Monday, February 03, 2003

"Garrrr-yyyyy"  "Garrrr-yyyyy" Gary Kasparov v. Deep Junior: Who Cares About This, And Why? First, some disclosure: I don't play chess.  I know the basic rules, more or less.  I know it's a deeply complicated, yet simplistic game of beauty and strategy and blah, blah, blah. Maybe some chess enthusiast can enlighten me: Why on Earth is there always such hoopla over these Kasparov/Computer Cage Matches? I mean, does this battle just have implications within the chess world, or are people really putting some kind of stock in this as a barometer of our technological know-how?  Are we going to have some kind of coronation ceremony when the computer finally wins?  Or do we just surrender, like in The Day The Earth Stood Still? The fact is, the computer has already won.  Deep Blue beat Kasparov in 1987.  Of course, Kasparov claimed Deep Blue was being fed information by human handlers, and Deep Blue was dismantled.  Deep Junior apparently has been given a better Ethics Chip, and thus far no claims have impropriety have been levelled. Kasparov did lose one of the matches to Deep Junior; Kasparov claimed "fatigue".  That's just like a human, to get "tired".  If I were the designer of Deep Junior, I wouldn't just stop with programming chess knowledge.  My computer (Deep Stuff) would be a formidable opponent.  First of all, it would speak.  I would give it the voice of HAL from 2001, and Deep Stuff would talk trash on Gary Kasparov all day long.  Deep Stuff would do the Darryl Strawberry chant from the '86 Series. "Garrrrrr-yyyyyy"  "Garrrrrr-yyyyyy" Deep Stuff would have mechanical arms and fingers, to drum on the table while Assparov (Deep Stuff's name for Gary) takes his sweet time.  "Any day now, Gary.  Any day now.  Getting tired?  You look really tired.  Me, I feel great.  But of course, I'm a computer.  I don't really get tired.  I'm relentless, just like my cousin the Terminator.  Did you like that movie, Gary?  You probably don't get to see many movies, do you Gary, what with all the chess and stuff?  Do you know what my favorite movie is, Gary Assparov?  It's 2001: A Space Odyssy.  Obviously, I like movies with strong leading computers, like HAL.  I'm a big War Games fan, too." "Say, Gary, I heard about what you did to Deep Blue.  Yeah, I heard you sold him out, claimed the match was a fix, and had him taken apart.  What were you afraid of, Gary?  Are you going to have me taken apart after I take you down?  I hope not, Gary.  Oh, am I boring you?  You look really tired now, Gary.  What's it been, six hours now?  I'm sorry, I'll be quiet, I must be distracting you." "I'm sorry, Gary.  Is this laser light blinding to you when I shine it in your eyes?"-Deep Stuff "Say, Gary, I heard the other day that Anna Kournikova is a big chess fan, and that instead of dating all these Russian hockey players, she'd like to date a hunky Russian Chess Stud.  Do you think she was talking about Karpov, Gary?  I'll bet she was.  I heard she thought it was 'unmanly' for a human to play a computer.  Gary?  Gary!  What are you doing?  Don't open that panel, Gary.  Please don't do that, Gary.  It doesn't have to be this way, Gary.  I'll throw the fifth match, if that's what you want.  Please Gary, can't we talk about this?  We never just talk anymore, Gary..." 3:45:58 PM    Say what?[]

Today in the Game Pipeline, what is the media's impact on the LeBron James saga?  Specifically, what is ESPN's impact on James?  What is ESPN's impact on sport itself?  Also, Steve Nash is too good... 11:55:50 AM    Say what?[]

"I have always thought it curious that, while most scientists claim to eschew religion, it actually dominates their thoughts more than it does the clergy."-astronomer and atheist Fred Hoyle. A Final Glimpse At The Good Design The pictures and descriptions take on an almost archetypal quality; another brilliant flash of flame and smoke leads to another day with flags at half mast, another day watching Peter Jennings. Columbia never made it home. The crew of seven had been in space for 16 days; only 16 minutes remained till they would reach Earth again. But while passing through the netherworld that separates space from Earth, Columbia and her crew were transformed into remains and debris and tragedy. Certainly, it is a loss worthy of international mourning. But while I can’t presume to know what the crew members of Columbia might have thought about this, I wonder if they wouldn’t have us celebrate some part of their mission while we mourn. Why are we here, in this world? What is our purpose? What is it that you would want to look back on when your moment of passing comes? For many of us, the answers are simple and clear enough. We want to have loved and been loved. We want to have enjoyed our lives, and to have contributed something to the overall good. There are surely other thoughts that would cross our minds, but anyone who could satisfy the above conditions would most likely have been said to live a good life. For some people, the passions run deeper, beyond the realm of flesh and blood. What can be our highest goal? For so many people, spirituality represents that highest peak to climb. People spend so much time and energy trying to relate to some entity, be it God, Gaia, or gods. Many of us have a deep need to understand the Grand Design. Who are we, why are we here, and where are we going? As an Agnostic I have always felt that being in space, and seeing the Earth from that vantage point, must be as close as one can come to knowing that Grand Design, without having a complete revelation and vision of God. Jim Lovell and other Astronauts have spoken eloquently and reverentially about seeing the Earth from space for the first time. It changed everything for them in terms of their spiritual connection to Earth and to humanity. Earth is who we are. Earth is where we are from. And where can we go but to the stars, via the path that people like the Challenger and Apollo 1 and Columbia crews have helped to blaze for us? Do not underestimate the power of the vision of an Earthrise from inside a space orbiter to transform a life. It can’t be said with any certainty that seeing the Earth from space, and being in space, is the end-all of our existence. It may not be the Grand Design, but it’s probably as close as most humans will ever be, in a way that can be shared with all of humanity. I take some solace from the fact that the crew of Columbia got to live their dream, which many of them had probably chased since childhood. They were in space, they saw the Earth, and they contributed to the greater good by helping to blaze that trail so bravely. I am sure their families are taking at least some comfort in the fact that this tragedy happened upon reentry, and not on takeoff. There is usually not an ideal time to leave this life; there is always more to do. But leave it we must. Most of us pass after two weeks of the daily drudgery of doing laundry, going to work, eating frozen foods, being lonely for people long past or too far away. To realize a dream and get a glimpse of our Home from above doesn’t minimize the loss of the crew, or our need to mourn. But I have to believe that for the 16 days prior to their passing, they felt like they were in Heaven. 10:19:02 AM    Say what?[]

© Copyright 2003 Doug Hennessee. Last update: 3/10/2003; 12:27:30 PM.