I think your evaluation of standard AI algorithms is fair.
However your accusation that game programmers mis-direct their effort is mistaken. Real AI is hard. You can't code human intelligence into a computer anymore than you can fit an ocean into a quart jug.
Therefore, the best games use *real* *humans* that you can actually *play* against. Amazing, I know. E.g. LAN or Internet play or split-screen.
This way the computer can concentrate on computery type stuff while real people provide the real people type intelligence.
Him: This is a standard interview question for me, when I interview programmers. "In what case would you want to use a bubble sort?" You: And the correct answer is: never. Me: Never say never.
Aren't you assuming that programmer time has insignficant cost compared to program run time?
And didn't someone famous say 'Premature optimization is the root of all evil'? Aren't they half right?
'A really creative way to add "depth" to the image'
Well, this superlative piqued my interest. Unfortunately I then read the linked article (yes
I do realize that isn't the done thing). The "really creative" way?
I don't mean to undermine the goals of the project, which are clearly noble. But the
top level comment is rather tabloidy.
I do have a serious question. What kind of accuracy do you get from this data? I understand latitude and longitude (or psi and phi) can be given to a tiny fraction of an arcsecond, but how about distance from earth? +-10%?
Last I checked the gamecube had an ATI board... so if it is based on the gamecube, wouldn't this new board be an ATI? Where is ATI in the mix of this anyway...
Last I checked the Slashdot forums are positively overflowing with well researched comments posted by informed individuals, and hasty remarks are never modded to +4. GameCube had nothing of the sort.
The facts of the matter are:
1. Nintendo signed ArtX to design the graphics chip for GameCube circa 1998. This chip is really the heart of GameCube, just like the RCP was the heart of N64. 2. ArtX was a start-up graphics chip company formed largely from ex SGI employees -- similar to nvidia in that respect. 3. After the design was basically finished, circa 2001 ATI bought ArtX. Net result: ATI's name goes on the chip and on the GameCube; millions of people think ATI designed the chip. 4. A chip is not a board. ArtX designed the chip.
Consequently: in no useful sense is there an ATI board in GameCube.
On topic addendum: One could reasonably presume that the Graphics Processing Unit from GameCube will be used in this newly touted hardware.
For years now, scientists have known that some fraction of women have four different cone photopigments in their retinas. The question still remains, however, whether any of these females have the neural circuitry that enables them to enjoy a different -- surely richer -- visual experience than the common run of humanity sees. "If we could identify these tetrachromats, it would speak directly to the ability of the brain to organize itself to take advantage of novel stimuli," says Dr. Neitz. "It would make us a lot more optimistic about doing a gene therapy for color blindness."
. . .
Dr. Nathans also believes, however, that for full-blown tetrachromacy, the fourth photopigment must not have a peak in sensitivity that is too close to the peaks of either the red or the green photopigments. That's the rub, as far as he's concerned -- he suspects that most female tetrachromats would have only mildly superior color vision, because the genetics indicates that the fourth photopigment would almost always be very close to either the red or the green. Every now and then, however, an oddball photopigment might appear, well separated from both red and green. "The genetics do not rule it out," Dr. Nathans explains. "It would be a rare event. But who's to say it hasn't happened? There are a lot of people out there."
As for the "hyperdimensional" nature of true tetrachromatic vision, it seems unlikely the perception would be truly four dimensional in these cases; far more likely that the extra receptors will help improve hue resolution in their sensitive areas, making "hyperdimensional" a misnomer.
In any event, the executive summary is some humans have more and some have less hue resolution than you, so it is best to ignore hue for color discrimination considerations.
Reading the article and the discussion, it seems to me most people don't understand one fact about evolution. The driving force behind evolution need not be death, or premature death.
Selection can and does occur in many "softer" ways.
Selection is having one offspring instead of two.
Selection is having an offspring at 30 instead of 29 years of age.
Selection is providing better resources for your offspring; for example more/better food; more/better knowledge.
And selection is providing these three evolutionary advantages or disadvantages to your relations as well as to your offspring.
Not one single individual has to die childless for selection to occur.
Slashdot Mirror
I think your evaluation of standard AI algorithms is fair.
However your accusation that game programmers mis-direct their effort is mistaken. Real AI is hard. You can't code human intelligence into a computer anymore than you can fit an ocean into a quart jug.
Therefore, the best games use *real* *humans* that you can actually *play* against. Amazing, I know. E.g. LAN or Internet play or split-screen.
This way the computer can concentrate on computery type stuff while real people provide the real people type intelligence.
Him: This is a standard interview question for me, when I interview programmers. "In what case would you want to use a bubble sort?"
You: And the correct answer is: never.
Me: Never say never.
Aren't you assuming that programmer time has insignficant cost compared to program run time?
And didn't someone famous say 'Premature optimization is the root of all evil'? Aren't they half right?
There is irrefutable evidence that CO2 levels are rising in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.
There is irrefutable evidence that human -produced long-lived chlorine group chemicals are catalyzing the destruction the ozone layer.
There is ambiguous evidence that the mean global annual temperature is increasing.
There is an ambiguous semi-consensus of scientific opinion that temperatures are rising because of human activities.
There are statements from the US president and adminstration that global warming is not happening, and that no action is necessary.
The majority of funding for the presidential campaign came from Fortune 100 oil companies who have a vested interest in zero regulation.
No other G8 country agrees. See Kyoto protocol.
No other G8 country has election advertising funded by corporations to the extent of the USA.
Do you:
A) Believe nothing should be done,
B) Believe something should be done, but do nothing,
C) Believe something should be done, and do something.
Choose one answer.
'A really creative way to add "depth" to the image'
Well, this superlative piqued my interest. Unfortunately I then read the linked article (yes I do realize that isn't the done thing). The "really creative" way?
Red shift
I don't mean to undermine the goals of the project, which are clearly noble. But the top level comment is rather tabloidy.
I do have a serious question. What kind of accuracy do you get from this data? I understand latitude and longitude (or psi and phi) can be given to a tiny fraction of an arcsecond, but how about distance from earth? +-10%?
A flame may be fleeting but obscurity is forever.
Last I checked the gamecube had an ATI board... so if it is based on the gamecube, wouldn't this new board be an ATI? Where is ATI in the mix of this anyway...
Last I checked the Slashdot forums are positively overflowing with well researched comments posted by informed individuals, and hasty remarks are never modded to +4. GameCube had nothing of the sort.
The facts of the matter are:
1. Nintendo signed ArtX to design the graphics chip for GameCube circa 1998. This chip is really the heart of GameCube, just like the RCP was the heart of N64.
2. ArtX was a start-up graphics chip company formed largely from ex SGI employees -- similar to nvidia in that respect.
3. After the design was basically finished, circa 2001 ATI bought ArtX. Net result: ATI's name goes on the chip and on the GameCube; millions of people think ATI designed the chip.
4. A chip is not a board. ArtX designed the chip.
Consequently: in no useful sense is there an ATI board in GameCube.
On topic addendum: One could reasonably presume that the Graphics Processing Unit from GameCube will be used in this newly touted hardware.
For example, while Hemos of Slashdot may say Mutant Tetrachromat Females Found redherring.com has an article Looking for Madam Tetrachromat which puts forward a more complex view: A view which a story in The Guardian echos.
As for the "hyperdimensional" nature of true tetrachromatic vision, it seems unlikely the perception would be truly four dimensional in these cases; far more likely that the extra receptors will help improve hue resolution in their sensitive areas, making "hyperdimensional" a misnomer.
In any event, the executive summary is some humans have more and some have less hue resolution than you, so it is best to ignore hue for color discrimination considerations.
Reading the article and the discussion, it seems to me most people don't understand one fact about evolution. The driving force behind evolution need not be death, or premature death.
Selection can and does occur in many "softer" ways.
Selection is having one offspring instead of two.
Selection is having an offspring at 30 instead of 29 years of age.
Selection is providing better resources for your offspring; for example more/better food; more/better knowledge.
And selection is providing these three evolutionary advantages or disadvantages to your relations as well as to your offspring.
Not one single individual has to die childless for selection to occur.