Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Research Inventions

Man beats computer at crossword puzzles – so far

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
March 19, 2012
in Inventions
Reading Time: 1 min read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

As years pass, computers start beating us in more and more fields: math is out of the question, chess, and even jeopardy; but in crossword puzzles, man still beats computer – and easily. In a contest held in New York this weekend, a program designed to work crossword puzzles, came in 141st among 600 human puzzle solvers.

Matthew Ginsberg, who designed the program and named it Dr. Fill, was expecting the program to come in at about top 50, maybe a little better or a little worse, but human ability significantly surprised him; however, he didn’t get discourage, and announced this is only the beginning for artificial crossword puzzle solvers.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It was within the range, but I wish it had done better,” Ginsberg said Sunday. “I’ll be back next year.”

Unsurprisingly, Dr. Fill is very good at conventional puzzles and even solved the hardest puzzle, but had a really hard time at the easier crosswords, but which involved a touch of humour or were more unconventional. The winner of the event, for the third year in a row, was Dan Feyer.

Sorry to interrupt, but you should really...

...Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

ADVERTISEMENT

Tags: artificial intelligencecrossword puzzle
ShareTweetShare
Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Andrei's background is in geophysics, and he's been fascinated by it ever since he was a child. Feeling that there is a gap between scientists and the general audience, he started ZME Science -- and the results are what you see today.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.