A recent XKCD comic charted the difficulty of various games for computers, from Tic Tac Toe and Nim being solved for all positions, to computers mastering the physical game of Beirut and mental game of chess (the 2006 Deep Fritz vs Vladimir Kramnikin games, previously). There are other games that are basic on the face, but whose potentials for move combinations is so vast as to be beyond the scope of computers. Marion Tinsley was the last great human checkers player, matching off against Chinook in the last 6 games of his life, each ending in a draw (previously). Checkers was finally solved in 2007 (Google quickview; original PDF), and is largest game that has been solved to date, at 8x8. Solving Othello might be possible, if the decision tree were truncated, as the 10x10 board game tree complexity is very huge. The 19x19 Go board is is often noted as one of the primary reasons why a strong program is hard to create, though some programs are getting better at optimizing move evaluations. More: computerized gaming solutions previously, and the Wikipedia page for solved games.
posted to MetaFilter by filthy light thief at 11:55 AM on January 11, 2012 (57 comments)

Oh, The Places You'll Go At Burning Man! (NSFW: Lots of dusty desert nudity, as might be expected. Indeed, "you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.")
posted to MetaFilter by kaibutsu at 3:36 PM on January 7, 2012 (107 comments)

Rding a bike must suck when your balls are this big. Via.
posted to MetaFilter by unSane at 9:36 AM on December 19, 2011 (48 comments)

Here is a ancient Apple II computer role-playing game system with over 250 scenarios.
posted to MetaFilter by JHarris at 10:45 PM on December 3, 2011 (18 comments)

CubeStormer II solves the Rubik's Cube puzzle faster than the human world record.
posted to MetaFilter by Burhanistan at 10:45 AM on November 30, 2011 (30 comments)

I'm interested in exploring Robert C. Solomon's work on our human passions, love, etc., which was one major focus of his work. Since he was such a prolific author, I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choices available. Does anyone have works they recommend in particular? Thanks.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Judd Danby at 3:32 AM on November 4, 2011 (3 comments)

He does not cook like you do. But I would like an invitation for dinner: Cajun Stuffed Pork Chops with Bacon
posted to MetaFilter by Toekneesan at 6:35 PM on November 17, 2011 (40 comments)

"Tarantino is on record as saying that this movie is his “bunch-of- guys-on-a-mission film”—which would mean that it’s a version of the Dirty Dozen or The Guns of Navaron'e. Like almost everything else that Tarantino says in interviews, I think that sentence is a lie." -- The film within the film that is Inglorious Basterds.
posted to MetaFilter by Potomac Avenue at 6:12 AM on November 16, 2011 (182 comments)

Curious about the weird this-is-so-not-Metafilter-related mail we get at the contact form? Then you might enjoy Thank You For Contacting Metafilter, aka Shit My Contact Form Says, a tumblr we've put together in the last few days.
posted to MetaTalk by cortex at 10:46 AM on November 8, 2011 (232 comments)

Relays are simple electrical components that turn on an electromagnet with a small current to trigger a switch for a circuit usually capable of handling a larger current. For example, a relay can be used by a 5 volt DC microcontroller to turn on a 120 volt AC heating element in a rice cooker. Since relays can be used for logic, they can also be the primary components of gloriously clicky computers(see this for details on the last one).
posted to MetaFilter by mccarty.tim at 8:45 AM on November 5, 2011 (36 comments)

Google and Facebook would have you believe that you're a mirror, that there is one reflection that you have, this one idea of self. [They believe] that what you see in that mirror is what everybody else sees. But in fact we're more like diamonds, you can look at people from any angle and see something totally different. - Chris Poole, AKA Moot, founder of 4Chan and Canvas, from his speech at the Web 2.0 Summit on self-expression through social networking.
posted to MetaFilter by The Devil Tesla at 2:34 PM on October 18, 2011 (53 comments)

Rename my public radio show! (Details inside.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by YoungAmerican at 4:13 PM on October 17, 2011 (174 comments)

The shape of England suggests a woman conscious of the size of her breasts.
posted to MetaFilter by Yakuman at 10:48 PM on October 8, 2011 (67 comments)

KernType is a game where you put your kerning skills to the test.
posted to MetaFilter by Foci for Analysis at 10:22 PM on October 7, 2011 (72 comments)

While their song Always may be forever enshrined in the minds of a generation of Adult Swim fans as the theme to the online game Robot Unicorn Attack, 80's synth-pop duo Erasure are still around, touring and putting out albums after 26 years.

Their 14th studio album, Tomorrow’s World, was released in the UK on Monday (October 11 in the U.S.), along with an official video for its first released song, When I Start To (Break It All Down). A (better) non-autotuned version labeled "Rehearsal Video" is on YouTube. (An abbreviated history of their work, with official music videos and links to several concerts, can be found within.)
posted to MetaFilter by zarq at 8:47 AM on October 5, 2011 (53 comments)

This guy is really good at dancing. SLYT. Watch in fullscreen if possible.
posted to MetaFilter by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 11:56 AM on September 24, 2011 (166 comments)

Help me find a shrine for Yama in Tokyo.
posted to Ask Metafilter by tracert at 10:09 PM on August 25, 2011 (9 comments)

What is the shortest possible program (in any well-known programming language) that will count up indefinitely and display the output as it's counting?
posted to Ask Metafilter by joshrholloway at 8:31 AM on August 23, 2011 (80 comments)

Handheld Games Museum
posted to MetaFilter by Trurl at 8:41 PM on August 18, 2011 (14 comments)

Bill Nye, the-Sci-ence Guy
Biill Nyye, the Science Guuy
Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!
Bill Nye, the-Sci-ence Guy
(Science rules)
Bill Nye, the-Sci-ence Guy
(Inertia is a property of matter)
Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill-Bill-Bill-
Biill Nyye, the Science Guuy
Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!
(T-minus seven seconds)
Bill Nye, the-Sci-ence Guy

posted to MetaFilter by troll at 10:24 AM on August 4, 2011 (101 comments)

Two and a half years ago, we explored the early history of Cartoon Network... but it wasn't the only player in the youth television game. As a matter of fact, Fred Seibert -- the man responsible for the most inventive projects discussed in that post -- first stretched his creative legs at the network's truly venerable forerunner: Nickelodeon. Founded as Pinwheel, a six-hour block on Warner Cable's innovative QUBE system, this humble channel struggled for years before Seibert's innovative branding work transformed it into a national icon and capstone of a media empire. Much has changed since then, from the mascots and game shows to the versatile orange "splat." But starting tonight in response to popular demand, the network is looking back with a summer programming block dedicated to the greatest hits of the 1990s, including Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Double Dare, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and All That. To celebrate, look inside for the complete story of the early days of the network that incensed the religious right, brought doo-wop to television, and slimed a million fans -- the golden age of Nickelodeon. (warning: monster post inside)
posted to MetaFilter by Rhaomi at 1:33 PM on July 25, 2011 (116 comments)

"After Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden, the White House released a photo of President Barack Obama and his Cabinet inside the Situation Room, watching the daring raid unfold. Hidden from view, standing just outside the frame of that now-famous photograph was a career CIA analyst" - The man who hunted Osama bin Laden
posted to MetaFilter by vidur at 5:23 PM on July 5, 2011 (58 comments)

OSHA's 1984 Fatal Facts report comes illustrated with surprisingly sangfroid cartoons of workplace accidents.
posted to MetaFilter by The Whelk at 7:45 AM on June 19, 2011 (99 comments)

Horse herpes outbreak forces rodeo queens to ride stick ponies.
posted to MetaFilter by hermitosis at 8:51 AM on May 27, 2011 (90 comments)

Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten somehow talked his way into reviewing a Chevy Volt (GM's new electric vehicle) for 7 hours over 4 days. That's about 6:30 more than most reviewers get to spend with the vehicle. What resulted is a auto review unlike any other you've read before.
Previously on Metafilter.
posted to MetaFilter by COD at 4:00 PM on January 28, 2011 (130 comments)

Borromean rings consist of three circles linked as a group, with no two circles interlinked; removal of one ring results in the separation of all three. Named for the Borromeo family of 15th century Italy which featured the rings on its coat of arms, the symbol has had a long and varied history. The rings have appeared everywhere from medieval Christian iconography to Norse rune stones to the pillars of Hindu temples. In more recent times, Borromean rings have attracted formal study in the fields of topology, chemistry and (strangely enough) quantum mechanics.
posted to MetaFilter by dephlogisticated at 6:52 PM on January 8, 2011 (24 comments)

List of Libre Games. Open Game Systems. Compendium of Free Role Playing Games. Free RPGs at 1000 Monkeys, 1000 Typewriters. Tired of role-playing game books the size and price of textbooks? You've got a lot of alternatives.
posted to MetaFilter by Zed at 12:23 PM on December 23, 2010 (18 comments)

The Wikileaks Cablegate scandal is the most exciting and interesting hacker scandal ever. I rather commonly write about such things, and I’m surrounded by online acquaintances who take a burning interest in every little jot and tittle of this ongoing saga. So it’s going to take me a while to explain why this highly newsworthy event fills me with such a chilly, deadening sense of Edgar Allen Poe melancholia.

But it sure does.

Bruce Sterling on the world of post-Wikileaks diplomacy.
posted to MetaFilter by Artw at 5:12 PM on December 22, 2010 (396 comments)

Suggestions on interdisciplinary PhD programs?
posted to Ask Metafilter by roast beef at 7:21 AM on October 18, 2010 (18 comments)

A lawyer is secretly a stripper. Detectives look for a racist. Radiation kills a tormented scientist. Briscoe and Green search for lost customer. Homeless men are murdered. A complicated murder case. These Are Their Stories: Art based on one-line summaries of Law & Order episodes.
posted to MetaFilter by Captain Cardanthian! at 2:36 PM on July 31, 2010 (38 comments)

Old School Color Cycling with HTML5
This was a technology often used in 8-bit video games of the era, to achieve interesting visual effects by cycling (shifting) the color palette. Back then video cards could only render 256 colors at a time, so a palette of selected colors was used. But the programmer could change this palette at will, and all the onscreen colors would instantly change to match. It was fast, and took virtually no memory.
posted to MetaFilter by crunchland at 2:38 AM on July 26, 2010 (40 comments)

Single Link NYT Post: A Tax-Form For The Marginally Employed.
posted to MetaFilter by The Whelk at 7:42 AM on April 13, 2010 (28 comments)

Overthinking a plate of bean sprouts: help me eat pho like a pro.
posted to Ask Metafilter by dirk gently at 1:39 PM on March 9, 2010 (22 comments)

How do I win an election? I know all about the basics - but I would particularly like more in-depth, advanced information tailored to professionals on how to win.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Despondent_Monkey at 2:22 PM on February 9, 2010 (21 comments)

43 ways to simplify your life.
posted to MetaFilter by kenko at 3:52 PM on February 7, 2010 (112 comments)

How to make vaginas love a penis (SLYT). Apparently.
posted to MetaFilter by Hartham's Hugging Robots at 2:42 AM on January 23, 2010 (104 comments)

Pathologic sucked. Everyone said so. That doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile, of course; some art is flawed. (Games are art, right?)
posted to MetaFilter by sonic meat machine at 8:58 PM on August 9, 2008 (63 comments)

Tell me about chain restaurants still operating near you that had been successful in the distant past, but where there's now only a few remaining restaurants nationwide.
posted to Ask Metafilter by eschatfische at 7:23 PM on January 17, 2010 (95 comments)

Not content to sit by and watch other single-topic blogs ink book deals, Look At This F**king Idea For A Blog-To-Book Deal goes wide where others have gone narrow. (Actual site and URL not censored. Adjust your NetNanny expectations accordingly)
posted to MetaFilter by mkultra at 12:02 PM on January 7, 2010 (42 comments)

Losing the War "From the beginning, the actual circumstances of World War II were smothered in countless lies...People all along have preferred the movie version: the tense border crossing where the flint-eyed SS guards check the forged papers; the despondent high-level briefing where the junior staff officer pipes up with the crazy plan that just might work...The truth behind these cliches was never forgotten -- because nobody except the soldiers ever learned it in the first place."
posted to MetaFilter by deern the headlice at 12:35 AM on January 3, 2010 (151 comments)

What's a Coastie? Two University of Wisconsin undergrads record and post to YouTube an ode to "Coasties," out-of-state students who live in expensive off-campus apartments, wear Spandex tights with Uggs, spend their parents' money on designer handbags and Starbucks, and -- oh yeah, like 15% of their classmates but only 1 in 200 Wisconsin natives, are Jews. Controversy ensues.
posted to MetaFilter by escabeche at 7:41 PM on December 24, 2009 (143 comments)

"When will there be a MetaFilter lipdub to put these punks to shame?"
posted to MetaTalk by cereselle at 3:28 PM on December 18, 2009 (164 comments)

How can I understand, and empathize, with my fiancee's psychological issues? And other difficult-to-articulate questions.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 7:49 PM on December 17, 2009 (65 comments)

So as fate would have it, I am sharing an apartment with a girl that I am very attracted to. And now it seems as if I've been perma-friended. (For the sake of discussion, lets forgo the “dating roommates is a bad idea” discussion.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by RandomGradStudent at 2:55 PM on November 22, 2009 (122 comments)

I'm 16 years old. I have (though somewhat borderline) Asperger's and I'm highly intellectually (verbal, not quite visual-spatial) gifted. I don't do well in school, you could say I'm an "underachiever". I graduate high school this year. I will most likely not get into either of my top universities in the city (I'm Canadian, btw). I don't mind taking next year (from graduation until I'm 17.5) to "mature a bit" but eventually I want to go to school overseas. I need to prove to my parents I can live alone... without actually living alone.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Anonymous at 10:29 PM on November 13, 2009 (30 comments)

Imagine an alternate world, where the idea for "The Matrix" had been pitched to Charlie Chaplin. Behold.
posted to MetaFilter by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:34 AM on November 10, 2009 (41 comments)

What cooking secrets take your food to the almost-pro level?
posted to Ask Metafilter by chalbe at 8:34 AM on August 24, 2009 (135 comments)

"Five months ago, the kaleidoscope of power had been shaken, and Aringarosa was still reeling from the blow." Dan Brown's 20 Worst Sentences
posted to MetaFilter by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:19 PM on September 17, 2009 (228 comments)

Aunt Feminina Boots's Char-Broiled Book Club — Feminina Boots has been experiencing a lot of difficulty lately trying to find a book club where she can say things that aren’t just going to upset people.
posted to MetaFilter by netbros at 12:18 AM on August 27, 2009 (18 comments)

An Armadillo running and sniffing
The Mole-Cam
Cow Staring at Cow.
These and many more at the Museum of Animal Perspectives, a site run and curated by Sam Easterson.
posted to MetaFilter by vacapinta at 4:31 AM on August 27, 2009 (39 comments)