WATSON

[jeffbert]

I was just now watching NOVA: SCIENCE NOW, "HOW DOES THE BRAIN WORK?" which was about the brain, and at about 20 minutes into the program, the topic was WATSON. it detailed how they had prepared W for the coming JEOPARDY appearance (Feb. 14-16), its pathetic beginnings, to its current degree of AI. Cool stuff, but Moore's Law or not, I doubt they will ever stuff that much into a kid-sized or even adult-sized body, even if they removed the other guts.

[AprilSeven]

Now, Jeffbert!! Never say never!

Got to see when that's on.... I think Nova up here is on Tuesdays...

[jeffbert]

Another upcoming PBS program, this one, is devoted entirely to WATSON. in my area, the 1st showing will be tonight at 10 pm, though there will be later showings also.

[AprilSeven]

Why, Watson's like a big ol' Google brain, isn't he? First they'll get it to work. Then they shrink it!

[Astro Boy2866]

I watched a show, but I can't remember what it was called. It was saying that at one point we will not be able to make motherboards and microchips any smaller because once they get small enough, they'll short-circuit, but we are developing a type of microchip(or something like that) that uses atoms and they can be made extremely small, but have a large capacity. I'll try to remember the show, but it's still not coming to me.

[jeffbert]

I watched a show, but I can't remember what it was called. It was saying that at one point we will not be able to make motherboards and microchips any smaller because once they get small enough, they'll short-circuit, but we are developing a type of microchip(or something like that) that uses atoms and they can be made extremely small, but have a large capacity. I'll try to remember the show, but it's still not coming to me.

That may have been NOVA's MAKING THINGS SMALLER; I alao saw it, & they were saying that once transistors are made from individual atoms, they cannot be made smaller. But then, they said something about quantum physics that seemed to imply that there was still hope for further miniaturization.

[Astro Boy2866]

Ok I found the video. The guy was talking about a new computer that is being developed called a "Quantum Computer" and it computes on atoms. There is a certain point when you make a microchip small enough that it would short-circuit because the silicon becomes unstable, but a quantum computer can be made smaller. It is also believed that quantum computers will help in the making of artificial intelligence. When quantum computers are used a long while from now, "silicon valley will fall"

[jeffbert]

WAS that video a NOVA?

[Astro Boy2866]

No, it was some famous scientist named Michio Kaku.

[jeffbert]

Hmm.

Anyway, WATSON's 3 game appearance on JEOPARDY will be this coming Monday through Wednesday.