COG 166 - Assignment One: DUE September 27th

Part A: Turing Test

Go to the following website and read about several versions of the Turing Test

http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/reingold/courses/ai/turing.html

For another view of the test, see the following:

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150724-the-problem-with-the-turing-test

Now, go to the following websites:

Eliza

eviebot

Cleverbot

Try having a conversation with the programs on each page. Then, answer the following questions:

1) Did either of the programs convince you that it approached (or matched) human intelligence? Why or why not?

2) On a surface level (assuming you know nothing about programming) what would you do (if anything) to improve the behavior of the program.

Next step: go to the following website:

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2017/10/04/chatbots

Then, answer the following questions:

3) What are some of the uses for chatbots? Can you think of a use for them that was not mentioned in the article? Are there any possible effects of chatbots upon human society? If so, what are they?

Part B: Turing Machine

Read the following:

What is a Turing Machine?

Alan Turing's "classic" paper

(Note: This paper may be difficult for some of you - try to understand as much as you can.)

Also, try an online simulation:

Turing Machine Simulation

Please answer the following question: Based on your reading and experiencing the simulator,

4) What is a Turing Machine? In what ways can it contribute to an understanding of human cognition?

Part C: Microworlds

Read the following file:

Microworlds Article

Please answer the following question:

5) What are microworlds?

Under the heading "Examples of Microworlds, go to three of the websites. (Some of the links may no longer operate.)

6. Please indicate which of the sites you chose, and describe the microworlds.

7. What are the differences between the microworlds that you chose? Do they serve different purposes?

Please answer the following question:

8. What are the possible uses of microworlds for the study of cognition and learning?

Part D: Some ideas regarding recursion:

Please go to the following website:

http://vimeo.com/41822151

Please answer the following question:

9. What is recursive drawing?

2) Please read the following article (notice that it spans several pages):

What is recursion?

Please answer the following questions:

10. According to the author, what is a "working definition" of recursion?

11. Name at least one example that the author uses to describe "recursion". In what way(s) does it display some aspects of the "working definition" that the author makes?