Watson vs. Ken/Brad on Jeopardy: Will it be Elementary? SPOILERS possible.

[rn]

Watson sure has some weird Daily Double / Final Jeopardy wagers.

[Todd]

According to Watson, Toronto is now a part of the United States.

[GameShowFan1987]

Well if you want to get technical there's

Toronto, Illinois
Toronto, Indiana
Toronto, Iowa
Toronto, Kansas
Toronto, Missouri
Toronto, Ohio
Toronto, South Dakota

 

[GSB92]

Watson sure has some werid glitches. Funny Daily Doubles as well

Watson is the beginning of Skynet. It will take us over

[spoon14]

Wow, that was a pretty uncomfortable curbstomping. I wish the humans were doing better.

Watson sure has some weird Daily Double / Final Jeopardy wagers.

Yeah, usually human player work in terms of hundreds (sometimes with a dollar thrown in for FJ to win by a dollar). My guess is that Watson comes up with its wager based on some sort of weighted average. It must simulate a bunch of scenarios that it likes to varying degrees and average out its preferences, thus coming up with a funky number.

Maybe FJ threw Watson off because it was basically based on synthesizing two sub-answers (O'Hare and Midway) to get a final answer. I wonder what the basis for Toronto was. Did Toronto airports play some role in transportation to the European Theater during WWII?

[Off_trak]

I would have been interesting to see Watson's second and third choices for FJ. I wonder why they decided not to show them for this one question.

For a brief second there, I was certain the wager was going to be huge, and the gasp from the audience would have sucked the air outta the room... alas some smart programmer out there, made sure Watson wasn't a foolhardy gambler.. lol

[Ton80]

My guess is that Watson comes up with its wager based on some sort of weighted average. It must simulate a bunch of scenarios that it likes to varying degrees and average out its preferences, thus coming up with a funky number.

Watson's wager is probably based on a smart-alec programmer who said, "Let's make Watson bet weird amounts on the Final Jeopardy question so that everyone will think it's some kind of complicated algorithm". 

Personally, I'm disappointed that the final wager wasn't $42.  Deep Thought would have approved.

[Axl]

Maybe FJ threw Watson off because it was basically based on synthesizing two sub-answers (O'Hare and Midway) to get a final answer. I wonder what the basis for Toronto was. Did Toronto airports play some role in transportation to the European Theater during WWII?

According to the New York Times:

Toronto’s busiest airport, Lester B. Pearson International, was named after a former prime minister, not a World War II hero. But the city’s next busiest airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, was named after a famous World War I fighter pilot.

Of course, as Alex noted, all the question marks at the end indicated that Watson pretty much knew the response was wrong, but didn't have a better one.

[Ccook]

Looks like the only way Ken and Brad will have any sporting chance at Watson is if they ring in faster and/or Watson just crashes. Tonight will tell.

[trytobecharming]

Looks like the only way Ken and Brad will have any sporting chance at Watson is if they ring in faster and/or Watson just crashes. Tonight will tell.

Brad Rutter is one of the few never to lose on Jeopardy!

[Ccook]

According to Yahoo, Monday's show had the highest rating (8.7) Jeopardy! has had in four years. It was second on TV overall Monday (CBS's Two And A Half Men rated higher).

[nowhammies11]

Three words (well, two and one is hyphenated): HIGH-POWERED MAGNETS.

Falling that, head to the cooling room?  Let's hear Watson sing "Daisy", too.

[tpirfan28]

According to Yahoo, Monday's show had the highest rating (8.7) Jeopardy! has had in four years. It was second on TV overall Monday (CBS's Two And A Half Men rated higher).

Buzzerblog says Tuesday got a 9.5, only beat on the day by NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles.  Unbelievable.

[trytobecharming]

Brad Rutter is one of the few never to lose on Jeopardy!

I think he may be the only non-Teen or Kids Week player never to lose on J!, except for Barbara Lowe, who won five games in the 1985-86 season. As per the J! board and Harry Eisenberg's early 90s book of J!, she won on other game shows, including Barry-Enright's Bullseye. There was a lawsuit involved, and J! paid out her winnings for five games to settle it, but she did not get invited to the CHuck Forrest 1986 TofC.

[Robert]

(If you haven't seen the episode, I will not spoil, much)
LOL at Ken's comment during today's FJ.

To say Watson had a lead would be an understatement.
I'll just say it looked "human" today, and let those from the other coasts catch up before I say anymore.