20 Questions

[Deepak Bala]

Try www.20q.net

I remember playing this a long time back. Its the classic "I can guess what you are thinking about within 20 questions" AI style. It sure has matured since i last played ( six years back !!!??? ). So far it has guessed correctly that I was thinking of a Humming bird, curtains, ID card, football, etc etc. Most times within 20 questions. Amazing ! Give it a go.

[Mark Spritzler]

Nah, I tried a Neck Travel Pillow and it couldn't guess it after 30 questions. It thought it was a bottle of water.

Mark

[Deepak Bala]

Yeah it strays for some questions. But considering it guessed it correctly within 30 questions is in itself great. It lets you select your region first. Which could mean that it tries to guess what you are thinking of, depending on how the people in your region think. Its just a hunch anyway. Still a great piece of software if you ask me. Thumbs up !!

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

I think this correct guess in 15 questions was nothing short of astonishing:

Q18. I am guessing that it is a spider web?
Right, Wrong, Close
17. Can you find it in a house? Sometimes.
16. Is it man made? No.
15. Does it usually have four corners? No.
14. Can it float? Maybe.
13. Does it have cash value? No.
12. Does it get shorter from using it? Irrelevant.
11. Is it fragile? Yes.
10. Is some part of it made of glass? No.
9. Does it fold up easily? Probably.
8. Can you wear it on your head? Probably.
7. Can you see through it? Yes.
6. Does it flower? No.
5. Does it come in a pack? No.
4. Is it a metal? No.
3. Could you send it in the mail? Probably.
2. Is it colorful? No.
1. It is classified as Other.

[Mark Spritzler]

I think you misunderstood what I typed John, even after 30 questions it never got travel pillow. It never figured it out.

Mark

[Alan Wanwierd]

I tried this a few years ago - and was very disappointed.

I tried again just now and after chosing 3 different things it failed all three... very disappointing...:

1) A Pool cover (an obscure test)
2)A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Surely it should have got to DOG before Q28??)...
3)A Honda Accord....

May be I'll try again in another couple of years and see if its got any better....

[Maureen Augustus]

Want to hear a weird story about the 20Q toy? Too late...I'm in a storytelling mood.

<STORY>
A few months after my husband Garrett and I first started dating, when we were still in the stage of deciding where our relationship was headed, I picked up a 20Q toy in a store and started to play with it. I decided that I was going to answer its questions in a way that would describe Garrett, expecting it to finally guess "man" or "boyfriend". Instead it guessed..."soulmate". I've never been able to get it to come up with that word again, and I've tried countless times.
</STORY>

[Gregg Bolinger]

Wow, pretty neat. Based on the QA I didn't think it was going to get it.

Q17. I am guessing that it is a book?
16. Can you recycle it? Yes.
15. Does it have whiskers? No.
14. Can it be played? No.
13. Is it bright? No.
12. Do you use it at night? Sometimes.
11. Is it a herbivore? No.
10. Does it use numbers? Sometimes.
9. Is it black and white? Sometimes.
8. Is it used for entertainment? Sometimes.
7. Does it deal with imagination? Sometimes.
6. Is it native to Asia? No.
5. Does it usually have four corners? Yes.
4. Is it fragile? Rarely.
3. Can you find it in a church? Sometimes.
2. Is it colorful? Usually.
1. It is classified as Other.

[Kashyap Hosdurga]

WOW!!

Q20. I am guessing that it is E-mail?
Right, Wrong, Close
19. Can you play with it? No.
18. Is it usually colourful? Irrelevant.
17. Does it produce light? Irrelevant.
16. Does it produce heat? Irrelevant.
15. Does it shine? Irrelevant.
14. Does it get really hot? Irrelevant.
13. Is it usually warm? Irrelevant.
12. Is it straight? Irrelevant.
11. Is it hard? No.
10. Is it used in travel? No.
9. Do you know any songs about it? No.
8. Does it fly? No.
7. Does it make music? No.
6. Is it a pure bred animal? No.
5. Does it require specific knowledge to use it? Yes.
4. Is it made of plastic? No.
3. Was it used over 100 years ago? No.
2. Do you hold it when you use it? No.
1. It is classified as Other.

[Alan Wanwierd]

Originally posted by Kashyap Hosdurga:
WOW!!

Q20. I am guessing that it is E-mail?
Right, Wrong, Close
19. Can you play with it? No.
18. Is it usually colourful? Irrelevant.
17. Does it produce light? Irrelevant.
16. Does it produce heat? Irrelevant.
15. Does it shine? Irrelevant.
14. Does it get really hot? Irrelevant.
13. Is it usually warm? Irrelevant.
12. Is it straight? Irrelevant.
11. Is it hard? No.
10. Is it used in travel? No.
9. Do you know any songs about it? No.
8. Does it fly? No.
7. Does it make music? No.
6. Is it a pure bred animal? No.
5. Does it require specific knowledge to use it? Yes.
4. Is it made of plastic? No.
3. Was it used over 100 years ago? No.
2. Do you hold it when you use it? No.
1. It is classified as Other.

I'd be tempted to answer a few of those differently!

9. Do you know any songs about it? - POSSIBLY
10. Is it used in travel? No. - YES
14. Does it get really hot? Irrelevant. - SOMETIMES
18. Is it usually colourful? Irrelevant. - SOMETIMES
19. Can you play with it? No. - YES

[Mark Spritzler]

Originally posted by Maureen Augustus:
Instead it guessed..."soulmate". I've never been able to get it to come up with that word again, and I've tried countless times.
</STORY>

? What with thinking of different men? JK

Mark

[John Smith]

I suppose it makes sense in retrospect. There are about 100,000 words in English, and if you can do a binary search by eliminating half the words every time by asking a relevant question, you can nail a single word in 17 tries (2^17 = 131072). It is of course not as straighforward as that, since many things don't fall neatly into the categories. Perhaps some fuzzy logic is built in. It would be interesting to see the implementation.

[Greg Charles]

Here's your soulmate:

Q17. I am guessing that it is a soulmate?
Right, Wrong, Close
16. Does it play music? Maybe.
15. Can you control it? No.
14. Would you like to be one? No.
13. Is it used for entertainment? Yes.
12. Can it help you find your way? Maybe.
11. Is it tall? Maybe.
10. Would you be lost without it? Yes.
9. Can it have hands? Yes.
8. Can you see it in a zoo? No.
7. Is it orange colored? No.
6. Would you eat its fruit? No.
5. Is it awake at night? Sometimes.
4. Does it live near water? Maybe.
3. Can it swim? Maybe.
2. Does it have a long tail? No.
1. It is classified as Animal.

[Rohit Nath]

kool...
nice one.. although i had simple one it guess it "electric guitar"
but it failed miserably for an "punching machine" giving all sort of answers
nice algorithm that one!
[ November 07, 2006: Message edited by: Rohit Nath ]

[Marc Peabody]

I don't think it knows what a Java application is. But to its credit, it did guess computer program at Q18.

My favorite question:
14. Can you read it? Sometimes.

I wonder if it could have guessed Perl if I had answered that question with Never.

[Marc Peabody]

Holy Crap!!!

How did it DO that!?!
Q19. I am guessing that it is an author?
Right, Wrong, Close

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18. Does it provide protection? Irrelevant.
17. Have you seen one in real life? Yes.
16. Can it help you find your way? Sometimes.
15. Does it stand on two legs? Yes.
14. Does it live in groups (gregarious)? Rarely.
13. Does it smell bad? Rarely.
12. Does it stink? Depends.
11. Is it used for entertainment? Maybe.
10. Can you see it in a zoo? No.
9. Does it weigh more than 1 ton? No.
8. Is it a lazy animal? Sometimes.
7. Can it swim? Maybe.
6. Does it have ears? Yes.
Does it reflect objects? Unknown.
5. Does it live near water? Sometimes.
4. Does it live in the forest? No.
3. Is it a small mammal? No.
2. Is it awake at night? Sometimes.
1. It is classified as Animal.

[Marc Peabody]

Oh, this is funny - I lied and said author was Wrong...

Q20. I am guessing that it is a clown?
Right, Wrong, Close

[Mark Spritzler]

Originally posted by Marc Peabody:
Oh, this is funny - I lied and said author was Wrong...

Q20. I am guessing that it is a clown?
Right, Wrong, Close

No, that should have come up if you change

14. Does it live in groups (gregarious)? Rarely.

Answer to "always" Those clowns always getting out of the VW Bug and being gregarious.

Mark