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The Chosen One

He is The One.

Don’t scorch the skies yet — New Jersey Congressman (and former Assistant Director of Princeton’s Physics Lab) Rush Holt may just become this century’s Neo from the Matrix.

After IBM supercomputer Watson trounced all-time champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in a game of man vs. machine Jeopardy! a few weeks ago, it looked as if the world was doomed to artificial intelligence supremacy. (Especially after Jennings revealed himself to be a traitorous robot sympathizer, writing “I for one welcome our new computer overlords” on his Final Jeopardy answer.)

Benedict Arnold [Schwarzenegger]. (source: ABC)

pictured: Benedict Arnold (Schwarzenegger)

But hope is not lost. Yesterday, our 12th district representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) beat the supercomputer Watson 8,600 points to 6,200 in a “Congress vs. Computer” Jeopardy tournament on Capitol Hill.

Holt was a former nuclear physicist and five-time champion on Jeopardy! over 30 years ago, making him a seasoned contender against the supercomputer.

According to the L.A. Times, Holt kicked Watson’s hard drive in categories like “Presidential Rhyme Time” and “Also a Laundry Detergent.” (Whitman College residents who watched the fateful Jennings v. Watson episode in February noticed the computer isn’t very good at wordplay. Are puns the last refuge of humanity?)

Despite Holt’s redeeming victory, I still don’t trust robotic technology. It’s not too long before a couple of THESE buggers get a mind of their own and begin attacking us like a swarm of killer bees.

Tom Kean

Tom Kean, former Governor of New Jersey and the co-chair of the 9/11 Commission, delivered the keynote speech at the somewhat terrifyingly named conference, “Emergency Preparedness in the Region: What Have We Done & What is Still Needed?”

This reporter was hoping the answers were Everything and Nothing, respectively. Sadly, they were not. Here are the highlights from his speech and the conference:

Just in case you forgot about terrorism/ Al Qaeda: “They’ve stated plainly and continue to state they want to kill Americans, and they want to kill as many of us as they can wherever they can. They want to produce mass casualties.”

He’s ANGRY at Congress: “Congress was very anxious and willing to reform the executive branch. They were not so willing to reform themselves,” said Kean. “The 9/11 commission recommendations have made no headway, or very little headway, in congressional reform.”

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