Most of us played the game 20 questions when we were kids. It helped pass the time during a long automobile ride—this was before the era when we began amusing ourselves to death by putting televisions and DVD players in cars and SUVs. Yesterday, I came across a free online version of the game that uses Artificial Intelligence to figure out who (actors, sports figures, other notables) or what the player has in mind.
20Q asks a series of yes or no type questions, and often within twenty questions comes up with the correct answer. Sometimes, these answers seem to come out of nowhere. For instance, below are the sixteen questions I was asked before 20Q guessed correctly guessed that I was thinking of Hilary Clinton. My answers are included.
16. Were you born between 1900-1950? Yes.
15. Are you still on the air? Sometimes.
14. Have you won awards? Yes.
Are you the middle child? Unknown.
Are you the youngest child? Unknown.
13. Are you on a hit TV show? No.
12. Were you involved in a scandal? Yes.
11. Are you a news reporter? No.
10. Do you have long hair? No.
9. Are you young? No.
8. Are you over the age of 30? Yes.
Have you ever been on MTV? Unknown.
7. Have you made more than 10 albums? No.
6. Are you from Brazil? No.
5. Are you known for your live performances? Sometimes.
4. Do you have children? Yes.
3. Are you in movies? No.
2. Do you have blond hair? Sometimes.
1. Are you male? No.
Now it doesn’t always guess correctly. This is sometimes because the site bases its guesses partially on the answers supplied previously by other people. For instance, question 5 above, “Are you known for your live performances?” is a matter of opinion. In playing on the 20Q site, I often find that other people’s opinions and sometimes even matters of fact are at odds with the answers I supplied. I know this because if 20Q does not guess correctly it pursues the matter and shows where the information the player supplied differs from information already in its database.
If you have a few minutes, take a look at this intriguing site.
16. Were you born between 1900-1950? Yes.
15. Are you still on the air? Sometimes.
14. Have you won awards? Yes.
Are you the middle child? Unknown.
Are you the youngest child? Unknown.
13. Are you on a hit TV show? No.
12. Were you involved in a scandal? Yes.
11. Are you a news reporter? No.
10. Do you have long hair? No.
9. Are you young? No.
8. Are you over the age of 30? Yes.
Have you ever been on MTV? Unknown.
7. Have you made more than 10 albums? No.
6. Are you from Brazil? No.
5. Are you known for your live performances? Sometimes.
4. Do you have children? Yes.
3. Are you in movies? No.
2. Do you have blond hair? Sometimes.
1. Are you male? No.
Now it doesn’t always guess correctly. This is sometimes because the site bases its guesses partially on the answers supplied previously by other people. For instance, question 5 above, “Are you known for your live performances?” is a matter of opinion. In playing on the 20Q site, I often find that other people’s opinions and sometimes even matters of fact are at odds with the answers I supplied. I know this because if 20Q does not guess correctly it pursues the matter and shows where the information the player supplied differs from information already in its database.
If you have a few minutes, take a look at this intriguing site.
