# Is it heavier than a pound of butter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027 "2002-11-02T22:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/21 "2002-11-05T13:09:10Z")
Hm. Interesting. Naturally I thought of a helicopter. Here’s what it told me after 29 questions: > [@](#): > > Contradictions > > A helicopter does not have a hole in it > A helicopter does not get really hot > A helicopter is tall (I answered yes; a it has a hole in it.) If a helicopter does not have a hole in it, how does the pilot get in? (I answered sometimes.) Obviously the AI program hasn’t flown in a helicopter in Southern California in the summer. It can get quite hot under that plexiglass bubble. And the engine gets a bit warm as well. (I said, “Depends.”) What is tall? It depends on if you are comparing it to a dog, or a skyscraper. > [@](#): > > Answers for your Unknowns > Michael Jordan would not use a helicopter > > Things I didn’t know > A helicopter is not native to the Mediterranian Area > A helicopter does not have a long nose ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/22 "2002-11-05T18:20:20Z")
It got a cranberry in 28 guesses: Contradictions A cranberry might not be used by a cowboy (should have used maybe) A cranberry does have tough skin (hmm - judgement call) A cranberry is living (not after it’s picked) You can walk on a cranberry (???) Things I didn’t know You don’t squeeze a cranberry out of a bottle A cranberry is not the larval stage of an insect (useful knowledge!) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/23 "2002-11-05T19:09:20Z")
> [@](#): > > You can eat a goldfish > A goldfish is not smaller than a garage > A goldfish is probably commonly used > A goldfish can think > A goldfish is edible All right, who’s been eating your garage-sized goldfish? ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/24 "2002-11-05T21:29:20Z")
Gawd, I love when it starts guessing, and you can see your item in the list, and you are wishing it up the list, and wondering how in the name of hell it can have “wart, boil, tennis raquet, pimple, spot” … where did that tennis raquet come from?! It has an orc at first place after 12 questions… lot of fanboys been playing this game 😉 Oops! I taught it that an orc probably doesn’t eat nuts… Have I taught it the wrong thing? _ANGST_ ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/25 "2002-11-05T22:32:16Z")
It got fairy in 30 questions, although at first it thought it was cannabis? And just so you all know, you cannot make money by selling a fairy (there goes my idea for a home business), and you would not use a fairy daily (I would), or use it to melt things. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/26 "2002-11-05T23:03:03Z")
1. I guess that it is a hamburger? No 2. I guess that it is a tea bag? No 3. Can it be dried? Doubtful 4. Would you use it daily? Depends 5. Does it contain things? Maybe 6. Does it contain a liquid? No 7. Does it come in different colors? No 8. Do you chew it? Sometimes 9. Is it smooth? Sometimes 10. Can you buy it in a deli? Yes 11. I guess that it is a tortilla? No 12. Does it come from the ground? No 13. Does it bring joy to people? Maybe 14. Can you bend it without breaking it? Yes 15. Do you love it? Depends 16. Is it considered helpful to humans? Sometimes 17. Do most people use this daily? Depends 18. Is it pleasurable? Maybe 19. Is it a beverage? No 20. Is it man made? Yes 21. Does it come from something larger? Yes 22. Does it live above ground? No 23. Are there many different sorts of it? Yes 24. Is it commonly cultivated? Yes 25. Does it roll? No 26. Is it related to a pig? No 27. Is it green? No 28. Does it flower? No 29. Can it be placed on your head? Maybe 30. Is it classified as? Vegetable ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/27 "2002-11-05T23:49:40Z")
That’s pretty damn cool. ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/28 "2002-11-06T00:32:34Z")
Same object, different player 🙂 **Peanut Butter** 20. I guess that it is peanut butter? Yes 19. Do you eat it with Thanksgiving dinner? No 18. Does it come in different colors? No 17. Does it taste good? Yes Is it straight? Unknown 16. Does it get really hot? No 15. Can it float? Doubtful 14. Was it invented? Yes 13. Does it live above ground? Irrelevant 12. Is it brown? Yes 11. Is it green or black? No 10. Is it spherical? No 9. Does it coo? No 8. Can it fit in an envelope? No 7. Does it taste sweet? No 6. Does it roll? Yes 5. Is it alive? No 4. Is it symmetrical? Probably 3. Is it used in a kitchen? Yes 2. Is it used to make salads? No 1. Is it classified as? Vegetable It’s a funny old game 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/29 "2002-11-06T13:53:12Z")
Telephone: 1. I guess that it is a telephone? Yes 2. Does it burn fuel? No 3. Is it something you bring along? No **26. Does it eat termites?** No 4. Can you speak into it? Yes 5. Is it something you can hear? Yes 6. Can you put something into it? No 7. Do you make something with it? Yes 8. Is it worth a lot of money? No 9. I guess that it is a cellular phone? Close 10. Would you use it to communicate to others? Yes 11. Is it multicolored? Sometimes 12. Does it display information? Yes 13. Is it a synthetic material? Yes 14. Does it break if dropped? Probably 15. Can it be washed? No 16. Would you give it as a gift? Doubtful 17. Can it fit in an envelope? No 18. Do you use it at work? Yes 19. Can it be painted? Irrelevant 20. Is it a thin material? No 21. Would you find it on a farm? Maybe 22. Does it come in a box? Probably 23. Do you use it at night? Sometimes 24. Does it like to catch mice? No 25. Do you use it in your home? Yes 26. Can you play with it? Maybe 27. Do you hold it when you use it? Yes 28. Is it classified as? Mineral What the hell was going on with Q26? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/30 "2002-11-06T14:09:33Z")
This is very addictive… … and some of the results are almost poetic: > [@](#): > > **Things I didn’t know** > London cannot add > London is probably a synthetic material > London is not something you bring along > You cannot play with London > You don’t put things in London > You can blow London up > London is not an insectivore > London is not in the family Mustelidae ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/31 "2002-11-06T15:58:01Z")
It got earthquake in 29 questions. Not bad, except that it guessed tornado in 20, which should have been close enough to get to earthquake in just another couple of guesses. Even after I told it tornado was close, it still hadn’t ruled out mouse or ghost. (_Mouse?_ Yes, I live in constant fear of the “big one”: an 8.0 magnitude mouse…) ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/32 "2002-11-06T16:17:47Z")
Pretty Cool. It got most of my objects pretty easily. Aircraft carrier in 15, traffic light in 17. I stumped it on headphones though. The one that blew me away – it got camel spider in 20 questions. And camel spider was its first spider-related guess. I would have thought it would have picked a different species before hitting on that one. Pretty slick. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/33 "2002-11-06T18:30:48Z")
Saith the game: Things I didn’t know A desk calendar is not a medical instrument A desk calendar probably doesn’t break if dropped You don’t open doors with a desk calendar A desk calendar is not a coniferous tree (well, duh!) ---
**Author:** ![JRootabega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@JRootabega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRootabega)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/34 "2002-11-07T00:40:53Z")
Hey, they’re using the same code as the Random Soul Coughing Lyrics Generator!! ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027/35 "2002-11-08T06:24:15Z")
Spontaneous Knowledge: The U.S. senate probably doesn’t come in a box The U.S. senate is probably not a member of the pig family The U.S. senate is probably not extinct The U.S. senate probably doesn’t eat garbage The U.S. senate probably doesn’t spin The U.S. senate was probably not made from milk The U.S. senate probably doesn’t keep you cool The U.S. senate probably doesn’t take nectar from flowers The U.S. senate is probably not undergoing fusion The U.S. senate probably doesn’t eat hay The U.S. senate probably doesn’t breathe Oxygen The U.S. senate probably doesn’t have a sense of smell The U.S. senate is probably not a bottom feeder Contradictions: The U.S. senate is probably not useful 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-heavier-than-a-pound-of-butter/135027.md?page=1)