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The Last Word

A quick questionnaire with Luis von Ahn

  • Smithsonian.com, October 03, 2007

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    The Player

    Polly Shulman

    Luis von Ahn's secret for making computers smarter? Get thousands of people to take part in his cunning online games

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    1. Three words someone else would use to describe me are inventive, funny and mischievous.

    2. My greatest professional influence is my PhD advisor, Manuel Blum.

    3. My fondest memory is when I realized the person that now is my fiancée actually liked me.

    4. The last book I read was I don’t remember – I don’t like reading books.

    5. If I could have dinner with anyone living or dead it would be Alan Turing.

    6. Three things I can't live without are the Internet, my calendar and movies.

    7. The most pressing issue facing the world is that only a small fraction of the population has the resources and tools to innovate.

    8. The most important lesson I ever learned was that making good connections with people can benefit your work.

    9. My advice for those just starting out in this profession is be selective in everything – the people you associate with, the students you take, the papers you write -- and hold yourself to a high standard.

    10. My motto is: >"If you think a little harder, you’ll find a better solution."

    1. Three words someone else would use to describe me are inventive, funny and mischievous.

    2. My greatest professional influence is my PhD advisor, Manuel Blum.

    3. My fondest memory is when I realized the person that now is my fiancée actually liked me.

    4. The last book I read was I don’t remember – I don’t like reading books.

    5. If I could have dinner with anyone living or dead it would be Alan Turing.

    6. Three things I can't live without are the Internet, my calendar and movies.

    7. The most pressing issue facing the world is that only a small fraction of the population has the resources and tools to innovate.

    8. The most important lesson I ever learned was that making good connections with people can benefit your work.

    9. My advice for those just starting out in this profession is be selective in everything – the people you associate with, the students you take, the papers you write -- and hold yourself to a high standard.

    10. My motto is: >"If you think a little harder, you’ll find a better solution."


     
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