Researchers discovered long-lost computer code and used it to resurrect the early chatbot ELIZA from MIT. Named after Eliza Doolittle from 'Pygmalion,' ELIZA was developed in the 1960s by MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum. It was designed to emulate a psychotherapist in conversation and used a unique programming language called MAD-SLIP. Rediscovered in 2021, the original code was brought back to life after 60 years, demonstrating the chatbot's functionality and highlighting the historical significance of early artificial intelligence.
"This Memorandum sets out the complete rules for coding in Information Processing Language-V (IPL-V), and documents extensions incorporated since publication of the Information Processing Language-V Manual. A summary of extensions and the minor modifications to the language is contained in the final section ($25.0). IPL-V processors are available for the IBM 650, 704, 709, 7090, 7094, Philco 2000, Bendix G-20, CDC 1604, UNIVAC 1105, and the AN/FSQ-32. A system for the Burroughs 220 is under development. Machine system write-ups are available for the various machines on which IPL-V is being used. These write-ups contain differences in the language peculiar to each machine, and must be consulted before using IPL-V. An index, a list of the basic IPL-V processes, and a full-scale copy of the coding sheet, suitable for photo- reproduction, appear at the end of the Memorandum."
Abstract:
This paper is an informal introduction to Information Processing Language V (IPL-V), a symbol and list-struc- ture manipulating language presently implemented on the IBM 650, 704 and 709. It contains a discussion of the problem context in which a series of Information Proc- essing Languages has developed and of the basic concepts incorporated in IPL-V. A complete description of the language can be found in the IPL-V Programmer's Manual
Abstract:
This Memorandum is a comparison of four well-known list-processing computer languages, which are considered representative of the various list-processing languages available. List-processing languages are designed to handle problems involving the manipulation of complex data structures and which impose computer memory requirements that change in an unpredictable manner during computation. The research, sponsored under U. S. Air Force Project RAND, was aimed at characterizing and evaluating list- processing languages in general and the four languages specifically considered; at isolating the areas of appli- cation for which particular list-processing languages are best suited; and at providing some criteria for the poten- tial user in selecting one of the languages for his par- ticular problem. The authors, consultants to The RAND Corporation, are on the staff at the Computation Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This paper describes the background and history of Multics Emacs, including the previous developments and the climate in which it was created. It also details the design and implementation experience, and important algorithms such as the redisplay algorithm.
Dune is a shell designed for powerful scripting, combining elements of bash and Lisp, offering normal shell operations and functional programming abstractions for sysadmin tasks.
This article discusses the MIT Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab's 'Tourist Policy' and how it impacted students' access to its resources. As a high school student in Maryland, the author shares their experience of using the lab's PDP-10s over the ARPANET and how it inspired them to learn and contribute to the MIT community.