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I for one welcome our new computer overlords

TechnoWeenie

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Watson wins!

/snip

Watson earned $77,147, versus $24,000 for Ken Jennings and $21,600 for Brad Rutter. Jennings took it in stride writing "I for one welcome our new computer overlords" alongside his correct Final Jeopardy answer.

Video
 

END_THE_FED

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Mar 19, 2010
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Wow,

I did even know they were doing this. I use to watch Jeopardy a lot, but haven't watched much lately.

Sounds interesting, I will have to try to find the episodes online somewhere.
 
M

McX

Guest
welcome to life in the 23rd century

hello dave......................

or perhapse we will all get to install M5 Units in our cars, if you recall; we all know how well that worked out for the Federation and the Enterprise.
 
M

McX

Guest
for those who dont know:

On stardate 4729.4, the Enterprise is summoned to a space station without explanation. Commodore Wesley, commanding officer of the Lexington, explains that the Enterprise will be a test vessel for a revolutionary tactical computer called the "M5 Multitronic System", designed by the brilliant Dr. Richard Daystrom. The M5 will handle all ship functions without human assistance. While Kirk and Dr. McCoy are unhappy about the test, Mr. Spock is impressed with M5. Kirk learns that four earlier prototypes were unsuccessful, giving him further doubts.

At first M5 works well, performing ship functions more quickly and efficiently than a living crew. Later, M5 exhibits quirks such as turning off power and life support to unoccupied parts of the ship. It draws increased power for unknown reasons. Daystrom maintains M5 is working properly.

In a drill, M5 defends the Enterprise against mock attacks from starships Excalibur and Lexington. The Enterprise is declared the victor, prompting Commodore Wesley to call Kirk "Captain Dunsel". Spock explains the term is used by midshipmen at Starfleet Academy to describe a part serving no useful purpose. Kirk is visibly shaken by this.

Soon after, M5 detects the Woden, an unmanned freighter that is not part of the test, and attacks with real weapons, destroying it. Kirk orders M5 taken offline, but Daystrom continues to believe M5 is working correctly, and refuses. Kirk tries to disconnect M5, but discovers it is protecting itself with a force field. Engineer Montgomery Scott assigns Mr. Harper, a technician to unplug the main connection, but the crewman is killed in the process. Spock and Scott desperately attempt a manual override, but they discover M5 has bypassed its power source and now draws energy directly from the ship's warp engines. Daystrom persistently defends M5 and refuses to disconnect it.

Spock questions Daystrom on his computer design. Daystrom reveals he has programmed human engrams into M5. Pressed further, Daystrom admits the engrams he used were his own, meaning M5 thinks similarly to Daystrom himself. With increased stress and anger, Daystrom appears unstable. M5 now shows similar instability. An attempt by the Enterprise crew to isolate M5 from the ship fails, as they are duped by a decoy.

Meanwhile the other ships in the test continue unaware of the problems with the Enterprise. Next follows a war game against Federation starships Lexington, Potemkin, Excalibur, and Hood. M5 detects the ships, but does not treat them as part of the trial, instead firing on them with live weapons. Daystrom states the M5 is programmed to preserve itself by any means. Although surprised by M5's actions, Daystrom simply views them as mistakes made by a learning "child". An angry Kirk asserts these "mistakes" are costing lives, and the computer must be shut down.

The crew watches as M5 pounds the other ships relentlessly. The Enterprise fires on the Lexington, killing 53, then destroys the Excalibur - killing all aboard her. From the Lexington, Commodore Wesley orders the remaining ships to destroy the Enterprise at all cost. Since M5 has disabled communications, Kirk is unable to explain what is happening. Kirk demands that Daystrom act, but the scientist will not accept M5 as another failure. He rambles about proving his worth and curses colleagues taking credit for his work. McCoy sees a psychotic episode coming, and warns Kirk the scientist is becoming delusional.

Kirk has Daystrom taken to sickbay after Spock fells him with a Vulcan nerve pinch. Kirk then talks to M5 to see whether he can persuade it to stop the attacks. The M5 acknowledges Kirk, who asks M5 what its purpose is. M5 responds "To save men from the dangerous activities of space exploration." Kirk rejoins that it just acted contrary to its purpose by killing people. M5 recognizes the penalty for murder is death, so it shuts itself down. In so doing, it cripples the Enterprise, setting the ship adrift.

The other Federation ships now close on the Enterprise to destroy it. While Scotty frantically attempts to regain control of the ship, Kirk decides to let the ship drift with shields down, hoping that Commodore Wesley will realize what the situation is aboard the Enterprise. The gamble pays off as the Commodore orders his ships to stand down at the last moment.

McCoy says that Daystrom will be committed to a rehabilitation center. Kirk explains that he knew that Bob Wesley would not fire, because he gambled on his humanity. McCoy pointedly comments that compassion is something computers lack. Spock responds that machines are more efficient than human beings: not better. He then dryly remarks that if McCoy's engrams were impressed in a computer, the resulting torrential flood of illogic would be most entertaining.
 

END_THE_FED

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no i beleive it was Dr. Richard Daystrom.


I did catch the M5 reference, and remembered it from Star-Trek, but wouldn't of remembered the name Dr. Daystorm.


I was mixing things up a bit by mentioning another computer with "a mind of its' own".
Way to shoot down my reference buddy! LOL
 

irish52084

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Jun 26, 2010
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Puyallup< WA
I didn't catch the star trek reference at first. I thought you were talking about installing an M5 BMW ECU and I was really confused for a second. :lol:
 

Badger Johnson

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OK, 'Watson' can not use the 'Net, but is programmed with thousands of reference books. However it can not look through every reference each time. It also has to 'buzz in'.

IMO, if it is only allowed to buzz in when it has a correct answer (or "thinks" it does) and if the delay of the Human nervous system (on average) is built in, it will not beat human adversaries though it should tie them.

Why? Because the heuristic method that humans use - data sifting and intuiting right answers from a small amount of possibilities, not doing enormous ply analysis, is still not well understood. Computers are still using brute force methods, largely. (some are working on these advanced human methods).

If it is only allowed to be in a space the size of the human brain
, I think we'll reign supreme for a long time in this field of computer gaming.
 

Deanimator

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IMO, if it is only allowed to buzz in when it has a correct answer (or "thinks" it does) and if the delay of the Human nervous system (on average) is built in, it will not beat human adversaries though it should tie them.
I watched the shows and was struck by exactly this issue. Especially in the first game, Watson seemed to buzz in first nine times out of ten. I question whether any effort was made to give Watson reaction time comparable to a normal human, and whether there was comparable mechanical effort involved to buzz in.

The amusing things were Watson's quirky wagers in the Daily Double and Final Jeopardy, and the fact that when Watson's wrong, he's VERY wrong. Talking to a friend's wife, I likened Watson to a combination of Adrian Monk and Raymond from "Rain Man".
 
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