Microsoft using Neural Networking Ranking in Search Results

I've been curious to see when search engines were going to start exploring using neural networks for their search engine rankings. Microsoft at Searchification Day just announced that their new algorithm is able to understand the meaning between the words used in a keyword phrase:

The improved ranking algorithms use neural networking ranking that are loosely modeled from biological neural networks and can learn patterns that simple algorithms can't. These algorithms can detect things like words pairs and are close to natural language queries (for instance, "what's the hottest it's ever been in AZ"). They note that for queries like this, Google returns pages with all of these words in them, but Live can now return better results because it can understand the relationship between words. [NOTE: This new Microsoft patent on ranking found by Bill Slawski is also interesting.

This is from a Search Engine Land article.

With only 69 million searchers in a month (vs. 104 million for Yahoo and 142 million for Google), and only 11% of queries (vs. 23% for Yahoo and 56% for Google) Microsoft knew it had to do something to improve its rankings.

I'm curious to see how this will be eventually implemented in the other search engines...

Argh! You'll almost be missing Talk Like a Pirate Day

I can't believe I almost missed this! International Talk Like a Pirate Day is today. Make me long for the Cayman Islands...

Check out the official site. The most amusing bit is the pirate pick up lines. There are also audio files so that you can hear what talking like a pirate in another language would sound like.

Or, here's a video that will help you master the art of talking like a pirate.

Stumbling Upon Happiness

Now that the speakers for PopTech are posted, I'm busy reading to catch myself up to speed on the variety of topics that will be covered during the October conference.

The first book I consumed, Stumbling Upon Happiness, was a quick read for me and it discussed how our brains store memories, and use those memories ineffectively to predict our future happiness.

Considering I'm in a transitional phase with my work situation, this book was perfect for me to read and process. I still haven't fully embodied all of the research presented, and I can't wait to meet the author to fully understand his thesis.

My one funny take away - our future prediction of happiness is based on our recent memories and our current state of mind. In particular, our happiness related to food is based on how often we consume our favorite food.

For example, if I have sushi one day and it's fabulous, it won't be as exciting the next day. But if only have sushi once a month, I will always experience the same level of happiness because my memory of how great it was has faded. So instead of forcing myself to "try something new off the menu" at a restaurant I only go to once a month, I should let myself eat my favorite dish, because I will get more happiness overall.

Next on the reading list is The Female Brain.

Shameless Cross - Promotion

Many of you may or may not know that I maintain a blog for work as well about how to use Web 2.0 properties to recruit volunteers, and how to use mass email to keep them engaged.

Check it out!

Ooze of a more harmless kind

Yes, that's how my brain works sometimes. :-)

The Washington Post Express had an article that totally amused me, and anyone who knows my hatred of okra would understand. I love all vegetables, but okra is a horrible substance in my mind.

They were covering the Okra Strut festival in Irmo, SC where they celebrate okra in the typical food festival way - including having eating contests of the stuff. The writer's sense of humor (Erin Mcclam) is what struck me...here's some of the more amusing pieces:

From the Jim Twitty, the festival organizer:
"Sometimes I have to explain what it is first"

and then Erin's comment:
"Not to mention explaining why anyone would want to eat okra. It grows in slender pods 3 to 4 inches long covered in light fuzz. It's not much for inner beauty, either. Slicing and okra pod open releases an oozy inner membrane."

Here's the best part of the whole article -- when the organizer talks about the okra eating contents and how the 2 lbs that the contestants need to eat are fried okra.

Fortunately, it's not boiled, which is what we used to require them to eat, " Twitty says. " We were loosing people. They refused to eat it. Plus, it sometimes makes people sick, and that's not the best thing to happen on your main stage.

If it makes people sick, why do people eat the gross stuff at all?

Ebola Outbreak in Congo

Ever read the Hot Zone?

The horrifying Ebola Virus is devastating citizens in Southeastern Congo. It's already claimed more than 160 people with an estimated 400 more infected.

Its spread through human contact and its affects on the human body are right out of a horror story - it attacks the central nervous system and causes bleeding from the eyes, ears and other parts of the body - you bleed from every crevice as your insides become liquid.

It's horrifying stuff, and there is no cure.