Next for Jeopardy! Winner: Dr. Watson, I Presume? (Medical diagnosis next for Supercomputer)

Time ^ | 02/17/2011 | Michelle Castillo

[SeekAndFind]

After conquering puny humans Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter and winning a total of $77,147 over three days and two full games on Jeopardy!, IBM's know-it-all new supercomputer is going to med school.

On Wednesday, IBM, along with Nuance Communications Inc. and the Columbia University and University of Maryland medical schools, announced that they are developing Watson as a diagnostic tool that can help doctors identify diseases and recommend treatments. They hope to begin lab tests as early as next year, with real world testing later in 2012.

"What makes Watson unique is that it can rip through massive amounts of information and give a small amount of possible answers with levels of confidence," says Dr. John Kelly, IBM's senior vice president of research.

Doctors have long relied on technology to help them manage patient care — electronically stored patient histories, digital lab results and machines that regulate medication are all commonplace in today's hospitals. Indeed, the first attempt to create a machine that could help diagnose human illness came back in the 1970s, when Stanford University researchers developed MYCIN — a computer designed to indentify different types of bacteria responsible for infections. But even the most up-to-date systems, which were developed in the 1980s, still require physicians to spend costly time typing in test data and patient information, and still only cover a limited number of diseases.

That's why doctors like Eliot Siegel, a professor and vice chair at Maryland's department of diagnostic radiology, says Watson's capabilities are necessary now. Imagine a supercomputer that can not only store and collate patient data but also interpret records in a matter of seconds, analyze additional patient information and research from medical journals and deliver possible diagnoses and treatments, with the probability of each outcome precisely calculated.

[McKayopectate]

And when a computer decides WE’RE the disease...

[SeekAndFind]

FROM THE ARTICLE :

Some medical professionals, including Siegel's colleagues, worry that a future Doctor Watson might make us too dependent on technology. A human diagnostician immediately understands that when we say we've got stomach pains, we could really be talking about any number of organs in the abdominal area, not just the stomach specifically; computers tend to think more literally. That's why the IBM team insists that Watson can never supplant doctors completely.

With a growing number of medical studies being published every day, it's hard for doctors to keep up with all the latest data. Watson can store all that information and use it to help a doctor make his or her decision. Siegel suggests thinking of Watson as one of the other doctors on the Fox medical drama House: while it's Dr. House who always comes up with the final answer, his team provides the hints and clues that help him along the diagnostic path

[ontap]

What makes Watson unique is that it can rip through massive amounts of information and give a small amount of possible answers with levels of confidence

Another unique thing about Watson is it thinks Toronto is a U.S. city!!!

[Vinnie]

It was amazing how fast Watson could fetch an answer.

Curious as to how the questions were inputed and how many years it took to load the information.

I can see with the right categories Watson could be beat.

[chichipow]

I love this idea.

It can be used by teachers, doctors, mechanics, etc... as a sounding board. Something with tons and tons and tons of info that is able to sort through it and give advice. Of course it wouldn’t replace people (not until they get those cool terminator models), but could give us something that can suggest diagnosis both medical and mechanical, facts and theories, etc...

Very cool.

[McKayopectate]

I read the article. I know what it said, but can you imagine that it came to this a few years ago? I foresee at some point where computers will be made to decide what’s best for us, I mean, after all, we already have humans who do that. At some point, they will determine that man is too easily corruptible, too unpredictable to lead us, and that computers will be put in charge of making laws, etc. And don’t doubt for a second that robots will be made to enforce those laws. I see it coming... I may sound like a nut, but really, did we believe that a computer would get to this point? Do you think it will stop at this point? Not likely.

[null and void]

Who me? I’d like to see Watson compete with google...

[edpc]

It’ll have everyone believing they’re dying, like Web MD.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Another unique thing about Watson is it thinks Toronto is a U.S. city!!!

You mean it isn't?

[SeekAndFind]

Here’s the lyrics of a hit song some 30 years ago entitled IN THE YEAR 2525 for all the worried futurists out there...

---

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find

In the year 3535
Ain’t gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, or say
Is in the pill you took today

In the year 4545
Ain’t gonna need your teeth, won’t need your eyes
You won’t find a thing to do
Nobody’s gonna look at you

In the year 5555
Your arms are hanging limp at your sides
Your legs not nothing to do
Some machine is doing that for you

In the year 6565
Ain’t gonna need no husband, won’t need no wife
You’ll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long black tube

In the year 7510
If God’s a-comin’ he ought to make it by then
Maybe he’ll look around himself and say
Guess it’s time for the Judgement day

In the year 8510
God’s gonna shake his mighty head
He’ll either say I’m pleased where man has been
Or tear it down and start again

In the year 9595
I’m kinda wondering if man’s gonna be alive
He’s taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain’t put back nothing

Now it’s been 10,000 years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man’s reign is through
But through the eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it’s only yesterday

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find

In the year 3535
Ain’t gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do or say
Is in the pill you took today ....(fading

[Vinnie]

Watson is it thinks Toronto is a U.S. city!!!

That was funny.

I got that one correct but have to admit I had never connected Midway airport with the battle until thinking of the answer.

[Ditto]

Another unique thing about Watson is it thinks Toronto is a U.S. city!!!

It is. It's in Ohio. ;~))

There is also Toronto, Illinois; Toronto, Indiana; Toronto, Iowa; Toronto, Kansas; Toronto, Missouri; and Toronto, South Dakota

[Paladin2]

Ask Watson if coffee is carcinogenic. Science can’t seem to decide.

[jeltz25]

The 2nd game was much closer. I think before Final Jeopardy the computer was ahead of Jenning by 21K to 18K or thereabouts. For some reason Ken only bet 1000 on Final and ended up with 19 and the computer bet close to all and ended up with around 40 so it looked much worse. I think Ken only bet 1000 because he wanted to make sure he finished 2nd. Brad hat a bit of a lead from the 1st game so Ken wantedt o make sure that no matter what happened he’d finish 2nd when both games were tallied.

But I think if they played more games the people would do better. The more they get used to playing, to the increased speed on buzzing in. If they played 10 I think Ken or someone else might win a few.

A real key is getting the daily doubles and maximizing them.

[SeekAndFind]

Toronto is in the USA.

The city of Toronto is located in Ohio. See here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto,_Ohio

[Argus]

“You’re not looking very well, Dave. Maybe you should go lie down.”

[Paladin2]

I suspect that Midway should have been named Partway or Halfway and may have been built before WWII.

[Paladin2]

I think it is lame that the questions were submitted to Watson using a text file rather than using voice recognition from the studio audio.

[Vinnie]

The city of Toronto is located in Ohio.

Yeah, but its 2nd airport is named for a French artist. : )