# 20 Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580 "2005-10-10T15:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/41 "2005-10-10T21:19:26Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > I find [this](http://www.smalltime.com/dictator/) AI much more fun. Heh. “Did you sing Irish songs with Ronald Re[a]gan?” Yes. "It wasn’t easy, but I won this time. You are player number 5 to have chosen Brian Mulroney from Canada. Brian Mulroney from Canada was a tough one, but I’ve had a lot of practice… ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/42 "2005-10-10T21:21:19Z")
I was thinking of a contact lens case: Q29: “Am I guessing that it is Pleasure?” :eek: So I won :D. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/43 "2005-10-10T21:38:09Z")
Duct Tape: Can you play with it? I said “sometimes” - the program said “no”. Softball: Are there different types? I said “no” - the program said “yes”. I stand by my answers. I think the program was just making excuses for not getting either one in 20. ---
**Author:** ![moonstarssun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/44 "2005-10-10T21:50:58Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > Well, that’s dumb! I chose kiwi fruit, and it couldn’t get it. Why? I classified it as “other” and it said “vegetable.” I said yes to “is it brown,” it said no. Stupid thingy. I did kiwi fruit too, and it got it in 19. I described it as green, so maybe that’s what confused it on yours. I also did Pez dispenser, which it got in 17. ---
**Author:** ![Corporate\_Hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/65b543/32.png) [@Corporate\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporate_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/45 "2005-10-10T22:19:15Z")
I think once you’ve gotten used to the expected answers and questions, the AI tends to win more. I’ve played with it once in a while over a few years now, and the way I answer the questions has definitely changed. Now I rarely use an answer besides “yes” or “no,” opting to generalize a lot more. This seems to help the AI out some. I’ve tried a couple of the words people have reported the AI losing at and got winning results. For example, for me it got “horse” in 17q, “fire extinguisher” in 20q, and “school bus” in 29q (but it got “bus” at question 20 and "omnibus (bus) at 25.) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/46 "2005-10-10T22:21:59Z")
> [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](#): > > WTF is a band saw? That’s the saw that broke up The Beatles. Nah, just kidding. [band saw](http://images.google.com/images?q=band+saw&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images). ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/47 "2005-10-10T23:18:03Z")
I was thinking “a kiss”… 20q’s first guess was: belly button lint. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/48 "2005-10-10T23:21:39Z")
Now I ask you, who’s answers were more correct, here? You were thinking of a kiss. Do you use it at night? You said Depends, I say Yes. Would you give it as a gift? You said Sometimes, I say Doubtful. Is it usually colorful? You said Sometimes, I say No. Is it flexible? You said Yes, I say No. Can you buy it at a store? You said Sometimes, I say No. Does it live in groups(gregarious)? You said Sometimes, I say No. Does it come from something larger? You said Yes, I say No. Would you find it on a farm? You said Sometimes, I say No Heh. This is fun! ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/49 "2005-10-10T23:26:15Z")
I was using “stuffed animal”. One of the questions was “Does it weigh more than a duck?” I got the giggles and almost forgot what I was having it guess. ---
**Author:** ![Giant\_Spongess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@Giant\_Spongess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giant_Spongess)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/50 "2005-10-10T23:34:41Z")
I totally stumped it with “porcupine”. It wasn’t even on the list of possibles! ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/51 "2005-10-10T23:42:17Z")
I beat “Guess the Dictator/Sitcom Character” with Floyd Lawson from the Andy Griffith Show. The game’s response: > [@](#): > > You won this time, puny mortal! And I fail again. I guess my parents were right, I’ll always be a failure. I guess it’s time to start looking for a new job. Aww, I didn’t mean to give it a complex ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/52 "2005-10-10T23:51:36Z")
This is spooky. I thought for a few minutes to find an object that it would never guess. Here are the questions it asked. 1. ``` Is it considered valuable? No. ``` 2. ``` Can it fit in an envelope? No. ``` 3. ``` Would you give it as a gift? No. ``` 4. ``` Is it outside? No. ``` 5. ``` Is it hard? No. ``` 6. ``` Is it small? No. ``` 7. ``` Can you hold it? Yes. ``` 8. ``` Is it usually visible? Yes. ``` 9. ``` Is it made of metal? No. ``` 10. ``` Does it bring joy to people? No. ``` 11. ``` Can you find it in a house? No. ``` 12. ``` Can you play with it? No. ``` 13. ``` Can you control it? Yes. ``` 14. ``` Could it be found in a classroom? No. ``` 15. ``` Is it square shaped? No. ``` 16. ``` Does it get wet? No. ``` 17. ``` Would you use it in the dark? No. ``` 18. ``` Is it shiny? No. ``` 19. ``` It is classified as Other. ``` Then it guessed the right answer. Can you? Note that it disagreed with Q16. Well, I’m playing “think in British.” In Britain it was inside, while in America it may have been outside. noose How the hell did it get that from the information that it is usually visible, you can hold it and you can control it? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/53 "2005-10-11T00:45:36Z")
I’m guessing that a lot of people have similar notions of what’s hard to guess, so a noose has come up many times before. Meanwhile, I’m pretty impressed by the one I just did: 1. ``` Can you hold it? Yes. ``` 2. ``` Was it invented? Yes. ``` 3. ``` Can you smell it? No. ``` 4. ``` Is it smaller than a golf ball? Yes. ``` 5. ``` Is it shiny? No. ``` 6. ``` Does it get wet? No. ``` 7. ``` Does it have writing on it? No. ``` 8. ``` Can it be used more than once? Yes. ``` 9. ``` Is it used for entertainment? No. ``` 10. ``` Is it round? Yes. ``` 11. ``` Is it a synthetic material? Sometimes. ``` 12. ``` Is it straight? No. ``` 13. ``` Is it worn on the human body? No. ``` 14. ``` Is it found on a desk? Rarely. ``` 15. ``` Is it small? Yes. ``` 16. ``` It is classified as Other. ``` Which it correctly got (a spool of thread). True, it’s more common than a noose, but I would have expected it to have a hunch before it guessed it outright. Meanwhile, the sitcom/dictator one asked “Do you work in a power plant”, but still needed about a dozen more questions before figuring out Homer Simpson. Playing around with them some more, I notice a couple of things: First, the 20Q site doesn’t seem to have any way of adding new questions to its repetoir. Did the programmers include all of its questions from the start, or did it once accept user-submitted questions? I also note that on the TV/Dictator site (which does accept a user-supplied question, if it loses), many of the questions are highly specific, often to the point that only one person would qualify for a “yes” answer. Surely these aren’t very useful? I guess most people don’t understand “make your question as general as possible”. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/54 "2005-10-11T01:17:50Z")
I’m impressed. It got “booger” in 16. ---
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/55 "2005-10-11T04:42:24Z")
I stumped it with boll weevil and chrysoberyl, although for the former it guessed a number of agricultural insect pests and a lot of gems for the latter. And I just got it to 30 questions guessing yeast. > [@Avarie537](#): > > I chose kiwi fruit, and it couldn’t get it. Why? I classified it as “other” and it said “vegetable.” Whenever I’ve played 20 questions, any kind of plant or plant derivative counted as “vegetable,” not just vegetables. Oranges, paper, cotton – all in the vegetable kingdom. Otherwise it’s a pretty narrow category. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/56 "2005-10-11T06:44:40Z")
It gave up after 30 questions. I was thinking of a cast, as in what you’d wear on a broken arm. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/57 "2005-10-11T08:53:29Z")
It didn’t know about **fondue** , **a metronome** , or **a crepe** , but it got squezee in 18. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/58 "2005-10-11T09:51:30Z")
Oh bullshit! If I say “right” to “does it have something to do with sex?” that doesn’t mean it’s won! Practically everything I think about has something to do with sex. That doesn’t narrow it down at all. And I don’t need a computer program to tell me to get my mind out the gutter. I’m very happy there. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/59 "2005-10-11T10:13:10Z")
It got meteorite in 16. paper clip in 26. guitar string in 25 I totally confused it with _double decker bus_. After it failed it asks: Is it one of these? a speeding ticket the easter bunny :eek: a blue-footed booby a tufted titmouse a lottery ticket a network cable a rubber ducky the colour purple 🆒 a scuba diver **WTF** One of the questions was _does it have four corners_ laundry detergent a cable modem a plastic spoon a hot water bottle a puzzle piece a table tennis table a tape recorder There’s some serious lateral thinking going on there. It did guess ‘omnibus’, does anyone use that word? I’m going to try 1920’s style “Death Ray”. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580/60 "2005-10-11T15:26:48Z")
Still has not figured out felch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-questions/325580.md?page=4)