Re: Complete the sequence problems

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 07:44 7/18/99 -0500, Jack wrote:
> ... pattern recognition, as I understand it, works in situations
> where there is an existing "culture"....
>        In the physics case, the fact that one could fit experimental
> data with many fewer parameters than data points meant that we were in
> fact predicting data points from other data points....
>        The bottom line, I think we all agree, is that identifying short
> sequences is a highly culture-specific activity, a point that is lost
> on many MF's (modern faculty members).
>                                        Regards,
>                                                Jack

Having sat in on a pleasant Mensa social gathering some years ago
while visiting Phoenix, I should mention another motivator for
'completing the series' type puzzles.

It happens quite often that people who join Mensa do well at many
 varieties of G or IQ tests, while being somewhat underachieved in
academic terms.

 These people in particular, seem to enjoy the thinking sidewards
type of puzzle, not least because it can leave the academically
 well-endowed hopelessly floundering; the cries of 'foul' gild
their lily in the most gratifying way.



brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK