Transcribed
The Mechanical 'Turk': Wouldn't You Prefer a Good Game Of Chess?
Dec 5, 2023 ·
24m 25s
Sign up for free
Listen to this episode and many more. Enjoy the best podcasts on Spreaker!
Download and listen anywhere
Download your favorite episodes and enjoy them, wherever you are! Sign up or log in now to access offline listening.
The Mechanical 'Turk': Wouldn't You Prefer a Good Game Of Chess?
Description
During the 18th century, early animatronics were hot. They were featured in circuses, carnivals, and other touring exhibitions, and were usually built and operated with various parts like axles, chains,...
show more
During the 18th century, early animatronics were hot. They were featured in circuses, carnivals, and other touring exhibitions, and were usually built and operated with various parts like axles, chains, cogs, gears, levers, pulleys, wheels, wind-up keys – you get the point. For Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, in 1769, Hungarian inventor Wolfgang von Kempelen’s created the Mechanical Turk, a chess-playing machine that could beat almost any person who played against it. The Turk appeared to be a fully functional artificial intelligence to those who saw and interacted with it. It left audiences delighted, but baffled as to how it worked -- until a young poet named Edgar Allan Poe convinced many audiences it was not what it seemed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
show less
Information
Copyright 2024 - Spreaker Inc. an iHeartMedia Company
