Computer scientists at the University of Alberta solved checkers five years ago and I’m just learning this now? The popular board game dates back to 3,000 B.C.
After 18-and-a-half years and sifting through 500 billion billion (a five followed by 20 zeroes) checkers positions, Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer and colleagues have built a checkers-playing computer program that cannot be beaten. Completed in late April this year, the program, Chinook, may be played to a draw but will never be defeated.
[via @oliverho]
