Research scientist Janelle Shane was recently given an interesting task. Portland Guinea Pig Rescue had a lot of adoptable peegs, but was having trouble naming them all. So Shane turned to a neural network, a computer system that can create new data by examining existing data. After reading a list of popular guinea pig names, the neural net spat out some of its own, including Fleury White, Stargoon, Buzzberry, After Pie, Popchop, Fuzzable, Spockers, and Hanger Dan — and they’re ready to be adopted.
Found on The Mary Sue by Laura H. and IFLScience by Allein S.
Popchop and Fuzzable are my favorite of the names, I think.
After Pie reminds me, though, I have pizza in the fridge. 😉
I like Stargoon and Spockers, they sound like names for science fiction movie heroes!
Speaking of, I just watched last night’s episode of Downward Dog and Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) was on it! Singing!
Yes I saw it too, it was great to see her again not many of the original cast left.
And thank the stars she sings a lot better than Shatner and Nimoy. If you’ve never heard them you can probably look them up on youTube but ? !!
lol
Yeah, but I love Leonard Nimoy in the video for Bruno Mars’ The Lazy Song.
What terrific names! Love Fuzzable. (Side note: there needs to be a guinea peeg emoji.)
AND a wombat one!
These are great! Isn’t a neural net the same method used to develop the crazy paint-color names we were marveling at a few weeks ago?
I was just thinking about that story! I came across it by chance on a blog and shared it here.
I misread it as ‘neutral network’ and was like “How can you be NEUTRAL about guinea pigs ? ?? You can only be POSITIVE about them, right?” And the I re-read the text and it all made sense 🙂
Jerzowa – I love the indignation! 🙂
I thought this was one of NTMTOM’s creative stories but from the comments, I learned there really is a neural network. I’m not into all the tech lingo, nor am I computer savy. So whatever names the program came up with, this peeg looks so cute and I hope they all get homes.
Those names are AWESOME! Stargoon is my favorite.
They also came up with “Rockass” – that’ll be the perfect name for just the right guinea pig.
I agree!
I don’t understand how you could need a computer program for this. I could come up with hundreds of Guinea Pig names on my own. For inspiration:
Food: Cupcake, Honey Pie, Dumpling, Lollipop, etc.
Music Stars: Ringo, Bruno, Justin, Britney, Taylor, Haim, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, etc.
People: Jimmy, Conan, Dave, Loretta, Berneice, Hilda, Albert, Phyllis, Laverne,, etc.
Objects/Other: Fuzz Button, Luv Bunny, Fidget, Spinner, Bugaboo, Dorple, Murple, Foomer, Bizzbo, etc.
Seriously, I could go on and on. I wonder if I could get a paying job doing this…….
I like the way your neural network works, Julie! 🙂
I like Fleury White and Buzzberry out of that list. I like Julie’s list more though! So many good names. Human brain wins the QTE name contest, hands down! Dorple, Foomer and Bizzbo are my favorites from her list.
There were some great names on the rejects list too. Next time I get a cat or a lizard, I’m naming it Bho8otteeddeeceul.
And I thought people had trouble pronouncing my name…
I’d like to hear you call that critter to dinner! “Here! Bho8otteeddeeceul!”
They are all adorable, but I can’t read the words “ginger crested piggy” without thinking of a certain yuuuuge orange toddler in Washington.
?
Exactly!