Man vs. Machine

I'm sure you've heard about the Watson computer that IBM has made. Their methodology of proving it's intelligence? Putting it into a competition against homo sapiens in America's favorite game show: Jeopardy.

I'll admit, I usually don't watch Jeopardy (it's on during Seinfeld, obviously you know what I'm watching) but when I do I always learn something - and always feel proud of myself when I know something. I went through a game-show phase where my favorite thing ever was Game Show Network. I literally could not get enough. Anyways.

I caught some of the Jeopardy Watson episode tonight. It's an absolute joke because think about it, who is going to know more: Google or You? Who is going to think of it faster: You or Google? This machine basically uses Google, types the words into its "brain," and gets the answer. Of course it's going to know more than you, and it's going to be able to get the answer faster than you can think about it. You always have those things where you "can't think what it was" and then it may come to you 4 hours later. Google's able to figure it out in less than a second.

Watson is wrecking house. It usually knows the answer with 90% accuracy, and answers in less than a second. You can tell Ken Jennings is just pissed because he doesn't have the split second to process the question before buzzing in. He can't even buzz in and stop to think about it, because Watson is too fast.

What does this really prove? Nothing. Of course the computer is going to be smarter, answer faster, etc. The impressive part is that it "think" for itself. I don't fully understand the technology, but it seems like it's able to understand Mr. Trebek (I'll take The Rapists for 20), process the information, and then respond almost instantly - in English and in the "What is X" format. Watson choose the category it wants to answer, the money it wants to wager. There are a few times it is completely wrong and has an answer from left field, but usually it's dead on. In two days it's up at 38 some thousand.

It's impressive technology, but it scares me to think where this technology will be in 10, 20 years. We've seen too many Hollywood movies to think it could be anything good (Terminator, I Robot), but maybe it could be. Or it could turn into SkyNet and destroy us all. Either way, for right now, it's impressive. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. It's probably the beginning of the end. Embrace what time we have left humans.

My New Favorite Game Show: Baggage

During Junior Year of College I went on a huge game show binge. The Game Show Network was my new best friend. I'm not sure how or why - I guess I was getting tired of the MTV/VH1 nonsense and I also had 3 days off a week AKA too much free time. It got to a point where me and my roommate were trying SO HARD to see someone on Millionaire win the Million. Of course it happened on a Friday when we were out, that was one of the more disappointing moments of the school year. I'm serious.

Anyway, I've lost touch with GSN until The Soup informed me of this new game show they have - Baggage. Hosted by Jerry Springer, it's like a cross between Deal or No Deal - clearly a favorite since it's one of my favorite sayings - and Exposed. Here's a link to the entire first episode. If you don't have an extra 20 minutes (come on, it's summer, if you took the time to read this you can watch that,) just skip to the last 3 minutes and try not to laugh to hard. Please.

Let me quickly explain the concept:

1 contestant goes through 3 people's of their "baggage" - 3 rounds, with each one being more "baggy" than the next. In the second round, the "baggage" is revealed not by person, and the contestant must choose which "baggage" is "too much to carry" and must leave the show, leaving two contestants.

--- That's part of what I love --- the cheesy one liners that come as a part of the show. When someone is kicked off, they must "pack up your bags and head on out of here." It's like those corny episodes of Next on MTV. It makes me laugh every time. And when they defend their baggage, there's usually some convoluted idiotic Room Raiders type-of-thinking where it's like: Well, I don't know if we can date, because you have 100 purses, and I just don't know if I can afford you! (In Room Raiders, it would be: "You have a lot of purses, that must mean you like to spend money, and I don't know if I can support that." I love this stuff.)

Anyways, at the end, after the contestant has picked the baggage that he or she can "carry" - the tables are turned, and then he/she must reveal their biggest baggage and the "winner" has to determine if he/she can handle the baggage.

What's underlying from the show is that this show is SO TRUE. People are judging based off only knowing a few things about you - and only the "bad" things, things you wouldn't tell someone right away.

When getting into a relationship (even a normal friendship) you don't reveal your life history. It comes with time - because you're scared of what the other person will think. You're scared they might not want to be friends. That's why people struggle with "coming out" - the criticism and fear that their friends might not accept them for being different than they were perceived originally.

Specifically in more serious "romantic" relationships, there's just things you don't tell your significant other's right off the bat. You don't say "I've been arrested" or whatever your dirty mind can come up with, I'm trying to stay somewhat PG. The show proves how judgmental and low our society is. People don't give you a chance when they hear something about your past right away, even if it happened so long ago. People grow and people change - the person that did that so long ago isn't the same person now, and maybe that's because of the event that caused the baggage. Our society say it doesn't matter. Awful. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Except for cheaters. You cheat, you should have a red X on your forehead for a year. I'm kind of not kidding. That's not cool. After a year of a red X on your head maybe you'll get a clue. Okay, so that's really dumb, but I actually hate cheaters. As much as I love Tiger, he lost a lot of credibility in my book. I still want him to win, but I hope he never finds love. I really do. He had it and threw it away. Too bad he's so rich it won't matter. People who cheat really piss me off. Too bad it seems like everyone does. Brutal.

Okay I strayed from my point, just had to get that out.....

Anyways, you should watch Baggage! 6:30PM GSN!

Oh and one of my favorite lines (and this is how I'll close) at the end, Jerry Springer says "Well we didn't find a match today, but we had a lot of fun!"

So one of my goodbyes to college is: Well I didn't find a match in four years, but I had a lot of fun!