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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.

7 of 80 comments (clear)

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

    I can has espanol?

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    Chuuch. Preach. Tabernacle.
  2. 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...

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    Ezekiel 23:20
    1. Re:Alternatve hypothesis? by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Dogs want a competitive pack with rivalry as a basis for its social order, and lots of physical exercise. All cats want from a pack is watching over them when they're sleeping.

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      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  3. 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

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

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

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    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  5. 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

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    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  6. Re:Yeah... cats... by anagama · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is your cat waking you up to get fed?

    My cats used to do that and I got tired of it, so I set my phone to ring a particular ring tone at feeding time. It took them three meals at most to connect the breakfast/dinner bell to breakfast/dinner, and now they never hound me for food at all. They will gather around when the time nears, but they don't start clawing at my legs or batting my face while I sleep. They wait patiently, hear the bell, and run to the kitchen.

    Also, one thing that keeps them happy, is to play with them for about 15 or 20 minutes before dinner -- cats are wired to hunt, kill, eat, groom, sleep. This works really good at keeping down fights between cats because they're all so satisfied.

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    What changed under Obama? Nothing Good