A team of researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada claim to have "solved" the game of checkers, using a computer program named Chinook which has been playing matches against itself for the past 18 years. The program played 500 billion
billion possible positions in the 5,000-year-old game, also known as draughts, before concluding that perfect play by both sides leads to a draw (a concept which grandmaster players have apparently hypothesized for years). One of the researchers said in a statement that he believes they have "Raised the bar... in terms of what can be achieved in computer technology and artificial intelligence." Next up, Chinook is to be renamed W.O.P.R., and then will begin playing a series of tic-tac-toe games against itself.
posted Jul 20th 2007 10:24AM
Crap, what movie is that picture from? I remember seeing it.
war games great movie
Sorry, these two have to be said.
Yeah, but does it play doom?
I for one welcome our checker-playing robot overlords.
meh, HAL would have just killed them. Done.
""One of the researchers said in a statement that he believes they have "Raised the bar... in terms of what can be achieved in computer technology and artificial intelligence.""
Stop playing games and get to work on something productive :-)
Hey, how do you think I feel knowing that this is what my tuition money is helping to pay for. Haha
and YOUR contribution to society is WHAT?
WarGames starring Mr. Sarah Jessica Parker.
That name is hilarious. Pardon my ignorance of Canadian ways but isn't that what a canadian would call a chinese-canadian? I guess renaming it to W.O.P.R is more P.C although instantly forgettable.
DUDE--- W.O.P.R. is not only memorable, it will come for you first (and everyone in a 200 mile radius around your home) when it launches a pre-emptive thermonuclear strike against you for calling it "instantly forgettable".
Where did you hear that? A chinook is a warm wind that blows down from the rocky mountains and covers most of southern Alberta. How did you make the connection to it being slang?
A Chinook is a warm wind that sometimes occurs in winter out in Western Canada, but it was named after a group of Native Americans. I don't think the term was ever used to describe Chinese-Canadians....but I think what you're thinking is... er... well, take out the 'o's.
A Chinook is also a kind of military transport helicopter.
The things you learn playing Operation: Flashpoint...
I have to come to Andrews defence - He was joking people! Chinise + canuck = chinook.
Get a grip on humour/irony/sarcasm before jumping in with your over earnest pedantic kneejerk reactions.
Should we get a grip on racism as well before jumping in? Or should we just forget that he's a bigot like you.
AWESOME!!!!! ROFLMAO:
"Next up, Chinook is to be renamed W.O.P.R., and then will begin playing a series of tic-tac-toe games against itself".
I loved Wargames as a kid. When I got my first computer, (A Commodore 64), I fired it up, saw the READY prompt and blinking cursor, and immediately typed in "JOSHUA"
>I loved Wargames as a kid. When I got my first computer, (A Commodore 64), I fired it up, saw the READY prompt and blinking cursor, and immediately typed in "JOSHUA"
That should be:
JOSHUA,8,1
:)
Ready.
JOSHUA.
?Syntax error
Ready.
Now lets just tie all our Nukes and military to this Chinook and see what happens! Awesome.
The movie you got right, WarGames, but the actress isn't right. She also starred in The Breakfast Club and Short Circuit ("no disassemble number 9. No disassemble Stephanie"). She was Ally Sheedy.
today... checkers.
tomorrow... THE WORLD!!!
ah great movie "war games"
The winning move might be to leave your house once in awhile and not hang around on Engadget looking for ways to get women to sleep with you
I thought a Chinook was a salmon or bass or something...
I thought it was a derogatory term for the Chinese
But then I wouldn't get to share my wealth of trivial iPhone knowledge...
Idiot. Poutines are more prevelent in eastern Canada.
Way to be a fascist.
Also, poutine is already plural. idiot.
Man, I can't wait for War Games 2...
Oh, and next up is Chess, I bet. They're going to be ruining these classic games one by one. =P
-Haxxy
I am seriously Crying reading this.....OMG!!! the Burger King comment ROCKED!!
Mmmmm Poutine and a WOPR. Must go to Burger King now.
That is not "AI", it is an arbitrary algorithm. Sheesh.
AI implies "thought" in some way that is "free" and capable of learning new ways of doing everything that it does (learned behaviours overriding instinctive behaviours).
"AI" is Not looking up data in a huge database after performing some mathematical checkers moves. By this logic, Engadget's web site is an artificial intelligence because it looks up this blog entry (written by an intelligent life form) and displays it.
Man, that movie was horrible. Good philosophical points, though, but bad spectacle.
So, AI has given computers the ability to play with themselves... I tell ya, they're getting more like us every day...
Your Canadian references are unfamiliar and confusing to me. The War Games references are, of course, universal!
Yes, but it gave us lines like, "Hell, son, I'd piss on a spark plug if I thought it would help!"
Or something to that effect. That's what I took away from the experience.
Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War.
Your War Games references are unfamiliar and confusing to me. The Canadian references are, of course, universal!