# What was that one game Dopers found that had the computer guessing who they were? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 25, 2011, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627 "2011-04-25T06:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/21 "2011-04-25T15:48:51Z")
So far it’s correctly identified Ichiro Suzuki, Geddy Lee, and Jessica Alba for me. It quickly identified Kvothe, the main character from _The Name of the Wind_ and _The Wise Man’s Fear_. I stumped it with Japanese pop singer aiko. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/22 "2011-04-25T15:49:05Z")
After 27 guesses, he never got Queen Latifah, first suggesting Ciera (whoever that is), then Missy Elliot, then Shrek. He did get Angelina Jolie after only 7 guesses however. ---
**Author:** ![Beniamino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@Beniamino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beniamino)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/23 "2011-04-25T15:50:36Z")
Also got Maimonides astonishingly fast. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/24 "2011-04-25T15:53:11Z")
> [@Beniamino](#): > > After 4 questions, the fifth question was: “Does your character have small breasts?” After a “no” response, it correctly guessed “Scarlett Johanssen”. Took 30 to get to Scarlett for me, though the small breasts question came up close to the end of the chain. Misguessed Hillary Duff first; I think Johanssen’s music career led it astray, as well as my true-but-only-after-i-asked-the-internet answer about whether she’d been in anything produced by the Disney company (some film or another she was in was produced by Touchstone). ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/25 "2011-04-25T15:56:54Z")
Ooo, 28 questions to identify Nobby Nobbs from Pratchett’s Discworld. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/26 "2011-04-25T16:01:44Z")
Tried it with [German Fernandez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Fernandez)(well known to those who follow high school/college cross country/track) and it failed. As I expected. It did come up with Steve Prefontaine. ---
**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:** [April 25, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/27 "2011-04-25T16:14:22Z")
The key to fooling it is to either try somebody very obscure, or somebody who is virtually indistinguishable from a lot of other people. Ichiro Suzuki was a bad choice because so far he’s the only Japanese superstar in MLB, with a rather unique skill set. I tried Dustin Pedroia, but on the 17th Q he asked me if he was bald, and that sealed the deal by Q 20. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/28 "2011-04-25T16:21:06Z")
Wow, it got [Pope Shenouda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Shenouda_III_of_Alexandria). Did not expect that one, though I knew it was zeroing in when it asked if he was Egyptian. Also got Craig Biggio, which doesn’t surprise me much. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/29 "2011-04-25T16:34:51Z")
I stumped him with Stinky Pete from Sealab 2021. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/30 "2011-04-25T16:35:37Z")
It took 19 guess to get me. I don’t know if I should be impressed or not. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/31 "2011-04-25T16:49:12Z")
I stumped it with Cecil Adams!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/32 "2011-04-25T17:26:26Z")
It didn’t get Art Modell, but it managed to get close by guessing Jerry Jones. It got Richard Feynmann on its second guess (the first was Oppenheimer). ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/33 "2011-04-25T17:42:29Z")
Thank you for the prompt answer. 🙂 Judging by all the replies in here (which were the same in that topic), I’m guessing that’s it. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/34 "2011-04-25T17:46:46Z")
Okay, I have to stop playing with this thing. It took 30 guesses to get Brezhnev.[COLOR=#D63194][/COLOR] ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/35 "2011-04-25T17:57:59Z")
Stumped it with Aku, from Samurai Jack. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/36 "2011-04-25T18:09:19Z")
I find it really interesting that Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth has been played nearly four times as often as Anais Nin. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/37 "2011-04-25T18:10:35Z")
He never got Windstrider (aka Miko’s Stupid Horse) – woohoo, got to add it to the database. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/38 "2011-04-25T18:12:21Z")
17 guesses for Al Bundy, right on the first try Just for fun, I thought of a scientist/professor I (sort of) know who’s very well known in a very small niche field. It didn’t get him and gave up, although it was zeroing in on scientists, but obviously didn’t have him in it’s database. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/39 "2011-04-25T18:31:21Z")
It seems to have trouble with comic book characters other than the A-list top names. I stumped it with a few different members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, including Mon-El, one of the most recognizable. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627/40 "2011-04-25T18:38:51Z")
Wow, he got the Kool-Ade Man in about six questions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-that-one-game-dopers-found-that-had-the-computer-guessing-who-they-were/579627.md?page=3)