Now entering the studio... IBM

[irwinsjournal.com]

Noted on the New York Times website as a "Magazine Preview" article.  I have not finished reading it so I'll just pass along the link without any comment...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/magazine/20Computer-t.html

For the last three years, I.B.M. scientists have been developing what they expect will be the world’s most advanced “question answering” machine, able to understand a question posed in everyday human elocution — “natural language,” as computer scientists call it — and respond with a precise, factual answer...

With Watson, I.B.M. claims it has cracked the problem — and aims to prove as much on national TV. The producers of “Jeopardy!” have agreed to pit Watson against some of the game’s best former players as early as this fall.

[Lirodon]

IBM computer
Ken Jennings
Brad Rutter

I am calling it now.

[jalman]

MALCOLM as front-end.  No exceptions.

[Jay Temple]

But will it suss out information like this?
THE YANKEES
He died June 2, 1941, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

And in a non-lock game, how will it wager?

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'242598\' date=\'Jun 16 2010, 07:39 PM\']But will it suss out information like this?
THE YANKEES
He died June 2, 1941, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.[/quote]
For God's sake, a Google of "yankees amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" yields the correct answer as the first hit. The "he" tells the app it's looking for the person's name. Trust me when I tell you, it can do that.

[mbclev]

Will it remember to phrase Double Jeopardy and Daily Double responses in the form of a question (unlike a certain person in 1995 I have mentioned elsewhere so many times)?

[J.R.]

[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242622\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 01:19 AM\'](unlike a certain person in 1995 I have mentioned elsewhere so many times)?[/quote]
Pardon my ignorance, but who exactly are you referring to?

[Craig Karlberg]

[quote name=\'Lirodon\' post=\'242589\' date=\'Jun 16 2010, 08:48 PM\']IBM computer
Ken Jennings
Brad Rutter

I am calling it now.[/quote]


Now there's the ULTIMATE ToC final.  Might as well be a week-long event.  Whoever earns the most $ after 5 ganes win the $2M prize.  If IBM wins, its creators will share the prize I assume.  2nd place is $250K & 3rd place is $100K.

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'242623\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 12:10 AM\'][quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242622\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 01:19 AM\'](unlike a certain person in 1995 I have mentioned elsewhere so many times)?[/quote]Pardon my ignorance, but who exactly are you referring to?[/quote]This is just one guy's brain addled guess, but I think he's talking about Lionel Goldbart. He was doing decently in the Tournament of Champions, happened upon a late Daily Double in the second round, bet enough of his wad that when he forgot to preface his question with "What is...?" that it knocked him plumb out of the running.

[Sonic Whammy]

This whole thing is just way too freaky. The thing I worry about is if it proves to be too difficuly to beat.

[mbclev]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'242648\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 10:45 AM\'][quote name=\'J.R.\' post=\'242623\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 12:10 AM\'][quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242622\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 01:19 AM\'](unlike a certain person in 1995 I have mentioned elsewhere so many times)?[/quote]Pardon my ignorance, but who exactly are you referring to?[/quote]This is just one guy's brain addled guess, but I think he's talking about Lionel Goldbart. He was doing decently in the Tournament of Champions, happened upon a late Daily Double in the second round, bet enough of his wad that when he forgot to preface his question with "What is...?" that it knocked him plumb out of the running.
[/quote]

No, I'm talking about David Siegel, who forgot to phrase a Daily Double response in the form of a question in game one of the 1995 J! Tournament of Champions finals.  The important thing to remember here is that he wagered $800 on that Daily Double, and he lost to eventual tournament champion Ryan Holznagel by $1301, less than the $1600 turnaround that would have occurred had Siegel phrased that particular response properly.  Therefore, it has been my belief ever since that Siegel's mistake cost him the tournament, and every time I mention it on the J! message board, so many people get angry at me and offer theories that I do not think are right, because I have thought about it so many times, and every time I come to the same conclusion, that Siegel's mistake cost him the tournament.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242667\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 09:58 AM\']Therefore, it has been my belief ever since that Siegel's mistake cost him the tournament, and every time I mention it on the J! message board, so many people get angry at me and offer theories that I do not think are right,[/quote]
You mean, like the obvious one, where the wagering for FJ (EDIT: AND AN ENTIRE SECOND GAME) changes because the scores are different?

Yeah, can't imagine why people would get annoyed with you about that.

EDIT: Jesus, I just found the original thread where you started beating that drum. You're STILL hanging on to a Game One wager making the difference in the tournament strictly on a mathematical basis?

[mbclev]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'242668\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 01:19 PM\'][quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242667\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 09:58 AM\']Therefore, it has been my belief ever since that Siegel's mistake cost him the tournament, and every time I mention it on the J! message board, so many people get angry at me and offer theories that I do not think are right,[/quote]
You mean, like the obvious one, where the wagering for FJ (EDIT: AND AN ENTIRE SECOND GAME) changes because the scores are different?

Yeah, can't imagine why people would get annoyed with you about that.

EDIT: Jesus, I just found the original thread where you started beating that drum. You're STILL hanging on to a Game One wager making the difference in the tournament strictly on a mathematical basis?
[/quote]

Yes, because Siegel was not playing by the rules.  All the other theories people have suggested all were based on Siegel still playing by the rules.  If he hadn't broken the rules, he would have won the tournament.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242670\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 11:21 AM\']Yes, because Siegel was not playing by the rules.  All the other theories people have suggested all were based on Siegel still playing by the rules.  If he hadn't broken the rules, he would have won the tournament.[/quote]
What in the purple hell are you talking about?

(I found another special one, didn't I.)

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'mbclev\' post=\'242667\' date=\'Jun 17 2010, 11:58 AM\']No, I'm talking about David Siegel, who forgot to phrase a Daily Double response in the form of a question in game one of the 1995 J! Tournament of Champions finals.  The important thing to remember here is that he wagered $800 on that Daily Double, and he lost to eventual tournament champion Ryan Holznagel by $1301, less than the $1600 turnaround that would have occurred had Siegel phrased that particular response properly.  Therefore, it has been my belief ever since that Siegel's mistake cost him the tournament, and every time I mention it on the J! message board, so many people get angry at me and offer theories that I do not think are right, because I have thought about it so many times, and every time I come to the same conclusion, that Siegel's mistake cost him the tournament.[/quote]
Anyhoo, in other news.....

You can play against Watson here. It's just one Jeopardy! board, no Daily Doubles, and you get first crack at all the answers. After each clue is finished, the game will show what Watson was "thinking" when answering. I'm assuming that if his percentile of confidence passes the line, he answers the question.