Eric Bonabeau from Icosystem explored the concept of a hunch engine at O'Reilly Etech. How do you "know it when you see it?" Where is the line between sorting information and discovery?
People are in general terrible at exploring alternatives, but great at discovering patterns. In order to recognize things, we need to be exposed to information. We're great at making judgements on what we like, or what is in good taste, but we can't always create. The blank slate is our stumbling block. How can we get around this?
Computers are terrible at discovery, but great at processing data. What is the optimal algorithm combining the machine ability to sift through masses of data, with the human ability to discover?
Scenarios
Design. There are billions of possible combinations, but there are also billions of constraints. A "heuristocrat" (hee) brings his perception of constraints to a process, and though it may be validated by expertise, that may or may not reflect actual constraints. Can we use a computer to narrow down those options that fit within constraints, and leave the actual design to people? If we can, how does that impact the process?
Molecular space. Need to use the power of recognition, but seeing of thousands of molecular combinations would be overwhelming. Data comes from multiple sources, in multiple formats. Is it possible to discover in this situation? Chemists use tools that only show combinations satisfying specific constraints, filtering out any combinations that don't make sense using a set of assumptions about the targeted goal. These are people that spend their lives in discovery.
Text visualization. Very few people are interested in specialized tools, but almost anyone could benefit from visualizing language. How I look at a word depends on my associated meaning for it. What networks of words are connected to the first word? With that ascertained, then what combination of words, associations, and thought will I find interesting?
Empowering Grandma. You don't need to know anything about light filters in order to know which photographs you like best. Ditto for names, furniture, or anything else that involves taste.
Bonabeau talks about search as sensory design. The user interacts with what he searches for, using more than one of his or her senses. Do we search for the beach using the text "beach?" A glamorous photo of a beach? The tangy smell of salt? The rushing sound of a wave? The gritty feel of the sand?
Tags: christine herron christine.net space jockeys art technology etech o'reilly icosystem discovery
