# The Singularity is Near! (Internet 20 questions) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 25, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308 "2010-01-25T02:50:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/101 "2010-01-26T05:19:55Z")
It didn’t know my trump card for this kind of game: Theophilus. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/102 "2010-01-26T05:23:05Z")
Stumped it with Eduard Shevardnadze. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/103 "2010-01-26T05:37:20Z")
It failed to get Eddie Cochran after three wrong guesses (nearest was Roy Orbison), ubt he was in the database about 4 times over already (with different descriptors). I am pretty sure my answers were accurate, I checked Wikipedia. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/104 "2010-01-26T05:40:34Z")
Incidentally, here is a similar site that has been around a long time, so it should have a pretty big database by now: [Guess the Dictator or Sit-Com Character](http://www.smalltime.com/Dictator) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/105 "2010-01-26T05:42:20Z")
It got Bobby Fisher, after asking if my character was kinda creepy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/106 "2010-01-26T06:06:55Z")
Seems that playing a variation of How Not to Be Seen is the key here-i.e. choose someone who doesn’t stand out much from the group in which he can be classified. He got Scorpius (Farscape), Barney the Dinosaur, and Elric of Melnibone’ very easily, but T. S. Eliot and Mark Messier stumped him (it did give me 3 hockey players, including Gretzky & Yzerman tho). There are probably tons of sitcom dads which can easily stump him…ok, going to try Mike Brady… …and he guessed Herman Munster, Bewitched’s Darrin, and Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase’s character in the Vacation movies). QED. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/107 "2010-01-26T07:52:30Z")
I stumped him with Kerry King from Slayer, but then he got Lorena Bobbitt in the first round. (his exact words were “Lorena Bobbitt, penis chopper”) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/108 "2010-01-26T08:47:44Z")
It got Pompey the Great in 30-odd guesses. Stumped it with Professor Bernardo de La Paz. Stumped it again with Jamie McPheeters. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/109 "2010-01-26T12:07:17Z")
It doesn’t seem that good on English arts. It did get D G Rossetti, but failed with Elizabeth Siddal, John Everett Millais, John Ruskin, Bridget Riley (the op-art artist, not the porn star that’s in the database) and Evelyn and Auberon Waugh. So, if it’s in an area that it knows about, it’s amazing. Otherwise, not so hot. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/110 "2010-01-26T12:36:50Z")
At 20 questions it guessed (wrongly) Cal Ripken, Jr. With one more question it got it right: Ryne Sandberg. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/111 "2010-01-26T13:08:43Z")
It missed _Thing 2_ (from Cat in the Hat). I would have taken either Things (or even a Who), but to no avail. Great program though, I love those things. First one I was ever aware of was the sitcom character or dictator. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/112 "2010-01-26T13:47:06Z")
> [@Justin\_Credible](#): > > Oh geez, now I’m thinking of The Witch King of Angmar, and it’s 8th question is “has your character played in The Lord of The Rings?” after just asking basic things like real/fictional and man/woman. Damn genie. I almost had a freaky insight-question yesterday when I was thinking of Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria and it asked “Is this character involved with the metal scene?” I answered “probably”. I thought that might throw it off, but after it got Claudio after around 20 questions I looked at the details and “probably” is _exactly_ the answer it was looking for, so my answer really helped it. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/113 "2010-01-26T14:26:28Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > Totally missed Raymond Feist. It did get Pug, though. Also got Charlie Bucket (in 19). Stumped in with Beniamino Gigli. There was a “gigli (singer)” in the database, but no Beniamino. Also stumped it with Douglas Hofstadter, although he was in the database. The weirdest question was in going for “my cat”, after it narrowed it down to a non-famous cat who was a member of my family, asked me if my character was a singer or worked with singers. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/114 "2010-01-26T14:28:13Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > It missed _Thing 2_ (from Cat in the Hat). I would have taken either Things (or even a Who), but to no avail. Great program though, I love those things. First one I was ever aware of was the sitcom character or dictator. Trying the Thing from the err Thing movie (1982)…by question 17 it is asking me if it lives in a snowy region, after already asking me if it can transform, so I’m toast: got it on question 18. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/115 "2010-01-26T14:34:22Z")
…and stumped him again, this time with a baseball player (Dustin Pedroia)-I’ve noticed he’s fixated on concrete signifiers, so when tested T. S. Eliot, he didn’t ask me anything about existentialism or such. Found a bug: it asked me if Dustin was less than 30 (yes), then it asked me if he was older than 50. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/116 "2010-01-26T14:35:23Z")
Took it 39 questions to get me. The fact that I sing threw it off. It kept trying to figure out which famous singer I was talking about until it finally asked (in question 36) “Is your character famous?” Why, no. No I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/117 "2010-01-26T14:42:18Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > Took it 39 questions to get me. The fact that I sing threw it off. It kept trying to figure out which famous singer I was talking about until it finally asked (in question 36) “Is your character famous?” > > Why, no. No I’m not. I stumped it on “your mom” (that is, Akinator’s mom rather than your mom.) Although I should have said “yes” when it asked “is it a member of your family”. It’s not, it’s a member of Akinator’s family. I also should have taken “your mom” (as in my mom) instead of “my mom” (as in akinator’s mom) if it had said that, but it never even tried. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/118 "2010-01-26T15:50:19Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > It hasn’t heard of Cecil Adams. It thought I was talking about Gary Larson, which I guess is a compliment. (Also someone named Chad Vader). > [@Chronos](#): > > Interesting, it gave me both of those in less than 20. > > What surprised me was that it actually got Deep Blue. I would have thought that it’d get confused about a character that really exists and is made of metal. It found Henry Clay on a second guess and Garry Kasparov easily. I stumped it on Lt William Calley, though. I think it got confused that he was still alive, but not famous anymore. It did ask “…famous from the 70s?” That’s pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/119 "2010-01-26T16:14:08Z")
This time I followed Cecil Adams to the end. I stumped it, but it did have Cecil on its master list. I think I’ll try again and see if it does anything different this time. ETA: Yup, got Cecil first try. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308/120 "2010-01-26T18:50:02Z")
It’s hit or miss on famous authors. It got Isaac Asimov and Agatha Christie easily, but missed on Leon Uris and Herman Wouk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-singularity-is-near-internet-20-questions/526308.md?page=7)