Almost Happy

Can Almost Everybody be Almost Happy? PCP for PPAD and the Inapproximability of Nash

We conjecture that PPAD has a PCP-like complete problem, seeking a near equilibrium in which all but very few players have very little incentive to deviate. We show that, if one assumes that this problem requires exponential time, several open problems in this area are settled. The most important implication, proved via a “birthday repetition” reduction, is that the n n) approximation scheme of...

Happy Chatbot, Happy User

We compare our own embodied conversational agent (ECA) scheme, BotCom, with seven other complex Internet-based ECAs according to recentlypublished information about them, and highlight some important attributes that have received little attention in the construction of realistic ECAs. BotCom incorporates the use of emotions, humor and complex information services. We cover issues that are likel...

Happy Eggs

The world of scientific discovery often remains far-fetched to ordinary people. Although the significance of engaging the public and making the science accessible has been increasingly recognised, few efforts have been made to investigate the popular stereotype of ‘crazy’ scientists, ambitious and sometimes nerdy. Whilst the media tend to focus on very few glamorous scientist celebrities, the m...

Happy 2012!

Along with less snow and blooming crocuses, another sign of winter's retreat is the spring issue of the Canadian Geri-atrics Journal. We are pleased to present a series of articles that investigate gerontological issues in a series of different environments including acute care, the classroom, and the ambulance bay. Dr. McAiney has performed a detailed examination of the prevalence of delirium ...

Happy Holidays