[Grumplestiltskin]

‘’there were several easy questions that the humans knew and I could see them trying to push the button but Watson answered first. I suppose watson answers at the speed of light while humans have to push a button that is far slower and puts them at a disadvantage.”

If you watched some of the background presentation on how Watson was prepared, it showed that the computer had been rigged with an electro-mechanical “plunger” that Watson had to push to “ring in”, just as his human competitors had to do.

The whole demonstration was very impressive.

One can only imagine the befuddlement of both competitors.

This is “John Henry” all over again — only this time, the steam drill is winnin’!

[21twelve]

My wife and son were saying how “unfair” it was. Perhaps. But the background information, and the earlier trials from a few years ago shows just how difficult a feat the computer is performing. Pretty amazing.

I was surprised at how uneven it was. It was not very “entertaining”. One would think they would have tried it a few times and seen how uneven it was. And then perhaps add in a delay to the computer of a tenth of a second or whatever to make it comparable to a human’s response of thought and then action to push the button.

Of course then you wouldn't be showing the full capability of the machine.

[Tublecane]

“This is ‘John Henry’ all over again — only this time, the steam drill is winnin’!”

I suppose John Henry technically won, but at the end he was dead. The machine didn’t die, did it?