Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Computers versus Common Sense
Google TechTalks May 30, 2006
Douglas Lenat
Dr. Douglas Lenat is the President and CEO of Cycorp. Since 1984, he and his team have been constructing, experimenting with, and applying a broad real world knowledge base and reasoning engine, collectively "Cyc".
Dr. Lenat was a professor of computer science at Carnegie-Mellon University and at Stanford University. His interest and experience in national security has led him to regularly consult for several U.S. agencies and the White House.
ABSTRACT It's way past 2001 now, where the heck is HAL? For several decades now we've had high hopes for computers amplifying our mental abilities not just giving us access to relevant stored information, but answering our complex, contextual questions.
Even applications like human-level unrestricted speech understanding continue to dangle close but just out of reach. What's been holding AI up? The short answer is that while computers make fine idiot savants, they lack common sense: the millions of pieces of general knowledge we all share, and fall back on as needed, to cope with the rough edges of the real world. I will talk about how that situation is changing, finally, and what the timetable -- and the path -- realistically are on achieving Artificial Intelligence.
Monday, October 15, 2007
fraochaidhe
Freaky
from fraochaidhe, strange, unusual; frightening, frenzied, manic, mad, rabid, raving, wildsource: List of English language words of Irish origin, wikipedia.org.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Parsnip Chips
Next to Turnip Chips, there also appear to be Parsnip Chips. Parsnip is a root type vegetable that looks like a white carrot. Carrots and parsnip are actually closely related, though parsnip tastes quite stronger.
Parsnips were eaten like potatoes nowadays, before the potato was discovered as food.
Parsnips were eaten like potatoes nowadays, before the potato was discovered as food.
Turnip Chips
On Gatwick Airport I found a shop selling chips made from all kind of vegetables, including turnips. What are turnips I wondered...
They appear to be cultivated both as root and leaf vegetable. The picture shows the root vegetable. To be specific the italian red head type.
Top tip: the smaller the turnip, the sweeter the taste.
They appear to be cultivated both as root and leaf vegetable. The picture shows the root vegetable. To be specific the italian red head type.
Top tip: the smaller the turnip, the sweeter the taste.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Golden Hinde
A colleague and I visited the London office of DNV to work on a project with aviation safety specialists based over there. For some reason DNV London had a ship dry docked in their front yard.
It's an authentic replica of the galleon in which Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world in 1577 – 1580.
DNV and Maritime go back a long way, so it's not that strange after all.
It's an authentic replica of the galleon in which Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world in 1577 – 1580.
DNV and Maritime go back a long way, so it's not that strange after all.
Deep down below
Yesterday I found myself in these tube tunnels somewhere between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport, humid, warm, like sardines in a tin can, ... way outside of any comfort zone.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Awarded, such honour
Yesterday I received a phone call from the Abersychan special awards committee. I'm granted with the Honorary Abersychan Anorak of the Year Award. According to his personal assistant, the honourable professor doctor Michael Kelleher will give me the award in person later this year during a special banquet organised in Shap Wells.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Peter van Dijck using Sketchcast to explain an IA idea
Actually an idea he saw presented by Are Halland of NetLife Research, called: Core and Paths: Designing from the inside and out.
After seeing the video I felt kind of good. Why? Because I understood the idea so well. In November 2006 I made quite a similar thing for a client. Not to brag or anything, just to mention that it feels good that the idea isn't that bad at all, according to peers.
After seeing the video I felt kind of good. Why? Because I understood the idea so well. In November 2006 I made quite a similar thing for a client. Not to brag or anything, just to mention that it feels good that the idea isn't that bad at all, according to peers.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Knowledge Cafe, theme: Corporate Wikis
Yesterday I participated in a knowledge cafe by presenting a project I undertook with my colleague Eelco Kruizinga. The project was called SKYbrary, a mediawiki-based reference site for air traffic controllers initiated by EUROCONTROL / Safety Improvement Sub Group, with ICAO and Flight Safety Foundation as participating organisations.
The knowledge cafe had over 70 guests that afternoon, from all walks of trade. All interested in learning about the cases presented and the discussions facilitated about corporate wikis. The other cases were Railpedia by Prorail and ING Wiki by ING Bank.
The location were the knowledge cafe took place is called "Bomencentrum." A small meeting centre on the premises of an arboretrum annex tree farm. A building designed following Feng Shui architecture guidelines, ensuring it's a healthy place where one feels at ease.
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As a present all participants received a Ginkgo Biloba tree. A beautiful and rather specific tree, in many ways.
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As a present all participants received a Ginkgo Biloba tree. A beautiful and rather specific tree, in many ways.
