Can you outsmart your computer?

[Scummbuddy]

The handheld version has a yes, no, sometimes, and unknown button. And yes, if you think too hard about some questions you may be screwing up the system. Like, "harp" -> do you use it at work?    well... some people do... so yes. yeah, not even .01 people in the world use it at work,so no.

[Domino]

I also tried a CD, and what do you know.  The computer guessed  it after only 11 questions.  I'm gonna have to go back and try something different.

That was really cool and i never thought the computer would be able to figure it out.  I'll never think of my work computer the same way again. 

Shawn

edit: i tried it again and was thinking of a rubber band, but the computer guessed Toupee.  Now that's funny. :-)

[Ghormak]

I tried 'cat' too, and it asked many things like "Is it brown?", "Is it striped?" and "Is it black"? I answered 'irrelevant' to all of these (because as you may or may not be aware of, cats come in many different colours), but after it guessed correctly, it disagreed with me on all of those colour answers. Said 'yes' on them all.

Why answer yes to the question "Is a cat brown?"

[viktor]

try to think about something sex related. That's good for a few laughs.

[Pizzaman]

One of my programming assignments, we had to program something just like this.  It starts off with an empty list of things.  Then as you play, it will adapt and ask questions and store it into a database.  It grows.  Its pretty cool.
Right now, mine only does animals.

-Pizzaman

[Pelican]

I think I tried a CD case on it a while ago, and stumped it good.

It's kinda amusing though. The answers/opinions in its database, come from people playing the game. Makes you wonder what they were on when they played it, for it to have such daft answers!  :

[Gregjazz]

try to think about something sex related. That's good for a few laughs.

I believe it is censored, unless you sign up as a member.

[Einoo]

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.   Ã,     Can it make a sound? No...

CDs make sound all the time! What do you call "Playing a CD?"

[MORE] Also, I played it and it got "Baked Potato" (mine was potato) after 30 guesses. It was close though, it came up with "Mashed Potatoes" after 20. Spooky.

[STILL MORE] It also got "Sea Serpent" after 20 guesses (I was thinking "Loch Ness Monster").

[Sylpher]

The cd itself makes no sound at all. A cd player reads the 1's and 0's off the cd and it produces sound so the answer is applicable.

[Einoo]

Still more! Here is a transcript of me doing "telephone" (I won):

I am guessing that it is a cell-phone?
Ã, YesÃ, , Ã, Ã, NoÃ, Ã, ,  Close 

29.
Ã, Ã, 
I guess that it is a walkie talkie? Close.

28.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it contain words? Irrelevant.

27.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it break if dropped? Probably.

26.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it use numbers? Yes.

25.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it bring joy to people? Depends.

24.
Ã, Ã, 
I guess that it is a phone call? Close.

23.
Ã, Ã, 
Is it black? Irrelevant.

22.
Ã, Ã, 
Is it heavier than a pound of butter? No.

21.
Ã, Ã, 
Do most people use this daily? Yes.

20.
Ã, Ã, 
I guess that it is a modem? Close.

19.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it beep? Yes.

18.
Ã, Ã, 
Can you get information by using it? Yes.

17.
Ã, Ã, 
Would you use it in the dark? Irrelevant.

16.
Ã, Ã, 
Is it flexible? No.

15.
Ã, Ã, 
I guess that it is a telephone headset? Close.

14.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it come in specific sizes? No.

13.
Ã, Ã, 
Can it be used to talk to others? Yes.

12.
Ã, Ã, 
Would you give it as a gift? No.

11.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it display information? No.

10.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it make noise? Usually.

9.
Ã, Ã, 
Do you hold it when you use it? Yes.

8.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it have buttons? Yes.

7.
Ã, Ã, 
Was it used over 100 years ago? Doubtful.

6.
Ã, Ã, 
Can it fit in an envelope? No.

5.
Ã, Ã, 
Does it usually have four corners? Irrelevant.

4.
Ã, Ã, 
Is it something you bring along? Irrelevant.

3.
Ã, Ã, 
Is it found on a desk? Yes.

2.
Ã, Ã, 
Is it smaller than a loaf of bread? Yes.

1.
Ã, Ã, 
It is classified as Other.

But on the "You Won" screen, the first option was "telephone". Here are the things:

Does it usually have four corners? You said Irrelevant, I say Yes.
Does it display information? You said No, I say Yes.
Would you give it as a gift? You said No, I say Yes.
Does it come in specific sizes? You said No, I say Probably.
Would you use it in the dark? You said Irrelevant, I say Yes.
Is it heavier than a pound of butter? You said No, I say Yes.
Is it black? You said Irrelevant, I say Yes.
Does it bring joy to people? You said Depends, I say Yes.

Once again, the "cat problem". You know, when the answers to color were Yes when they should have been Irrelevant.

[Einoo]

Bet you didn't know THESE things about a pie:

Uncommon Knowledge about a pie
Do people own it as a pet?Ã,  I say Probably.
Can it save your life?Ã,  I say Yes.
Do you put things in it?Ã,  I say Yes.
Does it win races?Ã,  I say Probably.
Does it ring?Ã,  I say Yes.
Is it a vegetarian?Ã,  I say Probably.
Can it be used in a pie?Ã,  I say Yes.
Does it eat grass?Ã,  I say Yes.
Does it have wings?Ã,  I say Probably.
Does it serve a purpose?Ã,  I say No.
Does it live above ground?Ã,  I say Probably.
Does it live in mountains?Ã,  I say Probably.
Does it have a long nose?Ã,  I say Yes.
Can it be trained to obey commands?Ã,  I say Yes.
Can it be used to talk to others?Ã,  I say Yes.
Is it fuzzy?Ã,  I say Probably.

Since it gets information from people, there are some really wacked-out people out there. However, it is true that it can be used in a pie.    :

[Einoo]

I was thinking of stupidity.

Similar Objects
hate (hatred, dislike), a headache, anger, sadness, a question, a war, the wind, depression, an earthquake, calculus (mathematics), a catapult, lighter fluid

Wow. It is similar to some of these things (like a headache and war(yes, I'm a Democrat)), but completely different from others (like calculus (unless ypu're a student), a question, an earthquake, and lighter fluid (WTF???))

Some people ARE weird, but some people are clever. and some are philosophers.

Okay, really, I'm done posting now.

Really.

OK, maybe.

[Gregjazz]

I think I tried a CD case on it a while ago, and stumped it good.

It's kinda amusing though. The answers/opinions in its database, come from people playing the game. Makes you wonder what they were on when they played it, for it to have such daft answers!  :

A while back I tried both CD and CD case and it guessed both correctly.

[Ozwalled]

I remember when I thought I'd stump it with bongo drums. It GOT it exactly in 18 guesses... not just drums, not bongos, not tom-toms, bongo freakin' drums.

I swear it cheats and reads my brain. 

[AGA]

I chose a DVD. It failed. DVD was in the 'was it this...?' list at the end after it gave up though.

[Mr. Mozzarella]

I chose a dictionary. It asked 24 questions but didn't get it right. 
But in the end it offered Book, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus (among others)

[Ali]

I beat it with 'combination lock', but it's beaten me many times before. Plus 'lock' was one of the 'was it?' list afterwards.

[Nostradamus]

I beat the PC in the first time with "deodorant"

am guessing that it is hair spray?
Yes ,   No  , Close
29.    I guess that it is aftershave? Close. 
28.    Can it be refilled? No. 
27.    Do most people use this daily? Yes. 
26.    Can you smell it? Yes. 
25.    I guess that it is nail polish remover? No. 
24.    Does it come in a box? No. 
23.    Can you open it? Yes. 
22.    Does it go inside other things? No. 
21.    Is it heavier than a pound of butter? No. 
20.    I guess that it is a dumbbell (exercise weights)? No. 
19.    Does it contain words? No. 
18.    Can it affect you (cause an effect to you)? Yes. 
17.    Can you put something into it? No. 
16.    Is it straight? No. 
15.    Do you use it at work? No. 
14.    Is it black? No. 
13.    Is it larger than a microwave oven (or bread box)? No. 
12.    Does it have a hole in it? No. 
11.    Can it make a sound? No. 
10.    Does it have writing on it? Yes. 
9.    Can it be washed? Yes. 
8.    Would you find it in an office? No. 
7.    Is it something you bring along? No. 
6.    Was it invented? Yes. 
5.    Is it hard? Irrelevant. 
4.    Does it usually have four corners? No. 
3.    Is it white? No. 
2.    Is it usually colorful? No. 
1.    It is classified as Other.
?

[Nostradamus]

Then it game some options and deodorant was one of them,  I clicked and got this:

Uncommon Knowledge about deodorant
Does it roll? I say Yes.
Does it have a spine? I say Probably.
Is it transparent? I say No.
Does it have a hard outer shell? I say Yes.
Does it have fangs? I say Yes.
Can you use it at school? I say Yes.
Can it do tricks? I say Yes.
Do people own it as a pet? I say Yes.
Can it speak? I say Yes.
Can it growl? I say Yes.
Does it like to run? I say Yes.
Does it eat fish? I say Probably.
Is it healthy? I say Yes.
Do you look at it? I say Doubtful.
Is it colorful? I say Yes.
Is it used in travel? I say Yes.

And it said the answers to the questions changes according to popular opinios of those who play the game.

And for what I know, Deodorants do NOT eat fish!

[Dart]

Heh, I beat this game on my first try. After 29 guesses, it still couldn't guess what I was thinking of: a magnifying glass. It wasn't even on the list of similiar objects.

Whoo, I'm smarter than a computer.