Peacemaker

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel--because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth - (Genesis: 11: 4-9).

That’s how the world got so many languages, says Bible. But it is easier to imagine that language too evolved with people. The world is shrinking down to a global village. With cultures clashing down and every major cities in the world becoming melting pot of numerous races and ethnicities, a world with no boundaries are not too far away. But what would be the common language? English is the obvious choice, or Chinese? I don’t know. But what if you can keep your own mother tongue and talk to everyone in YFL (Your Favorite Language)?

It may sound like I had too much ‘Hitchhikers’. Of course I like the babel fish, the little bug that can translate every language for your brain if you deposit it in the ear canal. But it is more real than that. I recently read (actually saw video) of Skype Translator, which translates two-way between German and English, in real time! It is primitive (in comparison to its own future versions and Star Trek!), but it is a great start. It will be amazing to talk to your research buddies without the language barrier. This is particularly great news to global enterprise like science, which needs a lot of communications between scientists all around the world. I cannot think of anything bad coming out of this technology. I would even call it the 'Universal Peace Maker' for the huge potential it holds in enhancing multicultural interactions and breaking down ethnic and racial barriers. Its all good and lets go for it! Congrats to Microsoft and all team behind it.