Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Cute Cat Photos Are Data-Driven Science Behind Cunning New Language Learning App

Posted by Unknown on from the no-wonder-i'm-a-genius dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Cats are cute, and cute is good for cognition. Which is why Memrise, a language learning startup, settled on using lolcat-style cat photos as mnemonic aids for a new series of apps aimed at people who normally wouldn't bother learning another language. The first CatAcademy app is 'Cat Spanish' From the article: 'What we found, however we sliced it, was that pictures of cats — cute pictures specifically, of which over 50% were cats — just kept on coming out as the most effective mnemonics... I have to admit we were slightly skeptical to begin with. We're a scientific group, and data driven — but the data did drive us towards cats.'" Now, just to add cat pictures to Mnemosyne.

9 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Cheeseburgers by NoImNotNineVolt · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can has espanol?

    --
    Chuuch. Preach. Tabernacle.
    1. Re:Cheeseburgers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I think you mean: Yo puedo tiene una hamburgueza?

      And as a side-note, as I was coming up with that using Google Translate, when I entered I can have a cheeseburger? in the from language box, Google suggested "I can haz a cheezburger" instead. Sadly, the suggestion did not translate.

  2. misread subject by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I read it as "cube sat photos"...

  3. This shouldn't be surprising. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Most guys are constantly thinking about pussy.

  4. Alternatve hypothesis? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 4, Funny

    "We're a scientific group, and data driven — but the data did drive us towards cats."

    I assume they've excluded all other explanations including toxoplasmosis...

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  5. Re:thank god slashcode is ancient... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Page after page of goatse?

  6. Re:thank god slashcode is ancient... by stewsters · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, most of you cannot even edit your posts.

    [Edit] changing you're to your

  7. I thought it said Cue Cat. by geekoid · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was like, enough people hack those they can get some useful data?

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  8. Re:thank god slashcode is ancient... by dotancohen · · Score: 4, Funny

    I, for one, am glad that we are not on dotchan.

    I resemble that comment.
      - dotancohen

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.