Skip to Content

Chess is Too Easy

March/April 1998

Forget about Big Blue vs. Kasparov—the best test of artificial intelligence is to ask a computer to write a story. Meet Brutus.1, a software agent that creates short tales of betrayal,self-deception, and evil worthy of a human creator.

Read the issue

Features

  • Categorized in 17036

    Other Countries’ Money

    Foreign companies are tapping into the vigorous U.S. system of innovation by sponsoring and increasing amount of research and development at American companies. Is this a boon, or a subtle form of industrial espionage?
  • Some doctors have begun patenting not just devices but medical procedures and techniques. Proponents argue that this practice is needed to foster innovation in medical care. Critics claim that it perverts the Hippocratic oath and drives up medical costs.
  • Categorized in 17032

    To Mac or Not to Mac?

    A self-confessed Macintosh devotee contemplates the ultimate sacrifice: moving to a PC running Windows. Is life worth living on the Dark Side?
  • Electronic “collaboratories” that let researchers conduct experiments, review data, and communicate with collagues via computer are changing the culture of science.

Past issues

    Updated