# 20 questions... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242 "2003-02-28T21:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/21 "2003-03-02T08:14:11Z")
It couldn’t get floppy disk _Is it usually colorful? you said Yes, I say No Is it flexible? you said Yes, I say No **FLOPPY disk, man. FLOPPY** Is it hard? you said No, I say Yesb]FLOPPY disk, man. FLOPPY\*\* Can you open it? you said No, I say Probably Does it have a hard outer shell? you said No, I say Yesb]FLOPPY disk, man. FLOPPY_\*\* Jeez… ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/22 "2003-03-02T08:32:35Z")
Man. It nailed “drivers license” in like 13 guesses. It does a pretty good job, considering. ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/23 "2003-03-02T09:06:05Z")
It’s stumpable, but it’s still damn cool. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/24 "2003-03-02T11:32:25Z")
> [@](#): > > **I am guessing that it is a platypus(duck-billed)?** Holy crap, that some serious _The Matrix_-style AI. It got it in only 14 questions. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/25 "2003-03-02T12:19:21Z")
It couldn’t guess spark plug gap. Mind you, not many people I’ve played with get that one, either. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/26 "2003-03-02T12:53:55Z")
It was pretty good, It got Eggplant, Video Game Console, and Comic book in under 20, only Horseshoe took more guesses. ---
**Author:** ![cherry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/27 "2003-03-02T14:23:18Z")
it didnt guess american eskimo, it’s not in the knowledge base ---
**Author:** ![suki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@suki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suki)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/28 "2003-03-02T14:34:30Z")
I was thinking of the Eifel Tower, and within the 20 questions, the computer responded with a tower…did correct me on one response about whether it had writing on it. kind of fun 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Texican](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ebca7d/32.png) [@Texican](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Texican)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/29 "2003-03-02T15:18:01Z")
28 guesses for pinball machine ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/30 "2003-03-02T18:47:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*Holy crap, that some serious _The Matrix_-style AI. It got it in only 14 questions. 😉 \*\* I tried platypus too, and it took 13 tries. Actually, it shouldn’t be too surprising that it gets such an unusual animal so quickly, becuase the algorithms that runs a program like this simply work on specific characteritics, and the more unique characteristics something has, the easier it will be to guess. The platypus: - has a duck bill (or “long nose” in my attempt) - swims underwater - has webbed feet with claws - lays eggs - is a mammal - is poisonous Not too many other things on the planet fit that description. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/31 "2003-03-02T18:51:18Z")
“Desk Lamp”, 19 guesses. And it informed of four questions that I did indeed answer incorrectly. I think some of you are being a little harsh on the poor machine: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Splanky \* > \*\*It couldn’t get floppy disk > Is it usually colorful? you said Yes, I say No > Is it flexible? you said Yes, I say No FLOPPY disk, man. FLOPPY > Is it hard? you said No, I say Yes FLOPPY disk, man. FLOPPY > Can you open it? you said No, I say Probably > Does it have a hard outer shell? you said No, I say Yes FLOPPY disk, man. FLOPPY > > Jeez…\*\* I see what you mean, but floppy disks aren’t _usually_ colorful (they’re usually black), they do have hard outer shells, they can (technically) be opened and I would classify them as ‘hard’. Maintaining that a chess board is a mammal, or that a cat is not alive, however… ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/32 "2003-03-02T19:16:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by New & Improved Scott \* > \*\*Horseshoe took more guesses. \*\* It got horseshoe in 20 for me. The thing that got me, was that it was asking a bunch of seemingly random and irrelevant questions, and then at the end guessed horseshoe correctly. It was a little freaky. ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/33 "2003-03-02T19:28:22Z")
I keep crashing the thing, but I have a couple of comments. Isn’t 20 questions supposed to END at 20? Don’t I win if my opponent hasn’t guessed it in 20? Several of the things of mine that it didn’t guess, the machine just kept on going until it crashed. Guess it hates to lose. And, isn’t 20 questions supposed to be played with ONLY yes or no questions and answers? What’s this “probably” and “depends” and “maybe” stuff?? And don’t you love being disagreed with when the thing finishes? It reminds me of old teachers and a couple of coworkers. But, it’s oddly addictive… ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/34 "2003-03-02T19:33:31Z")
I stumped it with Aikido - although to be fair it came up with karate after 29 questions and #28 was “Is it yoga”. It also got Magnifying Glass after 27 questions, but then chided me for saying it wasn’t flat and could fit in an envelope. Around here we call flat magnifying glasses windows (unless it meant a fresnel lens) and our envelopes come in various sizes. **Q.E.D.** , regarding your cup, if it has a handle, then it’s probably got a hole in it. I’m sure you’ve seen somewhere a demonstration of how a standard coffee cup is topologically identical to a torus. ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/35 "2003-03-02T19:40:27Z")
I think you all having been playing the beta version, the other version on the server lets you add to the knowlege base if you are thinking of something it doesn’t know. It also makes it more apparent that it is learning things about each object from the answers people have given in the past. It has a more “mature” mode that will guess things like semen as well. I am pretty impressed with the game, I’ve been playing the other version for a while. It’s had a high server load recently as I’ve noticed that the game has been making the rounds on the weblogs, which is why it might seem so slow. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/36 "2003-03-02T19:43:44Z")
Ah, yes, indeed I am aware of this. Topologically, items can be classified by the number of holes in them, in fact, so that a piece of standard loose-leaf paper is topologically identical to a cinder block since both have three holes. However, I was thinking of a drinking glass, which has no handle, and therefore no hole, and is thusly topologically identical to the palm of my hand with which I shall now smack thee upside the head. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/37 "2003-03-02T23:47:03Z")
Try [www.20q.net](http://www.20q.net) It’s pretty neat. I tried it after someone on the board linked to it a year or so ago. Its knowledge base changes the more people play the game and it only knows what people tell it about items played, which leads to some oddball stuff. I must be pretty dull, because it wins most of the time when I play. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/38 "2003-03-03T00:30:05Z")
I won with cheese fondue, but it won (in 19 guesses!) with capybara. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/39 "2003-03-03T04:20:21Z")
nice… ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242/40 "2003-03-03T05:12:36Z")
Pretty cute: tampon: 19 cat litter: 27+ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/158242.md?page=3)