# Click on the dots; they guess your age **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 20, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224 "2013-04-20T16:33:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/81 "2013-04-21T02:17:34Z")
Guessed me at 30, and I’m 47 and had been drinking. 🙂 ---
**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:** [April 21, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/82 "2013-04-21T02:40:44Z")
It guessed 48 and I’m 57. I wonder if I could’ve done any better using a mouse instead of this crappy trackpad. ---
**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:** [April 21, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/83 "2013-04-21T02:52:54Z")
Guessed 31, actual 35. Maybe it gathered this automatically, but I note that it never asked what operating system we’re using. This would be highly significant, because Macs by default have mouse acceleration turned on, and PCs by default have it turned off (that is to say, on a Mac, a rapid movement of the mouse through some distance will move the cursor further than a slow movement of the same distance). This will cause significant changes in the movement profile of the cursor, which is one of the major factors they claim to use. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/84 "2013-04-21T02:54:34Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > This app is bogus IMO, I think one poster was right when they said this is probably gathering age related data, not actually guessing in any accurate way. Possibly it’s still in the stage of forming the the principles to base it’s stated purpose on. It will still fail in the end because the principle is flawed. My motor skills will change as I age, but they don’t know what my skills were when I was younger. Comparing my skills to all other 57 year olds they test will probably reveal nothing. That doesn’t even factor in the greatly different pointing devices that can be used in the test. ---
**Author:** ![Rahne\_McCloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rahne\_McCloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rahne_McCloud)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/85 "2013-04-21T02:56:31Z")
It guessed 34 I’m 55 ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/86 "2013-04-21T03:14:19Z")
It lowballed me by about 12 years, so far, that’s the highlight of my Saturday night. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/87 "2013-04-21T03:22:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I’m 53. Their guess was 29. Same actual age, but assumed to be 31. Since you’re a runner, it’s reasonable that you’re a little speedier than I (fast walker, but with no competitive race to my credit other than a 5k run-walk over a decade ago) am! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/88 "2013-04-21T03:55:02Z")
Guess: 30. Actual: 45.5 First try. And I’ve had 8 beers. LOL. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/89 "2013-04-21T04:03:24Z")
Guessed 37 I’m 57 I was surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/90 "2013-04-21T04:16:32Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > This app is bogus IMO, I think one poster was right when they said this is probably gathering age related data, not actually guessing in any accurate way. Not an unreasonable assumption. I’m 47, currently tipsy and came in at 34. My 13 year old daughter sat down in my chair after me, she is 34 too. ---
**Author:** ![mugaliens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mugaliens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mugaliens)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/91 "2013-04-21T04:35:55Z")
> [@](#): > > Results > > Our best guess is that you are 34. Is it close? > To help us improve the system, please tell us your actual age > Any final comments? I’m 49, not 34. Does this mean I have the youthful brain of a 34-year-old? 🙂 My final comments: I eat very healthy, get plenty of both cardio and strength exercise, take 1/2 the daily recommended dose of GNC Men’s Ultra-Mega vitamins, drink moderate amounts of black tea daily, and do a lot of writing and information (data/systems) analysis. That might explain the difference. ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/92 "2013-04-21T05:19:26Z")
I’m 54 and it guessed that I’m only 10 years old! Looks like there’s some issue with the program - I see that it decided that some other 50+ year old posters were also 10 years old. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/93 "2013-04-21T05:20:28Z")
31 but I’m closer to 60 and the cat was in the way. Hmmm. Starting to sound bogus. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/94 "2013-04-21T05:33:07Z")
I’m 31 and it guessed 55. Not terribly impressed, me. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/95 "2013-04-21T06:03:36Z")
Spot on at 39. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/96 "2013-04-21T06:25:11Z")
Guess: 38 Real: 16 ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/97 "2013-04-21T06:41:34Z")
Guess: 44 Rea: 64 I would be doing the happy dance at being taken for 20 years younger at ANYTHING having to do with a computer had I not seen some of the other answers. As it is I’ll just be quietly content. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/98 "2013-04-21T09:58:15Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Guess 31 > Actual 48 Pretty close to mine. Guess 31 Actual 47 ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/99 "2013-04-21T10:31:43Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Guess: 38 > Real: 16 Finally someone else who was pegged way off in the other direction. It guessed that I was 48. I am 25. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2013, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224/100 "2013-04-21T12:47:31Z")
It won’t even let me try - well, it will but there’s a popup that says “unless you can enlarge the screen your results won’t be accurate” But just knowing how different playing Chain Rxn is on my home computer from my work one makes me suspect that there’s no way for the results to actually be useful in anyone’s research. ([chainrxn.zwigglers.com](http://chainrxn.zwigglers.com) if you like very non-challenging games with pretty sounds and colors) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/click-on-the-dots-they-guess-your-age/656224.md?page=6)