Program fools humans

    Have you ever been so bored that you started a conversation with a “chatbot (聊天机器人)”? You probably discovered quickly that it wasn't much fun, because the things it says hardly ever make any sense and chatting with it doesn't provide the same kind of back-and-forth as a human conversation.

    That might have made you wonder: will a computer ever be able to talk like a human?

    That day is certainly getting closer now. A computer program named “Eugene Goostman” has successfully passed the Turing test – by fooling people into thinking it was a 13-year-old boy, reported AFP on June 9.

    While you may have never heard of the Turing test, it means a lot in the world of artificial (人工的) intelligence.

    According to USA Today, the test was first invented in 1950 by Alan Turing, a British computer expert best known for his code-breaking work during World War II. In his test, a group of human judges take turns having keyboard conversations for five minutes with two subjects – a human and a piece of computer software. If up to 30 percent of the judges fail to tell the two apart, the program is considered to have passed the test.

“If a machine is indistinguishable (无法区分的) from a human, then it could be said to be ‘thinking',” wrote Turing in his paper Computing, Machinery & Intelligence back in 1950.

    No computer had ever passed the Turing test before. But this time, Eugene Goostman, developed by two Russian scientists to simulate (模拟) a 13-year-old boy, managed to convince 33 percent of judges that it was human.

    Machines are close to “reaching the milestone of communicating with us in a way that we are comfortable with”, Professor Kevin Warwick of the University of Reading, UK, told The Telegraph. “This brings closer the time in which robots start to play an active role in our daily lives.”

    Some people feel a bit disturbed by the news. They worry that computers will outsmart humans in the near future and take over the world. But Warwick said that it is unlikely that this will happen any time soon. After all, computers have only just learned to have a five-minute conversation, while we humans can do so much more than that.

    The following is a selection of the 2017 summer programs offered at colleges and universities around the world．

    You've probably visited the Tian'anmen Gatetower—the landmark building of Beijing, but you may not have heard of Kuai Xiang. Along with him, the following remarkable architects all took the center stage at their times.

    Kuai Xiang(1399—1481)

    Tian'anmen Gatetower is universally considered the brainchild of Kuai Xiang. By following in the footsteps of ancient homebuilders, he successfully presented the Emperor Judy with a grand wooden structure which has stood the test of time for almost 600 years. Visitors are also hooked on its delicate paintings.

    Ieob Ming Pei (1917-present)

    His motto is: Traditions should be sealed in glass boxes at museums. He is always struggling with innovation. Although under grilling from French conservative critics, he still planted a glass pyramid into the courtyard of the Louvre. His other works include John F. Kennedy Library, Beijing Fragrant Hill Hotel and Suzhou Museum.

    Zaha Hadid(1950-2016)

    In 2004, she became the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Nobel Prize for architecture. She used tricks to maximize available space. Her fluid-style works pioneer the concept of micro-living. The curves(曲线) of Guangzhou Opera House perfectly match the rise and fall of its surrounding buildings, forming a unique view.

    Meng Fanchao (1959-present)

    Many people dismissed the building of a mega bridge as a pipe dream, but Meng Fanchao turned this into reality by building Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. This longest cross-sea bridge, when viewed afar, looks like a dynamic dragon braving the rolling waves of Lingding Sea.

    There are a number of reasons that can be given as to why children should be taught swimming at a young age. If your child knows the basic swimming skills, you can be at peace when your child is near the water. If you are in the process of teaching your child how to swim, then here are some points that you should keep in mind.

    Help your child pick a bathing suit. If you child wants to wear bathing suit and get wet then it is certain that your child will be able to handle the water.

    If the pool has steps, then it is great. Start from these to help your child gain some confidence. You should make sure that there is one place in the pool where your child can be left safely.

    The best way to teach your children to swim is to make them join swimming classes. In this way, you will be at peace because there is a professional trainer around your children who can teach them all the tricks of swimming. You can join in the parent-child lessons to make your child feel comfortable. If your child is a bit older, then get permission and sit by the pool to watch him/her learn. When you get your child admitted to swimming classes, make sure that the lessons go according to the swimming goals that you have set for your child.

    Swimming is a fun activity and you can make it easy for your children to understand and coordinate(协调)the movements of their arms and legs will take some time. But, with regular practice and training this can be overcome. So, start with the basics and be around your children when they are learning how to swim. Once they know how to swim, then you can be at peace when they play around the water.

    TESCO has announced it is banning the sale of energy drinks to teenagers, and that the big move will begin in weeks. The supermarket has joined a host of major names banning teenagers from buying high caffeine, high-sugar drinks. The government indicates that the principal question to be determined is whether the purchasing restrictions will apply at the age of 16 or 18.

    Theresa May said the consultation was linked to the government's childhood obesity (肥胖) strategy and said it was necessary to examine the consumption of energy drinks "often because they are sold at cheaper prices than soft drinks".

    The principal reason for the ban is the high level of caffeine in the energy drinks, which has been linked to a string of health problems for children, including head and stomach aches as well as sleep problems.

    Energy drinks often also have higher levels of sugar than soft drinks. According to government figures, sugared energy drinks have 60% more calories and 65% more sugar than normal soft drinks and sugar is one of the largest causes of obesity.

    Jamie Oliver said he welcomed the ban on energy drink sales because "too many children are regularly using them to replace breakfast" and "teachers from across the country have told me how their lessons are disrupted because of these drinks".

    A Downing Street source added that there is no evidence that energy drinks have any nutritional value in children's diet. That accounts for the government's action on measures to tackle childhood obesity and improve children's health.

    The move is the latest step in an approach in relation to childhood obesity and health. According to European Food Safety Authority research, two-thirds of 10 to 16-year-olds regularly consume energy drinks, along with 18% of 3 to 10-year-olds.

    "Mummy, I don't know what to play with." Steve interrupts his mother, who is talking to a friend, for the fourth time. "You've got a room full of toys!" his mother says, impatiently. In fact it is the jumble of toys which is to blame for four-year-old Steve's lack of interest in his dolls, cars and stuffed (packed) animals. Each morning he tips out three washing baskets of toys all over his floor, listlessly pulls out something and shortly after is standing at his mother's desk or following her into the kitchen saying: "Mummy, I am bored."

    A family therapist (心理医生) explains why children lose interest when they have a whole "toy shop" at home: "According to their brain development, little children are not in a position to judge the quality of a variety of things at once. There is always just one favorite toy for the moment. All the rest is left lying about." What can parents do to stop their children from being oversupplied with toys? Under no conditions simply make something disappear without the child's knowledge. If he/she takes no more notice of a toy, a parent can ask if it can be stored or given away. Be warned though the child will always say he/she wants it then! A talk with relatives and friends may also help. Lyn is the mother of four-year-old Jessie, and we like her way. A small set of shelves in her child's room holds the toys and books that are the current (at present) favorites. When it seems to her that her daughter is tired of these toys, they put them away in a box together and select some other toys from a cupboard in another room. The box of "old" toys goes into the cupboard. When her child says she is "bored", they also get something from her cupboard - it may be something she has had for some time but because she hasn't seen it for a while it is almost like a new toy.

    Some favorite toys stay out all the time, and there is collection of dolls which sits in the corner, but in this way Lyn has found that she has fewer toys to put away at the end of the day and her daughter always has something "fresh" to play with.