caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi) (11/01/88)
Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on the funniness of the joke?
dsb@Rational.COM (David S. Bakin) (11/01/88)
In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP>, caasi@sdsu (Richard Caasi) writes: > > >Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as >input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on >the funniness of the joke? I want to know too! It would make an excellent kill filter for rec.funny. -- Dave ---------------------------------------------------------- Dave Bakin (408) 496-3600 c/o Rational; 3320 Scott Blvd.; Santa Clara, CA 95054-3197 Internet: dsb@rational.com Uucp: ...!uunet!igor!dsb
ijd@otter.hple.hp.com (Ian Dickinson) (11/01/88)
+----------------------------------------------------------------+ | "Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as | | input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on | | the funniness of the joke?" | +----------------------------------------------------------------+ | V +--------------------------------------------------+ | Some work or program for understanding jokes | +--------------------------------------------------+ | V 8.3 But seriously folks... Mapping any complex human response like emotion or humour onto the domain of integers is out of the question. There is no such thing as the "funniness" of a joke, or for that matter, the degree to which I am feeling sad at the moment. What you will find is that a joke is more or less amusing according to the environment, your mood, your knowledge about the subject of the joke, etc etc. Moreover, you will find different jokes funny for different reasons, and so they can't really be compared. Add to that the observation that my sense of humour is almost certainly very different from yours (or anybody else's), and it looks like you are on a no-hoper. You might find an interesting diversion in trying to define various categories of funny stories, and attempting to capture the essence of the category. It _might_ then be possible to take your favourite natural language system and attempt to spot when a story fits that category. Puns suggest themselves as a rich but initially tractable domain (for simple versions anyway). Food for thought: There is a joke about monks in a monastery who know each other so well, and all the funny stories that they tell, that all the stories are assigned a number. To tell a story, the monk simple calls out the number. There is more, but this is not rec.humor. One reason why this joke is amusing is that the idea of reducing stories to that level is so absurd that it's funny. I am inclined to believe that *any* reductionist approach to understanding phenomena like humour or emotion is missing the point entirely. Ian. | Ian Dickinson, HP Labs, Information Systems Centre, Bristol, England | | net: ijd%otter@hplabs.hp.com | | | or: ijd@hplb.uucp | ?- mind(X), body(X), spirit(X). | | These opinions are all my own work. | |
dhw@itivax.UUCP (David H. West) (11/02/88)
In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP> caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi) writes: >Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as >input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on >the funniness of the joke? 7.3
mike@mfgfoc.uucp (Mike Thompson) (11/02/88)
From article <3244@sdsu.UUCP>, by caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi): > > > Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as > input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on > the funniness of the joke? Yeah, my program rated your message a one. :-) Mike Thompson
anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Joel Peter Anderson) (11/02/88)
This discussion brings to mind a story by Isaac Asimov (I forgot the name,
remember) in which his mythical world computer "Multivac" is put to the
task of determining from where jokes come. The scientist doing the study
is an expert joke-teller, but recognizes that except for minor variations
there is no such thing as a 'new' joke.
(HIT 'N' TO SKIP CONCLUSION)
The computer comes to the conclusion
that 'jokes' are an artificial construct - like a maze is to a lab rat -
only designed to test something in humans.
AND ONCE THEY REALIZE THAT, ALL OF A SUDDEN JOKES DON'T SEEM FUNNY
TO ANYONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD - AND EVERYONE WONDERS - WHAT IS THE
NEXT TEST - AND WHO IS TESTING US?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We know only the strong will survive, But the meek will inherit.
So if you've got a coat of arms, oh friend, I suggest we wear it."
John Mellencamp.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
anderson@c10sd3.StPaul.NCR.COM |UUCP: {rosevax, crash}!orbit!pnet51!jpa
Joel Peter Anderson |ARPA: crash!orbit!pnet51!jpa@nosc.mil
NCR Comten / Software engineer |INET: jpa@pnet51.cts.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------ao@coma.UUCP (Arnfried Ossen) (11/09/88)
In article <349@itivax.UUCP> dhw@itivax.UUCP (David H. West) writes: >In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP> caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi) writes: >>Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as >>input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on >>the funniness of the joke? > >7.3 9.0 -- Arnfried Ossen, Technical University of Berlin <ao@coma.UUCP> Department of Applied Computer Science <ao@db0tui62.BITNET> 28/29 Franklin St, Berlin 1/10, FR Germany
smann@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Shannon Mann - I.S.er) (11/09/88)
In article <846@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM> anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Joel Peter Anderson) writes: >This discussion brings to mind a story by Isaac Asimov (I forgot the name, >remember) in which his mythical world computer "Multivac" is put to the >task of determining from where jokes come. The name of the story is 'Jokester'. Asimov wrote it because he loves telling jokes, and he wanted a sci-fi story to have his six favourite jokes in it. (Actually, Larry Shaw dared him to do it. Who's Larry Shaw? I don't know, but it is probably someone who knows Isaac :-) -=- -=- Shannon Mann -=- smann@watdcsu.UWaterloo.ca -=- 'I have no brain, and I must think...' - An Omynous 'If I don't think, AM I' - Another Omynous
dharvey@wsccs.UUCP (David Harvey) (11/10/88)
In article <333@igor.Rational.COM>, dsb@Rational.COM (David S. Bakin) writes: > In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP>, caasi@sdsu (Richard Caasi) writes: > > > >Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as > >input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on > >the funniness of the joke? > > I want to know too! It would make an excellent kill filter for > rec.funny. -- Dave Welll....., the folks down in Hollywood (who have very strange ideas about what a computer is) have db meters on almost every audience in creation that listens to live programs. We could always hook up an ADC to the db meter and feed the input into a computer. Actually though, there must be some other measure that could be made into a rule based system..... (any takers?). dharvey@wsccs
rgr@m10ux.UUCP (Duke Robillard) (11/11/88)
In article <380@coma.UUCP> ao@coma.UUCP (Arnfried Ossen) writes: >In article <349@itivax.UUCP> dhw@itivax.UUCP (David H. West) writes: >>In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP> caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi) writes: >>>Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as >>>input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on >>>the funniness of the joke? >> >>7.3 > >9.0 1.4 (it's already been done.) (does this mean I'll get a higher or lower mark? Is there some pattern to the sequence? Maybe we could come up with a celluar automata to generate this sequence....)
clong@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (11/12/88)
In article <380@coma.UUCP>, Arnfried Ossen writes: > In article <349@itivax.UUCP> David H. West writes: > >In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP> Richard Caasi writes: > >>Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as > >>input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on > >>the funniness of the joke? > > > >7.3 > > 9.0 9.5 Watch out, or the next thing you know, you'll be asking for something really absurd, like for a test that will give you a number, say between 0 to 200, that measures intelligence. -- Chris Long Mathematics Department Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 08903
hajek@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Gregory Michael Hajek) (11/13/88)
In article <777@wsccs.UUCP> dharvey@wsccs.UUCP (David Harvey) writes: >> In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP>, caasi@sdsu (Richard Caasi) writes: >>> >>>Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as >>>input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on >>>the funniness of the joke? > >Actually >though, there must be some other measure that could be made into a >rule based system..... (any takers?). Well, for a first stab, puns aren't too tough; a reasonable measure could be the amount of backtracking a pun requires the hearer to make to identify the actual meaning of a pun, as opposed to its initially conveyed meaning. . It was all the money I had." The conveyed meaning is that "bucks" = "male deer", when the actual meaning is "money". Of course, by this measure garden path sentences are hysterical, but you could always put a limit on how much backtracking is just too much work (it becomes too annoying to enjoy the joke). ---------- Greg Hajek {....!uwvax!oddjob!tank!gargoyle!hajek} "She was the only woman I had ever met who said 'thanks' with an 'x'."
ok@quintus.uucp (Richard A. O'Keefe) (11/14/88)
>>>>Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as >>>>input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on >>>>the funniness of the joke? This assumes that there is such a thing as THE funniness of a joke. I'm not a USAn, and when a joke is told at this company I often am left wondering what was supposed to be funny when the others are laughing their heads off. Conversely, some of my best jokes are met with tactful smiles. There is a _lot_ of cultural background behind jokes; even a shared language is not enough. Even when two people have essentially the same cultural background, they are not likely to react the same to all jokes. Even after allowing for differences between hearers, there is still an assumption that there is a _single_ "funniness" metric for a given hearer, and it is not at all clear to me that this is the case. I've not put a great deal of thought into it, but it feels to me that there are at least three different kinds of humour-reaction, and that different jokes excite them in different proportions. Not all jokes are primarily bisociative, for examples.
kevinc@auvax.UUCP (Kevin "auric" Crocker) (11/15/88)
In article <846@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM>, anderson@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Joel Peter Anderson) writes: > The computer comes to the conclusion > that 'jokes' are an artificial construct - like a maze is to a lab rat - > only designed to test something in humans. > > AND ONCE THEY REALIZE THAT, ALL OF A SUDDEN JOKES DON'T SEEM FUNNY > TO ANYONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD - AND EVERYONE WONDERS - WHAT IS THE > NEXT TEST - AND WHO IS TESTING US? HAve you ever read The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy and (I think) The Hotel at the End of The Galaxay Both of these are remarkable true stories of how the Earth is being used by Hyperdimensional Mice as an experiment of some sort and that we are only lab rats (sic). I should know, I'm one of the research assistants and boy are you people ever screwing up the experiment. || )) || )) || o o )) || )) || )) The world's biggest smiley.
marcos@AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM (M V Lapolla) (11/17/88)
In article <5263@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, smann@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Shannon Mann - I.S.er) writes: > >This discussion brings to mind a story by Isaac Asimov (I forgot the name, > >remember) in which his mythical world computer "Multivac" is put to the > >task of determining from where jokes come. A computer or a famous scientist who liked telling jokes? I think the later. > The name of the story is 'Jokester'. Asimov wrote it because he loves telling > jokes, and he wanted a sci-fi story to have his six favourite jokes in it. > (Actually, Larry Shaw dared him to do it. Who's Larry Shaw? I don't know, > but it is probably someone who knows Isaac :-) > If I recall correctly, he or it concluded that there were only 6 types of jokes, no new jokes only new puns. I wonder, has anyone thought up a new joke, ever? M.
marcos@AUSTIN.LOCKHEED.COM (M V Lapolla) (11/17/88)
In article <380@coma.UUCP>, ao@coma.UUCP (Arnfried Ossen) writes: > In article <349@itivax.UUCP> dhw@itivax.UUCP (David H. West) writes: > >In article <3244@sdsu.UUCP> caasi@sdsu.UUCP (Richard Caasi) writes: > >>Does anyone know of any work or program that takes a joke as > >>input and outputs some number, say between 0 to 10, based on > >>the funniness of the joke? > > > >7.3 > > 9.0 That's not funny! Now 8.6! That's funny! A. M.
fransvo@htsa (Frans van Otten) (11/18/88)
In article <763@auvax.UUCP> kevinc@auvax.UUCP (Kevin "auric" Crocker) writes: > >|| )) >|| )) >|| o o )) >|| )) >|| )) > >The world's biggest smiley. Don't you mean: )) O )) ===== )) O )) )) -- Frans van Otten Algemene Hogeschool Amsterdam Technische en Maritieme Faculteit fransvo@htsa.uucp