Re: [unrev-II] ThoughtTreasure (Link path from: RIP: Prof. Michael Dertouzos, 1936-2001 (Director, MIT LCS))

From: Peter Jones (ppj@concept67.fsnet.co.uk)
Date: Thu Sep 06 2001 - 13:51:18 PDT

  • Next message: Alex Shapiro: "[unrev-II] Science Wonder Productions"

    I followed a link from the bottom of John's email
    > * The Ontology Page (TOP) < http://www.kr.org/top >
    and came across this at the bottom of the Projects page.
    http://www.signiform.com/tt/htm/tt.htm

    ThoughtTreasure: a natural language/common sense platform
    http://www.signiform.com/tt/htm/overview.htm

    If the examples they give are indicative of its consistent performance in
    action, then it's rather impressive.

    They provide the code, and the license is of this nature:

    "2.1 This License is limited to noncommercial use. Noncommercial use
    relates only to personal, educational, research, or evaluation
    purposes. Use of the Software in connection with any business activity
    is commercial use. Commercial use requires a commercial license."

    and
    "2.4 Licensor owns all modifications, enhancements, and bug fixes made
    to the Software by or for Licensee."

    There's also an online book that goes with ThoughtTreasure
    http://www.signiform.com/tt/book/index.html
    Natural Language Processing with ThoughtTreasure
    by Erik T. Mueller

    "Erik T. Mueller
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ----
    Erik T. Mueller founded Signiform in 1997 to bring natural language and
    commonsense capabilities to computers and devices. He is currently a
    research staff member at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center.
    Previously, Mueller was a research scientist in the Society of Mind group at
    the MIT Media Laboratory. Prior to that, Mueller was a vice president of
    Morgan Stanley, where he developed market and credit risk systems, bond and
    swaps trading systems, automated equities arbitrage trading systems, and
    market data servers and clients. In the early days of personal computing,
    Mueller developed BASIC and APL interpreters for the Intel 8080. Mueller
    received his S.B. in computer science and engineering from MIT and his M.S.
    and Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA. He is the author of Daydreaming in
    Humans and Machines. "
    

    Is Erik on this list?

    Cheers, Peter

    ----- Original Message ----- From: "John J. Deneen" <jjdeneen@netzero.net> To: <unrev-II@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2001 6:37 PM Subject: [unrev-II] RIP: Prof. Michael Dertouzos, 1936-2001 (Director, MIT LCS)

    > Enabling people "to do more by doing less," that is, to accomplish more > with less work. Bringing abundant computation and communication, as > pervasive and free as air, naturally into people's lives." - Prof. > Michael Dertouzos, 1936-2001 > > "We made a big mistake 300 years ago when we separated technology and > humanism," Dertouzos said in an interview in Scientific American. "It's > time to put the two back together." (View lecture: "Technology and > Humanity in the 21st Century" > < http://web.mit.edu/webcast/mitworld/mitw-apc-dertouzos-27mar01-56k.ram > >) > > It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Lab for Computer > Science Director, Michael Dertouzos. > < http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/nr/2001/dertouzos.html > > > Computer science lost an intellectual cornerstone this week with the > death of Michael Dertouzos, the distinguished Massachusetts Institute of > Technology professor who'd led the school's Laboratory for Computer > Science since 1974. Far more sadly, the world lost a vigorous advocate > for the planet's underdogs - a tireless humanitarian determined to > repair what he saw as a growing and dangerous disconnect between people > and their technology. > < > http://www.interactiveweek.com/article/0,3658,s%253D1826%2526a%253D13791,00. asp > > > > > A PROLIFIC AUTHOR ON HUMANS AND COMPUTERS > Dertouzos is the author of eight books. His latest, "The Unfinished > Revolution: Human-Centered Computers and What They Can Do for Us" > (HarperCollins), published this year, introduced the concept of "human > centered computing." Computers, he wrote, should serve people, not the > other way around. Today's machines are overloaded with excessive > features, inadequately address our needs, and demand too much of our > attention, he declared. > > "Michael argued eloquently for human-centered computing. He thought > deeply about how information technology could help everyone, not just > the technical elite," said Guttag. > > In his final interview, printed in the August 22 issue of the Chronicle > of Higher Education, Dertouzos spoke about the qualities that he most > valued in teachers, qualities which were a fundamental part of his own > approach to his interactions with the MIT community: > > "Don't forget the impact that love has on education," Dertouzos said in > explaining his skepticism of computer-based distance education. "If you > are loved by your teacher -- and I mean this in the most innocent and > Platonic sense -- if your teacher really cares for your well-being -- > and you know that because your teacher will ask about you, will scold > you for not doing the right thing, and will give you stories about why > you should do this or do that -- the learning can be unbelievably > different." > > "But our quest goes beyond utilitarian increases in human productivity > to the broader ways in which information can help people. Whether, > through the World Wide Web Consortium, we are working on tomorrow's Web, > or on new computer systems through our Oxygen project, or on machines > that can speak with you - and engage you graphically, or on the meaning > of Genome information, we find ourselves in the junction of two > interrelated challenges: Going after the best, most exciting forefront > technology; and ensuring that it truly serves human needs." > < http://www.lcs.mit.edu/about/director.html > > > "To render technology useful, we must blend it with humanity. This > process will serve us best if, alongside our most promising > technologies, we bring our full humanity, augmenting our rational powers > with our feelings, our actions and our faith. We cannot do this by > reason alone!" > < http://www.lcs.mit.edu/about/kurzweil.html > > > > ACCOMPLISHMENTS: LIST OF OVER 3 DOZEN SPINOFF COMPANIES > < http://www.lcs.mit.edu/about/spinoffs.html > including: > > * Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Incorporated > < http://www.kr.org > > * The Ontology Page (TOP) < http://www.kr.org/top > > * Software Definable Radio < http://www.vanu.com > > * The Ontology Page (TOP) < http://www.kr.org/top >

    > > ****************** > Ref. > MIT Project Oxygen & Spectrumware Demo of Software-definable Radio from > LCS 35th Anniversary (22MB) > < http://www.oxygen.lcs.mit.edu/ > > < http://www.sds.lcs.mit.edu/SpectrumWare/mpeg/lcs35lo.MPG > > > > >

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