Teaching Machines To Talk Nonsense
Scientists have attempted to teach machines to produce nonsense. The Markov chain technique is one method which has been used to generate texts by algorithm and randomizing techniques that seem meaningful. Another method is sometimes called the Mad Libs method: it involves the creation of templates for various sentence structures, and filling in the blanks with noun phrases or verb phrases; these phrase-generation procedures can be looped to add recursion, giving the output the appearance of greater complexity and sophistication. Racter was a computer program which generated nonsense texts by this method; however, Racter’s book, The Policeman’s Beard is Half Constructed, proved to have been the product of heavy human editing of the program's output.
Read more about this topic: Nonsense
Famous quotes containing the words teaching, machines, talk and/or nonsense:
“The most important part of teaching = to teach what it is to know.”
—Simone Weil (1909–1943)
“In Hell all the messages you ever left on answering machines will be played back to you.”
—Judy Horacek (b. 1961)
“Let’s face it. Let’s talk sense to the American people. Let’s tell them the truth, that there are no gains without pains, that we are now on the eve of great decisions, not easy decisions.”
—Adlai Stevenson (1900–1965)
“Haiti is full of nonsense and superstition. They’re always mixed up with a lot of mysteries that’ll turn your hair gray.”
—Garnett Weston. Victor Halperin. Dr. Brunner (Joseph Cawthorn)