Have you ever wondered how a $30 program can consistently beat you at chess? Computer chess programs calculate their game plan based on formulas -- algorithms that determine whether a position is "good" or "bad," taking the whole board into account.
Billiards, also known as pool, is played all over the world. But there's a lot more to it than just putting a ball in a pocket. Find out how pool tables are made, and learn about the games that are played on them. See more »
Have you ever wondered how a $30 program can consistently beat you at chess? Computer chess programs calculate their game plan based on formulas -- algorithms that determine whether a position is "good" or "bad," taking the whole board into account. See more »
On a coin-operated pool table, if you hit one of the numbered balls into a pocket, the ball goes into a locked storage compartment. If you hit the cue ball into a pocket, the table returns it. How does the pool table tell the difference? See more »
Gamification is rapidly changing the way we interact with our world. Education, business and health are all becoming more gamified every single day. Odds are, you're participating in gamified systems without even knowing it. See more »
Combining people's love for taking care of fictional critters with the enjoyment of puzzle games, Neopets is a hit. Peek behind the scenes at the creators and owners of Neopets and explore the controversies that surround the site. See more »
Piano Wizard is a computer program that lets you have fun while you learn how to play the piano. Are you the next Ben Folds? Or Liberace? See more »
The pinball machine is an arcade standard that most enjoy having a game or two on. There are also those who have truly mastered its secrets. Find out about the vagaries and nuances of tilt sensors, replays, matches, combination shots and more. See more »
As efforts to create artificial intelligence become more sophisticated, humans like to test computers to see whether they can beat people at games of skill and chance. Can a computer win without cheating? See more »
So you've got a pretty sweet piano melody, but no band. Upload that melody to a virtual band Web site and watch while other musicians round out your tune with drums, guitar -- maybe even an oboe. See more »
