🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <8yapjzm@lynx.unm.edu>, bill@baku.eece.unm.edu (William Horne)
writes:
# In article <717967636.0@selene.FidoNet.Org>
Eric.Kjellman@f99.n121.z1.FidoNet.Org (Eric Kjellman) writes:
# 
# >  Hey there! Could you tell me what the Computer Olympiad is? It sounds
# >  really neat, but I've never heard of it before.
# 
# From what I understand its a competition that pits computer programs
# against one another on specific games: backgammon, othello, and I assume
# chess amongst others are played.

Correct. This years' event involved a set of paper presentations
as well as competitions between computer programs playing over a
dozen different games including: Awari, Backgammon, Bridge,
Chess, Chinese Chess, Gin Rummy, 9*9 Go, 19*19 Go, Go-moku,
Othello, Scrabble, and Renju. Other attractions included a 
presentation of the PC Therapist III program which recently
convinced 5 out of 10 judges that it was a human in a restricted 
Turing test in America. Unfortunately, its display in London 
was less impressive, with the Times newspaper describing its 
output as ``bizarre and erratic ramblings''. A sample from their
article reads:

  ``Asked yesterday by Heinz Wolff,...,whether the computer had 
slept well last night, it replied, somewhat schizophrenically:
"At night there is no such thing as an ugly woman."
   When asked who its father and mother were, Therapist,...,
took a few seconds of reflection before flashing its reply on the 
screen:"God could not be everywhere so he created mothers...happiness
is just around the corner...why do you ask?"''

# By the way, I still have not gotten a definative response as to when
# the next Olympiad is....  although one person sent me email and said
# that it was probably going to be in London during August.

At the end of this year's conference it was announced that next year's
Olympiad would be held in Berkshire from July 11th (I think), in 
conjunction with an event which was described as the ``Mind Olympics''.
Apparently, this will involve competitions in any thinking game, with
over 1500 competitors. This sounds like an event not to be missed.

# Again, if there is someone out there who knows.... please post or
# send me email.
# 
# Bill

Hope the above helps.

	- Ian.