Computer Program Learns Baby Talk in Any Language

athloi writes "Researchers have made a computer program that learns to decode sounds from different languages in the same way that a baby does. The program will help to shed new light on how people learn to talk. It has already raised questions as to how much specific information about language is hard-wired into the brain."

Comments

Re:Baby talk? I swear at my computer!

[muridae]

On the other hand, my laugh sounds exactly like my dad's. Not surprising until you find that I didn't live with my dad and didn't really spend much time with him at all. Many of our mannerisms are also the same. Like the way we walk, with a one hand in my pocket. The resemblence between our personalities is uncanny considering we didn't live together. So I have to ask, how much is based on what we see, and how much is based on our genes. The old nature vs. nurture question.

You don't say if you knew your dad at all growing up, or if you looked at him as a father figure. If either or both of those fit, then even the child behavior of mimicking the mannerisms of adults could explain a lot of those traits.

On the nature side of the argument, how much of your gate and posture is controlled by your muscle structure? Same goes for your voice.

My opinion, you start with the genetic and add the environment later. It is hard for the environment to over come strong traits presented by genetic predisposition, but easy for it to mold how minor traits present.