NASA Holding Space Vs. Earth Chess Game 36
A few days ago, NASA and the US Chess Federation teamed up to host a space vs. Earth chess game. Astronaut Greg Chamitoff is playing one side, while the other side's moves will be determined by a public vote. Four potential moves will be selected each weekday by a chess club comprised of students from kindergarten through third grade. Once the selections are made, visitors to the USCF's site can vote for the move they like best. The USCF is maintaining a blog to update the moves and board position, and to provide commentary.
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Do the kids determine the moves on their own or can they use help from a chess computer? If they can use a chess computer then space has no chance.
By the way the Slashdot poll asks if you'd like to own the space shuttle. That makes me wonder if NASA will sell it when they retire it. I'd think there would be some buyers. A commercial operation might be able to operate it much cheaper than NASA could.
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Also given the timescales involved (the vote's open for a week, the station crew member is aiming for a minimum of about 1 move/week on his end), the kids likely have a chance to think it through and discuss - it's not l
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Well, at least they're letting some chess experts select four moves for the public to choose from.
The BBC had a "public vs. a grandmaster" game 18 years ago on live TV. "Would the public add up to an awesome chess player with so many minds, or would it be disturbingly poor?"
I think people can guess the answer. Keep that in mind the next time you vote.
Yeah, I know how this is gonna turn out (Score:5, Funny)
Earth wins, gloats, then...the next thing you know an asteroid mysteriously changes orbit and heads toward Florida.
Space wins.
Re:Yeah, I know how this is gonna turn out (Score:4, Funny)
If it hits Florida I think we all win.
hm (Score:3, Funny)
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Are you smarter than a third grader? (Score:2, Funny)
Is NASA trying to one-up "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?", who just had an astronaut on?
Space is going to win (Score:2, Insightful)
Because it's a public vote, and the majority of the population, even the smaller subset interested in this, can't see more than one move ahead. And if the vote somehow comes up with a long-term strategy, it won't be able to follow through. While the one person up there can think as far ahead as he wants.
Re:Space is going to win (Score:5, Insightful)
If he's playing against kindergarten through third grade kids, I would think the most likely scenario is for him to lose on purpose.
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While the astronaut isn't rated, the kids he's playing against are the 2008 K-3 National Champs, and include kids rated in the mid 1400s.
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That's what I thought, too, but this guy challenged a large group of people who voted on the next move against him in a wiki and lost:
http://www.zefrank.com/thewiki/Fabuloso_Friday_2/Fabuloso_Chess [zefrank.com]
NASA getting desperate for PR (Score:2, Insightful)
If one of the astronauts wants to play chess by mail, that's fine. But this is just a PR stunt.
Re:NASA getting desperate for PR (Score:5, Interesting)
If one of the astronauts wants to play chess by mail, that's fine.
They actually did a game over the summer between Mission Control and Chamitoff, which ended with MCC resigning on 8-13: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition17/chess_chamitoff.html [nasa.gov].
Regarding the PR stunt, yes, it is one because it's try to draw lot's of attention, but so is every outreach program run by any kind of organization.
Part of NASA's mission, to quote Michael Griffin, is that "NASA is in the inspiration business." (http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=29218) That in itself is PR.
Space exploration needs to be on the forefront of science, along with things like the LHC, etc. Our country is on a decline on the science, technology, and innovation front. Our government has let it go by the wayside (see http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=29133 [spaceref.com] specifically for the space program), and too much of Generation Y is ignoring science, going into "soft" fields (preaching to the choir).
Like I said, NASA needs to inspire more young children to get into science and technology. If what it takes is a "PR stunt" like this, then so be it. Sure, NASA benefits from it, but the real beneficiaries, if it works out right, are the children, and by extension, future society.
Kindergarteners? (Score:5, Insightful)
OH, think of the children!
But seriously - more rational deduction in early education including logic games and reasoning will help fight the absurd and assinie War on Intellectualism [bilerico.com].
I play chess and Go with my daughter each chance I get.
Intelligence FTW! (Its amazing that one has to even say it...)
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Nah, logic is just another tool in the arsenal of people who want to manufacture justifications for their biases. Recognizing the limitations of logic and of hard & fast philosophies is the first step to any real intellectual maturity.
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If you reject logic, then your biases are all that's left. This sort of anti-intellectualism is already close to destroying the United States, so please don't spread it any further.
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No, sir. Intellectualism gave but one gift to the world. The ethos that one need not (and perhaps should not) believe those things for which he has no justification.
The rest is human decency, valuing the needs and concerns of your fellow men.
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The only way to justify anything is by combining facts with logic. Since you have rejected logic outright, you can't justify anything, so your philosophy simply says that no one should believe anything. You either have a simplistic and misinformed view of what logic is, or you're an advocate for stroke patients.
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Logic combined with facts? Seriously?
No, at the heart of every justification is a value judgment. Every public policy decision, every social decision, every choice in spending a night out or choosing a job or lifestyle, is rooted in a value judgment.
The very worst breed of intellectualism is that which seeks to supplant human concerns with an inhuman, unthinking, and presumptive moral calculus.
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Absolutely. Well, almost. "Manage" is a strong word. It's too compatible with something I see fair too often -- the drive to seek a devilish consistency in the ramification of one's feelings at the expense of other feelings, particularly matters of conscience and social justice.
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If you think it's a waste to allow any personal items brought up at all, think about it if you were stranded on an island. Wouldn't you want to have some personal items with you? At least he b
Wow (Score:4, Insightful)
Somehow this seems strangely familiar...
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i have no idea if the parent is talking about slashdot polls or the upcoming election...
but it seems to me that either case is equally valid.
i'll play it safe and go with slashdot polls. yes, that must be it.
Russians did it. (Score:3, Informative)