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Re: Complete the sequence problems



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