tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post5948348688902184327..comments2024-02-15T04:42:41.606+00:00Comments on James' Empty Blog: Happy 10*9*8*7*6/(5+4+3+2+1)James Annanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-80244973807491609122016-01-30T02:43:39.994+00:002016-01-30T02:43:39.994+00:00Fan Hui is a 2-dan pro (rank achieved in China), b...Fan Hui is a 2-dan pro (rank achieved in China), but has been retired from the pro circuit for a while and doesn't have a lot of competition in Europe (only a few quite weak pros there), so perhaps has lost his edge a bit. Given that, Lee Sedol should be at least 2-1/2 stones stronger than Fan. Based on those five games, the AI appears to be maybe only 1 stone stronger, so it's going to take some more work, maybe a lot more work, to get it up to top pro snuff. Even so, getting up to weak pro level is amazing progress.<br /><br />Note that Google was willing to put up a million bucks (I suspect rather more than they needed to since that's something like double the richest tournament prize) for what seems like a sure loss. Trivial money for them, I suppose.<br /><br />As a player, what I found most interesting is that the programming approach involves a library of lots of games for the AI to consult, but no joseki dictionary. Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-8432489743229348822016-01-28T06:59:25.272+00:002016-01-28T06:59:25.272+00:00Not clear how far a good European Go player is fro...Not clear how far a good European Go player is from a pro, but it's obviously a good step in that direction. I sort of lost confidence in Ideosphere over the "true" fiasco. But also, real money bets are more fun anyway :-)James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-90668556453434204522016-01-27T23:39:07.451+00:002016-01-27T23:39:07.451+00:00Does a 5 nil win against best European go player m...Does a 5 nil win against best European go player make it likely we will soon have a machine go champion? Guess James has given up on ideosphere?crandleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15181530527401007161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-65943990083969095172016-01-27T21:05:15.555+00:002016-01-27T21:05:15.555+00:00Although it's a fairly sure bet if the lagged ...Although it's a fairly sure bet if the lagged tropospheric T spike of RSS/UAH relative to the surface record during and after the 1998 El Nino is any guide. I'm almost looking forward to Woy's attempt at spinning that.<br /><br />It's also interesting how people casually refer to the satellite record as if the surface record wasn't substantially from satellites (SSTs) (which note don't suffer from anything like the adjustment problems James mentioned). Some satellites are more equal than others, apparently.<br /><br />(If I were a robot, I'd be a better go player.) Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-82086056767230529352016-01-27T06:45:25.462+00:002016-01-27T06:45:25.462+00:00Nothing is a sure bet as far as the various confli...Nothing is a sure bet as far as the various conflicting and repeatedly readjusted interpretations of satellite measurements go.James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-34500509885245254312016-01-27T02:31:56.840+00:002016-01-27T02:31:56.840+00:00Would it be a safe bet that 2016 will be warmer th...Would it be a safe bet that 2016 will be warmer than 2015 in the satellite record? Would it be a sure bet?Layzejhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11346550512734519728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-59466106975606806632016-01-26T03:47:53.546+00:002016-01-26T03:47:53.546+00:00Good, with at least one of them paying James can b...Good, with at least one of them paying James can be entirely happy collecting from Chris on their own bet.Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-30344824215737044342016-01-25T21:33:54.651+00:002016-01-25T21:33:54.651+00:00http://www.desmog.uk/2016/01/25/climate-science-de...http://www.desmog.uk/2016/01/25/climate-science-denier-feels-bit-stupid-after-losing-1k-bet-world-would-be-cooling-2015 blah blah blahWilliam M. Connolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05836299130680534926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-34464495652982426222016-01-25T21:29:43.556+00:002016-01-25T21:29:43.556+00:00VB, it's a good rule of thumb to never bet mor...VB, it's a good rule of thumb to never bet more than you can easily afford to lose.Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-33671719109718563612016-01-25T16:12:34.847+00:002016-01-25T16:12:34.847+00:00No, thanks for the suggestion but I'm quite ha...No, thanks for the suggestion but I'm quite happy with the bet as agreed.James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-86062100915947479312016-01-25T09:01:12.610+00:002016-01-25T09:01:12.610+00:00I guess then you should think "Why did I forg...I guess then you should think "Why did I forgo the offer of $100K?!" in http://julesandjames.blogspot.ru/2010/02/more-on-betting.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16207055628336482354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-6780367968058525572016-01-22T04:17:32.022+00:002016-01-22T04:17:32.022+00:002016 is the 63rd triangular number:
1+2+3+ … +...2016 is the 63rd triangular number:<br /><br /> 1+2+3+ … + 63 = 2016John Palkovichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08839241538045673154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-6523982341556479952016-01-21T18:35:34.346+00:002016-01-21T18:35:34.346+00:00Saw that, but I like to think it is more a case of...Saw that, but I like to think it is more a case of putting a brave face on things for as long as possible. I'm pleased that a couple of journalists have got involved again, it actually provoked her into replying to my latest email, which she hadn't done for a while (also, thus confirming that I had the right address).James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-59725964391539727742016-01-21T18:32:28.848+00:002016-01-21T18:32:28.848+00:00Looks like your Russian friends are getting ready ...Looks like your Russian friends are getting ready to back out<br /><br />http://www.reuters.com/article/climatechange-bets-idUSL8N1541LL<br /><br />Galina Mashnich, an expert at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics in Irkutsk, Russia, who made the bet with her colleague Vladimir Bashkirtsev, said the new temperature data is not definitive.<br /><br />"2015 is not the warmest year, according to some sources," she wrote in an e-mail to Reuters. In recent years, she said, it was "most likely temperature increases are caused by El Nino".<br /><br />EliRabetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-33799888734163886792016-01-19T07:10:53.777+00:002016-01-19T07:10:53.777+00:00Wow Doug, that's amazing. Why doesn't ever...Wow Doug, that's amazing. Why doesn't everyone know this?<br /><br />No, don't answer that.James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-81958890147421245172016-01-19T01:13:30.301+00:002016-01-19T01:13:30.301+00:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Doug Cottonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08564342660783793003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-17979590739451126492016-01-12T16:13:16.218+00:002016-01-12T16:13:16.218+00:00> If not volcanoes nor asteroid strikes, what ...> If not volcanoes nor asteroid strikes, what are we on to then? <br />> Aliens keeping the moon between Earth and sun most of the time?<br /><br />If the Republicans take complete control of the USA again, perhaps they'll produce the magic sunshade by targeting a nuclear strike on the hated <a href="http://epic.gsfc.nasa.gov/" rel="nofollow">Goresat (aka Triana, DSCOVR)</a> to produce a large persistent dust cloud at Lagrange-1 [L1] (the neutral gravity point between the Sun and the Earth). That will fix the market problem fossil fuels are experiencing, put paid to the solar power socialists, and just by happenstance cool things off on Earth even though they assure us there's no problem to be solved.<br /><br />Hank Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07521410755553979665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-86305216976941109092016-01-09T11:54:41.021+00:002016-01-09T11:54:41.021+00:00James, I will meet Vladimir on Monday. He isn'...James, I will meet Vladimir on Monday. He isn't fond of stay in the Internet, but I can refer some matters from you to it at our personal meeting.B_Keyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04679161682585974099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-5268819581840317792016-01-09T11:50:17.520+00:002016-01-09T11:50:17.520+00:00Yes, Steve, you are right. Forest fires burn in Si...Yes, Steve, you are right. Forest fires burn in Siberia only in the summer, peat bogs burn almost all the year round.B_Keyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04679161682585974099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-58167106998403220302016-01-09T09:37:26.111+00:002016-01-09T09:37:26.111+00:00On the same page as the article I noticed a link t...On the same page as the article I noticed a link to this:<br /><br />"In Usolsky area per day extinguished the smoldering peat bogs 6,5 ha<br /><br />"In Usolsky area per day extinguished the smoldering peat on an area of 6,693 hectares. As the January 9, 2016 press service of the EMERCOM of Russia in the Irkutsk region, to control are two more places of burning peat Usolsky area on a total area of 8.34 hectares. On the territory of Bolsheelanskogo and Novozhilkinskogo municipalities Usolsk District peat fire acts on Kartagonskom field. During the day eliminated the centers on the area of 4,494 hectares. Smoldering peat occurs over an area of 4.98 hectares. In the area of federal highway P-255 "Siberia" in the Telminskogo and Railway MO peat fire in the hole Mandaliha acts on the area of 3.36 ha per day eliminated corruption in the area of 2,199 hectares.<br /><br />"A total of 96 people are working fires and 52 units of equipment. Since January 3, to extinguish in the area involved Engineering. "Engineering allows attracted by stirring the burning of peat soil with a noncombustible and snow to cool and extinguish pockets", - said Acting Chief Fire and Rescue District garrison Usolsk Sergei Schleger."<br /><br />That sounds kind of major. Lit off by last year's extensive forest fires? I hadn't heard of this sort of thing occurring mid-winter. Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-49446045231642289062016-01-09T09:26:30.647+00:002016-01-09T09:26:30.647+00:00Thanks, Bert.
If Google translate is to be truste...Thanks, Bert.<br /><br />If Google translate is to be trusted, the optimism of the variously enraged and cantankerous James fades visibly from year to year. But that was so 2008. ;) Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-16845029659691668432016-01-08T14:02:56.648+00:002016-01-08T14:02:56.648+00:00James, I apologize for the delay, the questions yo...James, I apologize for the delay, the questions you have in the mail. And once more, I forgot - http://baikal-info.ru/sm/2008/42/002007.htmlB_Keyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04679161682585974099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-61175709584756003702016-01-08T06:54:57.916+00:002016-01-08T06:54:57.916+00:00Bert, I and I suspect most here had heard of Irkut...Bert, I and I suspect most here had heard of Irkutsk prior to the bet.<br /><br />Also, please bear in mind when writing your article that while the global average surface temperature trend is important to know about, it necessarily omits the accompanying consequences that I recall your region has had more than its fair share of recently, e.g. permafrost melt, heat waves, flooding and forest fires. Steve Bloomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943109973917998380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-3195112428945722722016-01-07T16:08:05.722+00:002016-01-07T16:08:05.722+00:00Bert, I would also be interested in seeing Vladimi...Bert, I would also be interested in seeing Vladimis Bashkirtcev's current point of view. Perhaps you could post a link when the article appears?<br /><br />crandleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15181530527401007161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-72210196211350983722016-01-07T15:37:09.440+00:002016-01-07T15:37:09.440+00:00Hello Bert, yes please feel free to email me direc...Hello Bert, yes please feel free to email me directly, jdannan@blueskiesresearch.org.uk<br />James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.com