A webpage that reads your mind?

[David Prahl]

I just found this neat webpage that can "read your mind". Just follow the directions found on the page.

http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp.html

I found out how it works after five or six runs - can you figure it out? If you do, please don't post any hints or answers here.

:i got it:

[MPSmith]

That's an oldie but a goodie...

[Janak Parekh]

It took me about 20 seconds, but like MPSmith, I think I've seen it before.

--janak

[David Prahl]

Awww! And I was feeling smart there for a minute... :oops:

[Janak Parekh]

Awww! And I was feeling smart there for a minute... :oops:
Well, it's also the computer scientist in me that refused to believe what I was seeing. :lol:

--janak

[David Prahl]

Did you click "view source" and look the the "code"? :lol:

[Janak Parekh]

Did you click "view source" and look the the "code"? :lol:
Nope. I can say what I did, but you said not to give ideas away... ;)

--janak

[JustinGTP]

Every time I chose "a card" it never came back with the one I said out loud.

:grumble:

[Dave Beauvais]

Every time I chose "a card" it never came back with the one I said out loud. :grumble:
Through the "magic powers of ESP," your card is "removed" from the results; the card you selected is not supposed to be there in the end.

[Steven Cedrone]

I remember that site from a while ago...

What really worries me is that some people are "frightened" or "scared" because they think it's real... :roll:

Steve

[sublime]

I'm very tempted to post hints or answers here.

Darnit

[Steven Cedrone]

I'm very tempted to post hints or answers here.

Darnit

Now, now...

Don't ruin it for everybody... :wink:

Steve

[Korlon]

Wow. This fools people? Not hard to believe, I suppose.

Thanks for the laugh!

[Falstaff]

Once you figure it out, the best part is reading some of the explanations that people have e-mailed the site's creator. Some of them get pretty elaborate.

[Pat Logsdon]

Once you figure it out, the best part is reading some of the explanations that people have e-mailed the site's creator. Some of them get pretty elaborate.
I particularly enjoyed the one where the person covered the monitor to block the brain waves. :mrgreen:

[Kati Compton]

Very "Penn and Teller"-ish.

[Janak Parekh]

I particularly enjoyed the one where the person covered the monitor to block the brain waves. :mrgreen:
I totally missed that page. 8O Oh my. We as humanity are doomed. Doomed, I tell ya! :lol:

--janak

[David Prahl]

I totally agree! I was astounded that people could spend so much time "studying" or trying to "fool the computer"! I bet these are the same people who "punch the monkey" and are the "1 millionth visitor"!

[peppzilla]

OK, those explanations can't possibly be real. People aren't that dense, are they? Wait, don't answer that. :rotfl:

[David Prahl]

A few selected quotes from http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp4.html:

"I tried three times and you missed twice. Better luck next time. "

"Dr. Pickover, regarding the ESP test, in one case you guessed correctly and once you were wrong - and I did the ESP experiment only twice."

"One card is slightly "darker" and shadowed, and gives the impression of being at a slightly lower level than the others in a 3D sense."

"Unbelievable when you think it is done by a software."

"I have tested the page, and the precision of the "code" is amazing."

"Dear Cliff, your program removed several times the card I named, even though I spoke Finnish when naming the card."

"I was even getting chills when my dog started wimpering for no reason. " 8O

Check out how many (parenthesis) "Mark R" (uses), and how (long his (paragraph) is).

[aroma]

My favorite response post (which I won't include here because it may tip someone off) is one where a guy is SOOO close to figuring it out, but doesn't realize it. If you know how the test works, them I'm sure you'll have no problem figuring out which response I'm refering to.

- Aaron

[JustinGTP]

Every time I chose "a card" it never came back with the one I said out loud. :grumble:
Through the "magic powers of ESP," your card is "removed" from the results; the card you selected is not supposed to be there in the end.

He he, thanks for clearing that up, maybe I should read a little more next time! :D :D

-Justin.

[GoldKey]

Took me three times through to figure it out. The ones that shock me the most are those who's reply says that the computer was wrong on more than one occasion.

[mirkazemisaman]

wow, i guess i am not as smart as you guys, it took me ~10 tries and then I realized what a fool I was for not having realized it sooner...


update: i am reading some of the responces now, just to get a kick out of it... it's interesting that two of the posts got very close to understanding how it worked, but still didn't get it.

The guy probably deletes the posts with the right explanations. i find it hard to believe that so many people are fooled by it...

[Jerry Raia]

I remember that site from a while ago...

What really worries me is that some people are "frightened" or "scared" because they think it's real... :roll:

Steve

I'm so scared i wont even go look at it :crazyeyes:

[Steven Cedrone]

I'm so scared i wont even go look at it :crazyeyes:

:rofl:

It's like the movie "Wargames"...

Strange game--the only winning move is not to play...

Steve

[delfuhd]

OH!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OMG hahaha I just figured it out after a day of being totally dumbfounded. Wow, this is clever... Well, good for Cliff.