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Let your silence speak for you

November 27, 2012 00:39 / 1 Comment


I found recently that there is a name for the fear of public speaking: glossophobia. Nervousness at having to deliver a speech is common, and is found even in great speakers. It is said that Winston Churchill tried to gain confidence by writing out and memorizing his speeches, but gave up, and turned to impromptu presentations.

 

When you are required to make a speech in public, you first think of preparing the text of the speech, with questions such as gathering material, library work, how to memorize and rehearse the speech, whether and how to use notes.

 

Getting your script ready and memorizing your speech can be only one half of the project. The actual delivery is a different cup of tea.

 

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English: Sir Winston Churchill.

English: Sir Winston Churchill. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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I took a Turing test and the test won

November 10, 2012 00:39


Example of how the Turing test was done.

Example of how the Turing test was done. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

So if you or I took the Turing test, would we pass? Or fail?

 

Hold that thought. Ever since we fabricated our first computers, we’ve wondered, can they think? Can they be made to think? They are superb at number-crunching, at solving intricate problems, at repetitive tasks, even at keeping appointments in order. But that “smart” phone you’re reading this on—oh yes, it’s a computer—how smart is it? Can it think?

 

Which raises a more fundamental question: what’s meant by “thinking”? Computers can add up a row of figures in a fraction of a second, but is that thinking? Or ask this: if your friend adds up a row of figures swiftly, is she thinking? Her mind is working, but I suspect you’ll baulk at calling that “thinking”. Because there’s something almost trivial about such a task. Surely thinking implies knowledge, understanding, creativity, intelligence. Where are those when you’re adding up numbers?

 

And that gives you an idea of what researchers have focused on, in trying to make computers think as humans do, in the discipline known as artificial intelligence (AI).

 

How will AI researchers know when a computer is thinking? Well, let’s suppose we can get it to act like your pal Kanakadurga does when she’s thinking. In particular, suppose we ask a computer questions we’d ask Kanakadurga, and it gives us answers that are indistinguishable from Kanakadurga’s. Suppose it does so consistently. “Wow,” we’d say incredulously, “it’s thinking!”

 

 

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Kyle Neath: Quality ship!

October 7, 2012 00:02


English: MS Polarfront weather ship IMO Number...

English: MS Polarfront weather ship IMO Number: 7608708 Callsign: LDWR (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

.. another misinterpretation that’s always bugged me: Ship early, ship often OR Ship quality product. Quality isn’t something to be sacrificed … Ship early, ship often, sacrificing features, never quality.
- Kyle Neath

Candy Chang: Before I die I want to…

September 8, 2012 06:51


TED (conference)

TED (conference) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

In her New Orleans neighborhood, artist and TED Fellow Candy Chang turned an abandoned house into a giant chalkboard asking a fill-in-the-blank question: “Before I die I want to ___.” Her neighbors’ answers — surprising, poignant, funny — became an unexpected mirror for the community. (What’s your answer?)

 

Candy Chang creates art that prompts people to think about their secrets, wishes and hopes — and then share them. She is a TED Senior Fellow.

 

 

Preparing for death is one of the most empowering things you can do. Thinking about death clarifies your life.” (Candy Chang)

 

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Arianna Huffington: How to succeed? Get more sleep

September 5, 2012 07:01 / 1 Comment


 

Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington (Photo credit: mikedarnell1974)

In this short talk, Arianna Huffington shares a small idea that can awaken much bigger ones: the power of a good night’s sleep. Instead of bragging about our sleep deficits, she urges us to shut our eyes and see the big picture: We can sleep our way to increased productivity and happiness — and smarter decision-making.

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of thirteen books. She is the co-host of “Left, Right & Center,” a political roundtable radio program.

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Margaret Heffernan: Dare to disagree

September 4, 2012 08:31


 

TG12_46438_D41_2189_1920

TG12_46438_D41_2189_1920 (Photo credit: TED Conference)

 

Most people instinctively avoid conflict, but as Margaret Heffernan shows us, good disagreement is central to progress. She illustrates (sometimes counterintuitively) how the best partners aren’t echo chambers — and how great research teams, relationships and businesses allow people to deeply disagree.

 

The former CEO of five businesses, Margaret Heffernan explores the all-too-human thought patterns — like conflict avoidance and selective blindness — that lead managers and organizations astray.

 

 

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Daphne Koller: What we’re learning from online education

September 3, 2012 16:13


 

Daphne Koller

Daphne Koller (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Daphne Koller is enticing top universities to put their most intriguing courses online for free — not just as a service, but as a way to research how people learn. With Coursera (cofounded by Andrew Ng), each keystroke, quiz, peer-to-peer discussion and self-graded assignment builds an unprecedented pool of data on how knowledge is processed.

 

With Coursera, Daphne Koller and co-founder Andrew Ng are bringing courses from top colleges online, free, for anyone who wants to take them.

 

 

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