h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've been writing an entry on the Holy Grail recently. I'm not finished it yet: A3507815

Last night, somebody introduced me to an "Artificial Intelligence" called Evie. She's a rather pleasant-looking woman's face that will speak to you if you type in things to say to her. She is supposed to respond to what you say and reply with relevant replies, but usually she misinterprets what you say, gives non-committal answers or goes off on a tangent.

The creators say that she will learn if you teach her stuff, although I haven't tried. (They also warn that the things she comes out with may not be suitable for children, since she will have learnt off unsupervised adults).

Last night I asked her how to find the Holy Grail.

She told me it was just beyond this bridge, but I would have to answer three questions first.

As you say - very cool!

I mustn't be asking her the right questions. She keeps asking where I live, but then she did ask me to marry her later on.

I asked Cleverbot about it.

--------------------

me: Where is the holy grail?

Cleverbot: Isn't it in the United Kingdom?

me: Maybe, but where is it exactly?

Cb: Wales.

me: Where in Wales?

Cb: Bridgend.

me: Where in Bridgend?

Cb: In Europe

I watched a funny video the other day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnzlbyTZsQY

That's good, Bel, but clearly scripted.

WHAT???? is your name???

What is your quest?

What is your favourite colour?

Classic Python

That's great stuff, Gnomon, done with your trademark clarity and incisiveness.

Small typo: The story of these legendary characters appear to have arrived in France

On Evie, if I were getting responses like that from a human being, I would think "dementia", which, whatever the cause, nicely sums up the character of the responses, fairly appropriate on "Who are you?" and "What are you?" questions, but wildly irrelevant on almost everything else."

Human beings have three major verbal communication centers in the brain, Broca's Area, which handles output verbal communications (speech), The angular gyrus, which handles visual information, especially reading and writing skills and Wernicke's area, which handles verbal input (hearing and listening skills), coordinates with memory centers, decides on appropriate response and routes it to the appropriate output centers (mouth through Broca's area or hands through the angular gyrus).

Evie's responses are more or less random selections from 'visual' inputs channeled without the slightest critical faculty being brought to bear through what amounts to analog of Broca's area.

Dementia like this is often seen with long term chronic drug abusers who've suffered a consequent nearly total loss of Wernicke's area (or temporal lobes) function.




Me: Can you define the term 'word'.

Evie: Mean.

Me: Is the word noun a noun or a verb?

Evie: Noun.

Me: Is the word 'verb' a verb or a noun?

Evie: Is the word 'word' truly a word?

Me: Yes.

Evie: It sounds like an onomatopopoeia to me.

ME: Nonsense, an onomatopoeia references calling a thing after the sound it makes. Words in and of themselves can make no sounds.




Many of the people using the program are treating it frivolously.

I'd say myself the best way to develop an artificial intelligence would be to replicate the process of raising an infant child on the computer, writing a program for every routine the child learns and appropriately cross referencing. Easier said that done. Real children very quickly get away from one.

A really useful AI would be one that could reproduce the mathematical ability of a savant.

On the referenced article, A3507815, the Parsifal myth you relate is strongly similar to the Peredur myth from "The Mabinogian" (Called after the legendary queen Mab of Wales). "Peredur" covers considerable material not found in "Parsifal".

One interpretation of the lance with the bleeding tip is that it is symbolic of Arthur by reference to his trade as a barber. (See also "Cooley's Wedding".)

I enjoyed reading this very much. I found myself asking "When was Chretien de Troyes around" (although, just having come back from Troyes, I know that myself, but it doesn't say in the Entry), and "Where was the Vulgate Cycle written/uncovered.

I realise this isn't peer review and the entry is not finished or up for scrutiny, but it looks so perfect as it is, I couldn't help wondering .....

Oh - and <> Indiana Jones? I can't think of other fictional archaeologists off pat, but ...

The Peredur myth is considered to be another retelling of the Perceval story, told in a Welsh style.

Thanks, TC. I'll keep those in mind for when I think this is finished - then I'll realise I've forgotten to address those points.

The date seemed OK to me; he cites C de Troyes as the first grail author, having mentioned 'authors, starting in the 12th and 13th Centuries'.

Yes, I realise that, but I was looking for something to work from at the beginning of the paragraph on C de T.

I'll wait till it comes to peer review.

It's in Peer Review now.