Computer programs can solve all kinds of problems and answer an impressive array of questions. This one canât, but it will make your problems feel small in the greater scheme of things thanks to the words of Carl Sagan.
Meet Doctor Carl, a chat bot that channels the late Dr. Carl Sagan. The site is a “Hack the Universe” project that was built in less than 24 hours by Brian Fountain and Andrew Pinzler as part of the American Museum of Natural Historyâs hackathon.
This bot might be a good listener, but it doesnât give much by way of sage advice. Still, itâs worth playing with if only to expand your thinking about the world around you. After you tell Dr. Carl, who introduces himself as your cosmic therapist, your name, he personalized quotes from the real Dr. Carl Sagan by adding your name at the end.
So feel free to ask Dr. Carl about that new relationship youâve got mixed feelings about and he might tell you that âSkeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense.â Ask Dr. Carl for need help negotiating that raise and he might tell you that âthe Universe seems neither benign nor hostile, merely indifferent.â
And sometimes an answer might be accidentally creepy and hilarious. âShould I get a new kitten?â prompted the bot to reply: âItâs hard to kill a creature once it lets you see its consciousness, Amy.â (For the record, I have absolutely no intention of harming any kittens. I love kittens.)
Check out Dr. Carl. And if you need more Sagan in your life, you can follow the botâs twitter feed as well for Saganisms in less than 140 characters.
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Feature Image via Doctor Carl
HT Rose Eveleth at The Atlantic
Ok Carl knows all about the universe, but my cat Poppy is more down to earth http://www.talkigy.com/chat/poppy-cat
I asked him how to make an apple pie from scratch. He did not answer correctly. I am disappoint.
Had a two-hour conversation with him. Pretty sure he’s not Carl Sagan.
it’s a robot you’re talking to made by carl sagan….
False! Carl Sagan died in 1996. This was made by two dudes who are not Carl Sagan.