Mr. Saslove also uses his own test in conversation: "I'll say, 'You're from so-and-so, you must know this person, ' " he says.

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After a few moments of tense conversation, the doctor ordered the test and my friend left.

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Recent research backs him up: A study by psychologists at Scotland's University of Edinburgh put a host of pickup lines to the test on 205 undergraduates, who rated whether they'd be likely to continue conversation.

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Researchers used the "Cleverbot" for this test case, which is regarded as one of researchers' best attempts to mimic human conversation patterns with computer intelligence.

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