Brain Activity? Me?
9:19 a.m. -- 2009-03-03
I have had a theory rattling around in my frontal lobes for a while now. It goes something like this:
One day, there will be a computer of sufficient power that it will be able to analyse text, and identify the author. For example, if an article had been published anonymously (or if only a partial or corrupted copy of something survived) it would be able to suggest who the author might have been.
This computer system could look for all kinds of things; cultural influences, geographical references, structure, localised phrasing (writing �different than...� where I would write �different to...�) and persistent mistakes (people who write �alot� when they mean �a lot� for example). Also, the frequency with which certain words or word groups are used. Personally, I over-use �actually�, and use brackets too often. (I write �of course...� and �anyway...� far too often as well. Actually.)
It�s possible that a computer program of the kind I�m talking about could have identified the Dr. Theo Kaczynski (the �Unabomber�) from his manifesto, �Industrial Society and Its Future�. Kaczynski had a distinctive writing style, and I suspect we all do. Perhaps not as individual as a fingerprint, but still pretty accurate.
For now, no such program exists, and I suspect that no single computer is quite powerful enough to do the job. We can�t get a fantastically detailed profile of a person, from their writings, but some progress has clearly been made. Anna just found the Typealyzer, which promises to study a
person�s writing style, from their blog entries, and return a profile based on the Myers-Briggs Type Index.
I�ve known about the Myers-Briggs Type Index since my university days, and I always thought of myself as an �INTP�, which is to say introvert (not extrovert), intuitive (not sensing), thinking (not feeling) and perceiving (not judging).
Doing an MBTI test normally takes ages, since you have to pick words from groups of four, about two hundred times. Then you have to add up this and that... so the idea that a computer can be roped in to do all the donkey-work is fantastic. So of course (there�s that �of course� again...), I went for it.
It turns out that �Confessions of a part-time girl� is �ISTP�, or intuitive/sensing/thinking/perceiving. This puts me among a group of people who are described as �The Mechanics�:
�The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment [and] are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.
The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like [to] seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.�
Plus I get to wear dungarees, and look like a Children�s TV presenter. Awesome.
I have to admit that I am, in fact, something of a mechanic. I still have scabs on my knuckles from a small accident the weekend before last, when a spanner slipped and I ended up punching the engine block. (Not nice.)
My previous assessment of my character appears to have been 75% right, though. The only difference (at this level of detail) is that I�ve traded my �intuition� for some �sensing�. But then, a quick bit of background research reveals that �individuals who prefer sensing are more likely to trust information that is in the present, tangible and concrete: that is, information that can be understood by the five senses.�
That sounds reasonable... but it makes me wonder if I�m in the wrong job, since I�m often required to make leaps of intuition. Ah well... if we study the brain activity diagram, we see that I still have a fair bit of intuition...
Either that or I�m thinking about building a kite.
Now, these claims are nothing without verification, but fortunately I have a means of determining their veracity. You see, I have another blog. Or rather, had. It�s quite a few years old now, but a quick check revealed that the thing was still up. (I can�t say much more than that, or I�ll dent my anonymity and potentially get zerged by $ci�nto�ogists, but suffice it to say that there�s a travel-themed blog out there somewhere in cyberspace, written by little old me. In much the same way that Jurassic Park turned out to have a �B-site�, I suppose, although that would make �Confessions of a part-time girl� the crap sequel. Hmm. You�re in a hole, Jon. Stop digging.)
So: I was able to enter the URL for that blog, and see the results. I was wondering if perhaps there would be significant differences between the two, given the different subject matter. This blog, for example, contains the word �knickers� 25 times so far. That other blog never mentions lingerie, as far as I can tell. But the results are in, so (drumroll)...
�ISTP - The Mechanics� - all over again!
A slightly different brain activity map this time. In fact, it makes me look like a monomaniac, interested in nothing but the practical. I think that version of myself is a little bit scary. But hey... I was young and foolish. Now I�m only one of those things.
I actually resent the fact that in both plots I score virtually nothing on rhythm and harmony. Although I don�t play a musical instrument, I never forget a tune... and (don�t laugh) I�m having ballroom dancing lessons with Victoria. Actually (that word again), I think my sense of timing is much better than hers.
And now I�ve said that, I�m DEFINITELY going to have to remain anonymous, until the end of time.
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