Talk with a Machine

TALK WITH A MACHINE
A chat with a machine can be one of the strangest experiences! Now you can talk to a machine, computer, server, robot, and even a brain in a jar. Virtual chat bots can carry on a conversation with you, more or less.

Some are very unique and display an interesting personality while others don't really get the questions. Some can learn from you while others are dated and thought to be a bit annoying. This is a developing form of AI. The interface is usually by text, however some have online speech output like the Fake Captain Kirk. In review, we noticed the chatbots sometimes use the same core engine. For example, Susan and Alice had some of the exact same responses (re: open the window). Some are closer to passing the Turing Test, like Awkward Chatbot, which appears to be texting you from a computer or smart phone, sometimes very realistically and other times very funny. How can you argue with a machine that says, "brb - bathroom."

"A chatter robot is a type of conversational agent, a computer program designed to simulate an intelligent conversation with one or more human users via auditory or textual methods."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatbot 

Directory of Chat Bots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chatterbots#Chatterbots
http://www.chatbots.org/

Awkwardchatbot
http://awkwardchatbot.com/

Susan
http://www.susancalvin.org/index.php/talk-with-susan.html

Alice
http://alice.pandorabots.com/

Fake Captain Kirk
http://alicebot.org/kirkbot

Cleverbot
http://www.cleverbot.com/

Contests
http://www.susancalvin.org/index.php/chatbots-contests.html

Star Trek New Voyages

NEW STAR TREK!
FREE VIEWING
OK, the fan movie was released a while back but we just discovered it. This new-to-us Star Trek series is posted on Youtube. Take a good break from all your hard work on science projects and watch this one hour show. You won't be disappointed seeing this great sci-fi space thriller! Check for more episodes at the main web site and Youtube.

4x03 Star Trek New Voyages: World Enough and Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4TC5wl0IzE

Download here
http://www.startrekphase2.de/en/4x03_world_enough_and_time.html

Main web site
http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/

Guest Stars
George Takei as Hikaru Sulu
Christina Moses as Alana Sulu
Mimi Chong as Demora Sulu
Grace Lee Whitney as Janice Rand
Majel Barrett Roddenberry as The Computer Voice
Lia Johnson as Dr. Lisa Chandris

Plot  A Romulan weapons test goes awry and snares the Enterprise in an inter-dimensional trap. Lt. Commander Sulu returns to find himself 30 years out of place and the key to saving the crew of the Enterprise as the precarious grasp on their own dimension begins to slip.