This week there will be a special contestant on Jeopardy; a computer named Watson. Listen to the NPR article here: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/11/133686004/IBM-Computer-Faces-Off-Against-Jeopardy-Champs
Earn up to five ROAR cards by completing any of the following assignments. You must post your answer/s as a comment by this Friday to receive credit. Be sure to sign your first name only and include your homeroom teacher's name.
1. In a complete paragraph including a topic sentence, speculate as to why IBM designers would select "Watson" as the name, rather than "Sherlock" or "Einstein".
2. This is not the first time IBM has entered a competition like this. In a complete paragraph, including a topic sentence, describe other other situations in which IBM has designed computers to compete with humans and discuss the results and implications.
3. Define "algorithm". Name a specific algorithm we use here in math class and relate at least one of Watson's algorithms to one you use in taking a test.
4. Watch an episode with Watson and calculate Watson's accuracy. Express the accuracy as a percentage of total attempted problems and of the total number of questions. Also calculate the same for each of the human contestants. Compare the results by calculating landmark data (mean, median, mode, range, minimum, maximum). (Pre-Algebra: You may do assignment #4 instead of p.407 q.2-24 for credit.)
Ken Jennings is the Jeopardy contestant with the most wins and highest single win. He wrote an interesting book called Brainiac that I read a couple of years ago. Not only is it an interesting read, but it includes effective study tips. This topic also dovetails with an article in this month's issue of Time about artificial intelligence.
10 comments:
Margo
Hermensky (this was assigned to me by Mrs. Geraci)
2. IBM designs computers to compete with humans. Before creating Watson to compete in Jeopardy, IBM made a computer called Deep Blue. This computer competed against chess champion Gary Kasparov in 1997 and won. Watson is going to be competing against Brad Rutter and Ken Jennings in Jeopardy. My inference on the winner of the Jeopardy would be Watson, seeing that his reflexes improved and he can retrieve information easily.
You can get a recap of the first game by going to this link: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/on-jeopardy-watson-rallies-then-slips/
Check out my blog at www.grant-fredt.blogspot.com (don't ask why fredt is in the URL)
Here is another recap: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/02/16/computer-crushes-the-competition-on-jeopardy/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed
1.)This year, IBM decided to create a robot to be a competator in Jeopardy. IBM decided to name their robot WATSON. I believe that they named him Watson because most people didn't believe that he wasn't going to win. He was the under dog, just like Watson in the Sherlock Holmes books was Sherlock's side-kick or helper. That is why I think they named him Watson.
I believe they named the computer Watson because the computer is a follower and so was Watson. Mr. Hartwell told us we could count the average of Watson's questions missed and Einstein or Sherlock never missed questions. In the books Watson most of the time right, just like the computer. Watson was like the very quiet brains. Watson is a good name for the computer.
Sam
Miss Koproski(assigned to me by Mrs Geraci)
2. IBM make computers that are made to compete with humans. IBM has had computers compete with humans before. Before Watson, the computer that is made to compete in Jeopardy, they made a computer named Deep Blue in 1997. It was made to play chess, and beat Gary Kasparov in 1997. The winner will most likely
be Watson, as it is made to answer Jeopardy problems. It will be able to get correct answers quicker than it's opponents, and have the correct answer much more frequently.
Sarah
Hermensky (Geraci)
2.It is true that IBM has entered more then one computer into a human competition. One computer they designed was named Deep Blue. Deep Blue's main purpose was to beat chess champ Gary Kasparov. This event took place in 1997. The amazing thing is that Deep Blue won. I am sure that this event gave IBM the courage to create Watson. Watson will now take on a big challenge himself. Watson is going to play against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in the game show "Jeopardy!". Who will win? I am betting on Watson, but we will have to watch to find out.
Gabe
Koproski (Geraci)
1. An IBM robot named Watson was created, after an earlier robot, Deep Blue, played in a chess game again Gary Kasparov showing it's capabilities. I'd infer that IBM designers chose the name Watson, instead of other names of geniuses such as Einstein because they wanted their robot to be one of a kind. There has not been any geniuses named Watson. Plus, they might also be thinking that Einstein for instance, is a name of the past, and has already been used. Possibly they don't want a remake! After all, they are making robots... That doesn't even relate to Einstein! There are many reasons why IBM may have not wanted to name their robot after a genius of the past, and Watson is just the name to fix the conflict.
2. There has been more than one occurrence of an IBM computer in a human competition. Another computer made was Deep Blue. Deep Blue's purpose was mainly to beat a chess champ, Gary Kasparov. This breath-taking event took place in 1997. Amazingly, Deep Blue won. Now that IBM knew their robots were capable of competing, they made Watson to compete in the game, "Jeapordy" against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. I am betting that Watson will win the competition because Deep Blue had performed already, so IBM now knew where the flaws were in their robots, if any. Knowing the flaws, they could repair them to have a flawless robot.
Simon Kirksey
Hermensky(Geraci)
1.IBM designers selected the name Watson instead of Sherlock Holmes because the name Watson describes the machine better. The name Watson infers that the machine is smart but not "perfect" in everything. In addition, "Watson" is Sherlock Holmes partner just as we are the machine's creators and partners. For we are the ones who created him which makes the creator the superior mind ,so this makes us take the place of Sherlock Holmes. They also did not pick the name Einstein because Einstein came up with something new and not known which a machine could never come up with for a machine does not have a human's desire to advance or the urge of curiosity, and upon that can only do what it is asked not what it wants. A machine does not have dreams that compel it to do what ever neccesary to succeed they only do what told to do.
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