19. Google Has Not Solved Human Misunderstanding

Kathy Gilsinan's article begins by talking about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams, which includes a creature called the Babel fish. This fish translates all universal languages and dialects. Not long ago, Google released the latest update to its Google Translate App. While it may be a popular and generally effective tool, it is not without its flaws. It can be great for instantly translating a still picture of a clearly written sign, but in real life, in speeding highways and unofficial handwriting, it may not be very practical. Furthermore, the instant dual-language translation is still limited and in need of much development. However, one thing is undeniable; the Translate App is bringing us one step closer to eliminating the language barrier. Whether that is good or bad is still hard to tell.

Kathy Gilsinan's article serves both as a brief review of the app's new updates and as an opinionative article on the pros and cons of language translation software. It makes effective use of satire throughout the article, often subtly mocking the app's inefficiencies. This satirical aspect keeps the article fresh and interesting, keeping the reader captivated while still being very informative. The opinion part of the article was particularly intriguing, as another reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is quoted, which says that the universal translation brought about by the Babel fish actually caused more harm than good, leading to wars and disaster. This leaves the reader something to ponder as the increase in Artificially Intelligent translators make it easier and easier to undersand other languages. Also, the reference to the book both in the beginning and the end of the article makes for a great conclusion to the article, wrapping it all up very nicely. Overall, this article balances its informative review and its subjective opinion very well, and readers finish the article with a satisfying sense of awe.

http://m.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/01/google-has-not-solved-human-misunderstanding/384521/