A lot, it looks like.
I recently bought 20Q Version 2, an electronic toy, for my daughter from Amazon UK for a little more than 5 GBP. I don’t write about toys in this blog but 20Q Version 2 seems to use Artificial Intelligence technics, so it qualifies as a gadget / gizmo, which is a staple of Talk of Many Things.
20Q Version 2 is the electronic version of the popular 20 Questions game where you think of an item and 20Q asks you questions that you must answer in Yes, No, Sometimes and Unknown. In most cases, 20Q guesses your item within 20 questions. In Version 2, 20Q’s artificial intelligence is even more accurate. It claims to have new questions, new answers, an UNDO button, an easier-to-read backlit screen — and, above, all “more attitude”.
| Q # |
20Q’s Questions | My Answer |
| 1. | Is it Animal, Vegetable or Mineral? | No |
| 2. | Does it have buttons? | No |
| 3. | Do you use it at work? | No |
| 4. | Does it bring joy to people? | Sometimes |
| 5. | Is it held when used? | Yes |
| 6. | Do you clean it regularly? | Yes |
| 7. | Is it smaller https://phenterminehealth.com than a loaf of bread | Yes |
| 8. | Does it have a handle? | Yes |
| 9. | Do you use it in cooking? | No |
| 10. | Does it go in your mouth? | No |
| 11. | Is it considered valuable? | Yes |
| 12. | Is it small? | Yes |
| 13. | Is it larger than a pound of butter? | No |
| 14. | Is it made of metal? | Sometimes |
| 15. | Do you use it at night? | No |
| 16. | Is it decorative? | Yes |
| 17. | Is it round? | Sometimes |
| 18. | Is it colorful? | Sometimes |
| 19. | Is it manmade? | Yes |
| 20. | Is it smaller than a golf ball? | Yes |
My daughter, her friends — and her parents! — have tried out at least 25 items; 20Q has guessed them all correctly (though it did take 23-24 questions in a couple of cases).
Let me give you one example:
ITEM 1
Can you guess what the item was?
Click here for the right answer cracked by 20Q.
Here’s another example where 20Q cracked the answer within 20 questions.
ITEM 2
| Q # |
20Q’s Questions | My Answer |
| 1. | Is it Animal, Vegetable or Mineral? | No |
| 2. | Does it have buttons? | Yes |
| 3. | Is it smaller than a loaf of bread? | Yes |
| 4. | Do you carry it in your pocket? | No |
| 5. | Is it square shaped? | No |
| 6. | Would it be given as a gift? | Yes |
| 7. | Does it bring joy to people? | Sometimes |
| 8. | Do you use this daily? | No |
| 9. | Are parts of it made of plastic? | Yes |
| 10. | Is it soft? | No |
| 11. | Does it contain liquid? | No |
| 12. | Are parts of it made of metal? | Yes |
| 13. | Does it have writing on it? | Yes |
| 14. | Is it small? | Yes |
| 15. | Does it break if dropped? | Unknown |
| 16. | Can you play with it? | Yes |
| 17. | Can you use it at school? | No |
| 18. | Is it round? | Yes |
| 19. | Can it fit in an envelope? | No |
| 20. | Is it used in a sport? | No |
Your guess?
Click here for 20Q’s right answer.
I’m sure you’ll now believe my earlier comments about 20Q and self-reference!