Can you outsmart your computer?

[Gregjazz]

I found this interesting website a while ago:

http://y.20q.net:8095/

It's the simple game of Twenty Questions, played against your computer.

I'm actually quite amazed at how close the computer can get to the answer and how efficient it is. Try it out for yourself, and I'd be interested in hearing your results.

[auhsor]

Yay, It guessed a tissue box in 18 questions. I've done this before, it was posted on a forum somewhere (may have even been here ). Its pretty cool.

[Scummbuddy]

I bought the handheld version (looks like a flattened egg) for ScubaChicVB for Christmas. We had a blast trying to beat it, but it got eerily good at guessing. We even joked as to whisper what it was that we were trying to have it guess since we were beginning to consider it had a microphone. Like, it got Palm tree, when we would have accepted 'tree', but were hoping for Palm Tree.  I think the hardest thing we've done, and hadn't gotten the appropriate answer was, Harp, and Pizza.

It got Imu, for crying out loud...

[Timosity]

It has been here before, but it's probably slipped off the board

I was thinking 'Soft Drink' it eventually got it after 28 goes so I won
well it did come up with soda-pop but I guess that's just a US name for it.

You were thinking of soda-pop.
Does it help accomplish tasks? You said Maybe, I say No. [some have caffeine, that can help]
Does it come from a plant? You said Yes, I say No. [some have plant materials in them]
Does it get really hot? You said Sometimes, I say No. [I left some in my car the other day and it got really hot]
Could it be found in a classroom? You said Sometimes, I say No. [I used to have it in classrooms all the time]
Does it come from trees? You said Sometimes, I say No. [trees, plants yeah sometimes]
Would you eat its fruit? You said Sometimes, I say No. [well I've eaten oranges]



I also tried "Pen" and I won

You were thinking of a pen.
Is it shiny? You said Sometimes, I say No. [I've seen shiny pens]
Can it be washed? You said Probably, I say No. [it might not work after but you can wash them]
Is it a metal? You said Partly, I say No. [most are partly metal]
Does it get wet? You said Sometimes, I say No. [depends how you think about it, the ink is wet, or you could just put it in water]
Can it be painted? You said Yes, I say No. [sure, you can paint a pen]
Does it have a hole in it? You said Yes, I say No. [well then, how does the ink come out]
Can you open it? You said Probably, I say No. [how do you replace the ink]
Does it go inside other things? You said Sometimes, I say No. [I once had a pencil case]
Can you see through it? You said Sometimes, I say No. [I have a clear one right infront of me]
Does it burn? You said Sometimes, I say No. [anything burns if you get the temperature right]
Does it shine? You said Sometimes, I say No. [of course some shine]



It's more fun making fun of it, you'd think the AI would have learnt some basic objects by now.

[HillBilly]

I was going for hockey mask, and it guessed helmet on the 20th question. 3 questions later it managed to guess mask. Pretty good.

[Bombadil]

He did not gess that I was thinking on a CD... And then he said a bunch of crap for not asuming he is not the smartest... ^^

[SpacePirateCaine]

So far "Movie poster" and "Cheese" it wasn't able to guess, but I suppose the big fallback is that a good many of these questions are quite subjective, like 'is cheese hard?' There's no option for 'Sometimes', though I suppose that would give it an edge, as it'd have more 'options' that way. I'm going to keep at it for a while and see if I can come up with something it has no clue about.

[Tophe Lambert]

it got diving board in 19 questions.

[Damien]

He did not gess that I was thinking on a CD..

I guess it depends of the questions it asked you, here's my try at the same thing:

I am guessing that it is a CD-ROM?
11.        Can it make a sound? No.
10.        Does it have a hole in it? Yes.
9.        Is it found on a desk? Yes.
8.        Does it help accomplish tasks? Yes.
7.        Was it used over 100 years ago? No.
6.        Is it shiny? Yes.
5.        Is it soft? No.
4.        Do you hold it when you use it? No.
3.        Is it heavier than a pound of butter? No.
2.        Is it multicolored? Yes.
1.        It is classified as Other.

[Haddas]

is there any alternative link? I can't seem to open it :'(

EDIT: Nevermind, got it open anywho

[andy_unplugged]

It asked "Is he a n00b?"
I answered "yes"
it said "I'm guessing he is Daniel MacPherson"
*zing*

[DGMacphee]

h0w daer yuo CALLS me a Noo8, f@rgot!!1! i haev ways off fInd1gn yu0r IP @ddraess!11! i ha><0r yuo OMG kthxbye

[theyak]

Pretty darned nifty.  I took 25 to do meatloaf, got furniture polish after 28 (but guessed wax, damned close), Hamster only took 10.  Also impressive, Zombie in 19.

[Paper Carnival]

Wow, it actually works! It found kitty cat in 19

Edit: I just saw that a cat is a popular word, so I said something random... A headset. It got it in 18 questions!!!!

[Ashen]

I tried 'Cat' as well, and let it win when it guessed 'kitty cat', but it also has 'cat' as an option.
Anyway, I won! But it nearly had me at 29 questions:

I am guessing that it is a ladle(scoop/spoon)?
Yes , Ã,  No Ã, , Close
29. Ã,  Ã, I guess that it is a tea cup? Close. Ã, 

I was thinking 'mug'. 'Coffee mug' was on the 'Is it one of these...' list it gave me - strange that it thought a ladle was more like a teacup than a mug is.

On a similar note has anyone tried this:
http://www.smalltime.com/dictator.html
'Guess the Dictator or Sit-Com Character'. It's surprisingly good at it, too.

[Haddas]

"Get your mind out of the gutter! I am not allowed to talk about stuff like this, but, I am guessing that it has something to do with sex?"

[HillBilly]

I outsmarted it! yay!

It didn't have "meat cleaver". hah!

This was kind of weird, by the way:

Is it green or black?
Yes ,   No  , Unknown, Irrelevant, Sometimes, Maybe,
Probably, Doubtful, Usually, Depends, Rarely, Partly

[jetxl]

What kind of A.I. doesn't know the word "valvecapsule".
Humans-1 : computers-0.

[Haddas]

I am guessing that it is a question mark?

Yes ,   No  , Close

19.        Can you find it in a church? No.
18.        Does it come in many varieties? No.
17.        Is it straight? No.
16.        Is it usually visible? Yes.
15.        Can you get information by using it? Yes.
14.        Is it a common household object? No.
13.        Does it use numbers? No.
12.        Does it help accomplish tasks? Yes.
11.        Is it hard? No.
10.        Would you use it daily? Yes.
9.        Is it flexible? No.
8.        Is it found on a desk? No.
7.        Is it comforting? No.
6.        Does it have writing on it? No.
5.        Can it be washed? No.
4.        Could you send it in the mail? Yes.
3.        Is it made of metal? No.
2.        Is it used for entertainment? No.
1.        It is classified as Other.

...I thought questionmark ;< thought I'd win for sure!

------------

29.        I guess that it is a cyclops? Close.
28.        Is it killed for its fur? Rarely.
27.        Does it have big ears? Yes.
26.        Is it considered valuable? No.
25.        I guess that it is an erne (a long-winged sea eagle)? No.
24.        Does it stand on two legs? Yes.
23.        Is it ferocious? Yes.
22.        Is it tall? No.
21.        Does it live near water? Sometimes.
20.        I guess that it is a bobcat? No.
19.        Does it dig holes? No.
18.        Does it live in the jungle? No.
17.        I guess that it is a yeti? Close.
16.        Does it have short fur? Yes.
15.        Does it have arms? Yes.
14.        I guess that it is a polar bear? No.
13.        Is it white? Yes.
12.        Are there many different sorts of it? No.
11.        Does it grunt? Usually.
10.        Does it eat fish? Yes.
9.        Does it come in different colors? No.
8.        Does it roar? Yes.
7.        Does it have a long tail? No.
6.        Does it have wide feet? Yes.
5.        Does it have fangs? Probably.
4.        Is it dangerous? Probably.
3.        Does it have fur? Probably.
2.        Can you see it in a zoo? Yes.
1.        It is classified as Animal.

How on earth didn't it know that? I won. I was thinking about "your momma"

[Kinoko]

Holy crap, it got mine first time ^_^ Admittedly, a fishing rod isn't very hard but still, I'm impressed.