New Algorithm for Learning Languages

An anonymous reader writes "U.S. and Israeli researchers have developed a method for enabling a computer program to scan text in any of a number of languages, including English and Chinese, and autonomously and without previous information infer the underlying rules of grammar. The rules can then be used to generate new and meaningful sentences. The method also works for such data as sheet music or protein sequences."

Comments

Sucks to be a support tech in India

[HeLLFiRe1151]

Their jobs be outsourced to computers.

Woah

[SpartanVII]

Imagine if the editors started using this, what would everyone have to bitch about on Slashdot?

Wow!

[the_skywise]

They've rediscovered the Eliza program!

Input: "For example, the sentences I would like to book a first-class flight to Chicago, I want to book a first-class flight to Boston and Book a first-class flight for me, please may give rise to the pattern book a first-class flight -- if this candidate pattern passes the novel statistical significance test that is the core of the algorithm."

How does it feel to "book a first-class flight"?

Re:PDF of paper

[ksw2]

Paper here for those who have PNAS access.

HEH! funniest meant-to-be-serious acronym ever.

Random test ...

[Mostly a lurker]

I know it is fairly accurate because I have fooled my spanish speaking friends once in an IM conversation. I told them I learned spanish via hypnosis and basically just copy/pasted everything spanish into IM. The conversation went on for like 15 minutes full spanish before I told them I was using the website. They were pissing their pants.

English to German produces:

Ich weiß, dass es ziemlich genau ist, weil ich mein Spanisch getäuscht habe, Freunde einmal in einer IM Konversation zu sprechen. Ich habe sie erzählt, dass ich Spanisch über Hypnose und im Grunde nur Kopie gelernt habe/hat eingefügt alles Spanisch in IM. Die Konversation ist weitergegangen für wie 15 Minuten volles Spanisch, bevor ich sie erzählt habe, dass ich die Website benutzte. Sie pissten ihre Hose

Then, German to English:

I know that it rather exactly is, because I deceived my Spanish to speak friends once in one IN THE conversation. I told it, learned would have inserted that I Spanish over hypnosis and in the reason only copy all Spanish in IN THAT. The conversation is gone on for Spanish full like 15 minutes before I told it, that I the websites used. You pissten its pair of pants

My conclusion is that there is still a place for human translators.