say someone mailed you some money so you went to the movies everyday instead.

[littlelolligagged]

Tell them you wanted to watch Caprica but some asshats took it off the air.

[Catgrrl]

I should write that in the extra booklet they sent me.

They'll be pretty disappointed, since I mostly watch Disney, PBS, HGTV, and Food Network.

[Illusions]

Information storage and retrieval of this type (or perhaps lack of) is also interesting, though I suppose you could consider that as a sub-problem of natural language processing.

Someone should have asked it how to reverse entropy...

[littlelolligagged]

The zoo named the giant panda cub Po because DreamWorks made a donation. Yay, kapitalism! I actually mean that, our panda program is pretty successful, but it's also pretty pricey.


But Po? Every time I hear that I'll think of the Teletubbies.

[Wraith]

Was he the gay one?

[littlelolligagged]

No, Po was the red one. Um, the gay one was Tinky Winky. And then there was Lala, and I can't remember the last.

[Catgrrl]

Oh God do not mention those horrible little creatures....

But, Yay for Panda cub being born!

[Nessus]

Someone should have asked it how to reverse entropy...

I don't think network tee-vee is prepared for airing something in those time scales. They'd make a killing with the ads, I guess.

[Wraith]

Someone should have asked it how to reverse entropy...

INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR MEANINGFUL ANSWER

[Nessus]

Did my five-point clue help?