So this is what playing the Jeopardy! computer is like.
We imagine it's pretty annoying to be outplayed by "Watson," the IBM supercomputer that has been tasked with taking on all-time Jeopardy! champions Ken Jennings, whose 74-game winning streak stands alone, and the only guy who won even more money than Ken, Brad Rutter.
It took a couple of answers for him to warm up, but Watson took the two bookish champions to task in categories like "Beatles People" and "Literary Characters APB," though the humans dominated "Name the Decade." Surely there's a simple, 18-step algorithmic answer for why.
The exhibition is being played out over three days, so no Final Jeopardy tonight, but here's a taste of what Ken and Brad are up against. Stay tuned to see who comes out on top, and whether Watson engages in any creepy HAL-reminiscent behavior.