I just discovered that Joseph Weizenbaum, creator of Eliza, passed away on March 5, 2008. I also discovered that a film was made last year about his life, called Rebel at Work. Here's a URL for the film that includes some nice biographical information.
http://www.ilmarefilm.org/W_E_2.htm It's important perhaps to remember that Weizenbaum created Eliza at least in part to demonstrate the fallacy of "thinking machines" and that something not very smart (Eliza) could appear to be so. It's a good object lesson I think in how to validate empirical claims, and also a lesson as to what people are willing to believe in and ascribe intelligence too. Anyway, go have a chat with Eliza somewhere - it's all over the web, and put yourself in the position of someone more than 40 years ago who encountered Eliza - back when computers were just huge and numerical with tape drives and teletypes making lots of racket. Eliza is still capable of some surprises, and can still make you wonder with a well timed "I see" or "Why do you think that is so?" :) Enjoy, Ted -- Ted Pedersen http://www.d.umn.edu/~tpederse
