We've been looking at quite a range of questions this week and trying to figure out how to understand and answer them in a way that will also pick up thousands of similar questions too.
One thing we've noticed is that questions which contain hints are easier for humans but harder for computers. From the system's point of view, "What is the capital of Malta?" is very similar to lots of other questions, such as "What is the square of 16?" But it's much harder to find a general solution for questions like "Which city, recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 and admired by Disraeli, is the capital of Malta?"
Another pitfall for knowledge engineers is being distracted by all the weird and wonderful pieces of trivia that we meet. Could you seriously concentrate on breaking down the sentence structure when faced with gems like these?
- In Atlanta Georgia what is it illegal for people to do to a giraffe?
- In York it's legal to kill a Scotsman, except on Sundays, with which type of weapon?
- In what European city can you be jailed for not killing furry caterpillars?
- Which part of a frog do you rub to hypnotise it?
- In Kansas, what can a waiter not legally serve a teacup?
Aargh! I need the answers! ;)
Posted by: Vincent | 04 October 2008 at 10:06 AM
The giraffe answer is that you mustn't tie them to telephone poles or street lamps.
The question I'm looking at now is "In Connecticut a pickle must do what to be legal?" Maybe that answer is "untie all the giraffes".
Posted by: Beth | 04 October 2008 at 11:08 AM