This algorithm identifies the key ingredients to winning a debate

Debate has always been integral to democracy. In its most beautiful form, a presidential debate is a meeting of minds, a moment when two or more upright and well-spoken potential statesmen argue over the fate of a nation and enlighten listeners about their policy positions. In its ugliest appearance, debate devolves into a charade viewed for entertainment rather than illumination, a circus performance full of eye-rolling, name-calling, and deflections. A team of researchers at Northeastern University have taken on the task of predicting debate "winners" by deconstructing their arguments, hoping to encourage more meaningful meetings. The researchers aren't focused on style but content -- they're concern isn't with fancy rhetoric or theatrics but with sound reasoning.