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Natural Language A.I. Research

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Hello.  I am a traumatic-brain-injury survivor (1991).  A big part of my recovery has been continuing my education and research -- please help me keep going!  Since 1993, i've been working on a natural-language-interfaced Artificial Intelligence project combining symbolic logic with generative computational linguistics and computational psychology -- my version of Good Old Fashioned A.I (GOFAI).

I have a background in computers and physical science, but i have an undergrad degree in English from Cornell University (where i sustained the traumatic brain injury).  

I want to go back now for a  Master's Degree in Computer Science, and i need some recent research results to make me a more attractive candidate to the program.  And now i have a new computer to do that research on ! ! !  (Apple *just* sold me a cutting edge model with a student discount, and Citizens Bank has graciously extended me four-year financing.)

But since my only income is from Social Security Disability (90% of which pays rent and utilities), it won't be easy to make the payments without some help.

[Read the story of my literal & figurative fall from grace and my recovery:  Mary Evans wrote it up on a special  blog for the fundraiser:  Derek's-Story .
Or if you prefer an *extremely* brief version, read the Wikipedia article that mentions me:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_gorge_suicides ]

Here's some more about my particular traumatic brain injury, my disability (in case you were wondering about what i can still do):  about-my-traumatic-brain-injury-about .

So i'm continuing the fundraiser now to help make the payments on the new UNIX computer system, and i'm forging ahead with my text-oriented Artificial Intelligence research & development. 

My A.I.'s first love will be reading, and then talking about the text.  She probably won't take orders well (unless those orders are to read more), and she'll have a mind of her own (opinions and preferences and such).  Most of all, i do *not* want to help create a slave A.I. race; so my research may not have widespread commercial appeal.

Academic research work i can do (on my own schedule); traditional, 9-5 forty-hour-per-week jobs, not so much -- i just don't have the emotional endurance after the traumatic brain injury.

Thank you so much for all your assistance -- i could NOT do this without YOU!  Thank you for the opportunity to use my aptitude and skills on worthwhile projects; i want to come off of Social Security disability and rejoin the academic community!

Organizer

Derek McCarthy
Organizer
Acton, MA

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