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Automated Language Deciphering By Computer AI
eldavojohn writes "Ugaritic has been deciphered by an unaided computer program that relied only on four basic assumptions present in many languages. The paper (PDF) may aid researchers in deciphering eight undecipherable languages (Ugaritic has already been deciphered and proved their system worked) as well as increase the number of languages automated translation sites offer. The researchers claim 'orders of magnitude' speedups in deciphering languages with their new system."
Universal translator, here we come!
. The article also notes the success rates where it states that
Critics noted that
Label at least one computer "ham sandwich" to confuse future language researchers.
Alternatively, label each computer with a character's name from (insert show of your choice here).
This is very cool for us undeciphered language fans.
In the article, the language author Andrew Robinson correctly points out that this computer program won't work for languages that don't have a known language that is close to them, say like for Linear A found on Crete, which is definitely not Greek like Linear B turned out to be. There is a lot of speculation that Linear A is a native Minoan (Cretan) script, largely unrelated to any other known script.
However, parallel with Linear A on Crete was a Cretan pictographic script, which may, or may not be related to Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Minoans had known trading ties to Egypt, which had written language long before them. If a relationship could be found (via this computer program) between the Minoan pictographic script and Egyptian hieroglyphs, then that might give insights into how the Linear A script was set up (which is a syllabary script).
The only difficulty is that there may not be enough of the pictographic script to work--I'd imagine you'd need a fair number of examples to really allow the computer to compare and contrast.
Voynich manuscript!
If only we could find a language that is similar enough...
Could be handy. It is a bit limiting that it requires you pair the target language with one where you're relatively sure that the morphology and word roots are fairly similar, and that the writing systems are similar (structurally and statistically).
I guess there might be some way to handle some possible differences in script type (comparing a language written with alphabetic system to one written using a syllabary or abjad) by producing a fake alternate writing system for the known language that would be plausibly similar to the target. You're probably screwed if you're going from a phonetic-type writing system to a (possibly partially) logographic one, though.
For cases where there were a variety of competing theories about the nature of the script and language it represents, it might speed up the process of checking alternatives. Maybe it's better to think of this as a tool for testing proposed solutions, rather than automatically discovering them.
Unaided computer program != computer AI. Not even if you use Bayesian statistics. Leave the hyperbolic headlines to the common newspapers. After all, This Is Slashdot.
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or Egyptian?
So, when are they going to apply this to the Voynich manuscript ?
the discovery of an axe that had the word “axe” written on it in Ugaritic
A conversation in Semitic times:
"What's that?"
"Dunno..." examines the object "...it says on here that it's an axe."
They should put on-line a DB of documents that have been translated and then allow others to build a translator. In fact, if smart, they would do this as a competition in which the winner could create a new company based on it, with a large investment by Google.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
IBM, as one example, has been on this hard since 2002 ( http://news.cnet.com/2100-1008-998264.html ) when the prize was first announced....stop going all lady gaga over stuf that is so old it can't even be recycled properly.
... see if it can decipher some of the perl code I've had to take over.
Iberian language was spoken in Spain before the Roman Empire. It has some similarities with Basque Language. The texts in iberian are few, anyway I wonder if this language could be decoded using this tool.
I need something that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.
If they are undecipherable languages, how do they verify the results are accurate?
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An incidental challenge in developing a computer system that could decipher Ugaritic (inscribed on tablet) was developing a way to digitally render Ugaritic symbols.
Riiiiight. What did they feed their software? Photographs of stone tablets?
While it might be able to translate an ancient, dead language; I doubt it will be able to ready every Perl program ever written.
SHAKA! When the walls fell. :(
Which is why they tested it on a deciphered language. They are making the assumption that if it is relatively accurate in one case which meets all four of their preconditions that it will be relatively accurate in more cases which meet the same preconditions. That seems to me to be a reasonable assumption.
But also note that, at present, this tool best serves as an aid to those trying to decipher languages. The article states that the output has limitations that make it rather inutile for the general public. As such, the worst that can happen is that it might send researchers down the wrong road for a bit. But if it can provide one or more keys that will help researchers crack undeciphered languages, then it will be a massive help.
And, as the article points out, this approach may also lead to new progress in machine translation of known languages.
So it's not really a revolution in the field. But it is a new technique that looks promising with regards to helping areas that are currently sitting on plateaus.
Like this.
(Insert obligatory wishful thinking about the Voynich Manuscript here.)
...can it read a doctor's handwriting?