Is nonsense about nonsense going too far? Is it even impossible? These questions may or may not concern us, but one thing I'm certain of is this: any cobbled together robot outfitted with artificial intelligence has got to be able to spout a steady stream of blather if it wants to be taken for a human. I worry that today's AI programmers, hard at work to make their software understand reason, have forgotten to include the ability to speak without it. Rudimentary programs might work like this.

• Start folderol: "I ate tailored loft rats."