Technology invades the modern world

Chapter 141 Deep Blue (4k)

The New York Mathematicians' Evening was proposed by Lin Ran, and major universities in New York also hope to make it a tradition.

As for your question about why the Christmas party is on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day, who doesn't spend Christmas with their family and instead spends it with a bunch of bald old men?

This year's Christmas party is different from last year's.

This year's venue has been moved from The Faculty House next to Columbia University last year to a luxury hotel in Manhattan.

The IBM team has been working at this hotel, in which the Hearst family owns a stake, for half a month.

From transporting the 10 IBM 7094 II machines, which had already been programmed and connected in parallel, to the backend, to debugging the program.

In preparation for DeepBlue's grand debut, the mathematicians' dinner not only invited mathematicians but also a large number of media representatives.

Besides Alex Bernstein, head of Deep Blue, IBM CEO Thomas Watson was also waiting behind the curtain.

“Don’t be nervous, Bernstein. We’ve done a perfect job, haven’t we?” Watson noticed that Bernstein was sweating in the warm hall.

Bernstein nodded and said, "That's true, but I'm still worried about unexpected things happening."

Watson looked him straight in the eye and said, “Bernstein, even if your first appearance wasn’t perfect, Deep Blue is here.”

People will realize that it is a groundbreaking product.

By this time, all the guests had finished their meals. Lin Ran stood up, walked to the front of the curtain, and said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, today is a special day. As I told you before we began, there will be a little surprise."

Unlike last year's Christmas party which ended with a dance, today I'm going to end this wonderful day with a surprise—let's play a little brain teaser.

After Lin Ran finished speaking, the curtain behind him fell, revealing 10 large computers arranged in a very aesthetically pleasing manner. In front of them was a black box with a chessboard on top, covered with chess pieces.

Lin Ran stepped back behind the curtain, leaving the stage to Bernstein. The sweat on Bernstein's brow had already been wiped away by the time Lin Ran spoke.
"Professors, this is Deep Blue, an artificial intelligence developed by IBM. Compared to past chess programs, it can reach the level of a true human chess player."

We need a professor to come up and play against him to see how effective he is.”

From the moment the curtain was lifted, the discussion in the audience never stopped.

Well, everyone knows about computers, and universities across the country have no shortage of them.

At the recent International Congress of Mathematicians, Lin Ran also used the Four Color Theorem to elevate computer science to an unprecedented level.

Lin Ran introduced a method called the charge method, showing everyone how to solve the four-color problem using a computer. The universities in New York are all wealthy and have bought some IBM computers to varying degrees.

But compared to the enormous machine before them, brimming with the beauty of order, their computers seemed far too outdated.

"It's so beautiful, don't you think? I've never seen such neatly arranged cables."

Indeed, Lin Ran brought more than just innovative ideas; in terms of how to package things, he was far ahead of his time.

Packaging is a technical skill.

Starting with Steve Jobs of Apple, machine aesthetics became very popular.

People in this era have no idea that even wiring can be turned into something amazing.

The world's first programmable general-purpose electronic computer, ENIAC, which was designed under the leadership of John von Neumann, shows cables that, despite being combed, still appear messy.

It wasn't until computers entered private homes and users desired more compact, quiet, and aesthetically pleasing devices that messy cables began to be seen as a symbol of obsolescence or low-end technology.

In the industry, it wasn't until IBM launched the PS/2 series in 1987, which emphasized modular design, that cable layouts began to become more organized.

Under Lin Ran's leadership, these ten IBM 7094 II units have already been connected together in a refined manner using cable ties and cable trays.

The black and white chessboard on the deep blue box, and the exquisite and beautiful large computer in the background, exude a timeless aesthetic.

After Bernstein finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the room. Reporters held their breath, and their cameras flashed incessantly.

They received advance notice from IBM, which Lin Ran described as a small surprise, but IBM told reporters it was a big surprise.

So apart from Jenny, everyone who came was an editor-in-chief or higher-ranking official from major newspapers and television stations.

Seeing that the room was quiet, Lin Ran smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, everyone. You're not going to get an electric shock. This is an artificial intelligence. If you're confident in your chess skills, you can come up and play a game against it."

Ralph Fox, chair of the mathematics department at Columbia University, raised his hand and said, "Can I do it?"

Lin Ran nodded and said, "Of course, Professor, come on, but you have to sit on the white side. The black side is controlled by the computer."

Ralph Fox sat at the chessboard, with only one chair in front of him, and the chair was empty.

He adjusted his glasses, took a deep breath, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This strange feeling was something he had never experienced before.

The game begins. Fox, playing white, makes the first move, steadily picking up the pawn in front of the king and advancing it two squares. His movements are composed, his eyes intently scanning the board, considering how many possibilities exist.

A slight smile played on his lips as he thought to himself, "It's just a machine; I can find its weaknesses."

One minute later, the black pawn automatically advanced.

After he sat down, he noticed that there were guide rails underneath the chessboard, and Fox guessed that the chessboard slid along the mechanical guide rails underneath.

As he played against the "air," the machine behind him was running wildly, making a buzzing sound.

Combined with the discussions among the professors and reporters in the audience, the entire space was incredibly noisy.

"Why did Fox go up there? He's so bad, what if he loses? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Stephen Smail, who came from Princeton to attend the New York Mathematicians' Christmas party, complained to Harvey Cohen next to him.

Harvey Cohen turned to the side and said, "It's alright, Fox is a good chess player."

Stephen Smail was taken aback. "Are you alright? Back when Fox was at Princeton, he always made me give him at least a two-point handicap when we played Go, and even then, I still couldn't win."

Chess and Go are similar. In Stephen's opinion, if he plays Go so badly, he can't play chess much better.

Hearing Harvey Cohen's words, Stephen understood; the other guy was probably just as bad as Fox.

The crowd below the stage was discussing the game, while the chess match continued.

Fox frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across his mind: "Such a fast reaction? It seems its algorithm is even more efficient than I expected." He adjusted his posture, his fingers hovering among the pieces, and finally chose the knight to move to f3.

His fingers trembled slightly as he touched the chess pieces, clearly weighing the mathematical implications of each move.

As the game progressed, Fox's movements became more cautious. He would sometimes rest his chin on his hand, sometimes run his fingers through his gray hair, gazing intently at the situation on the board.

Deep Blue's every step took about two minutes. Lin Ran had already returned to the stage, and Jenny whispered in his ear, "Professor, you really surprised me."

Lin Ran replied, "Compared to aerospace, artificial intelligence is the future."

Jenny nodded and said, "I've read reports about chess programs before. It seems that even beginners couldn't beat them, and their calculation time was at least five minutes."

The fact that Deep Blue can now pose a threat to mathematicians like Fox is a huge step forward.

From this perspective, artificial intelligence truly is the future.

She then added, "So, Professor, if artificial intelligence is really as intelligent as humans, and its computing power is even stronger than that of humans, then what is the meaning of human existence?"

Lin Ran did not answer.

The game on the stage continues.

Deep Blue's every step was a result of absolutely ruthless calculation, without the slightest hesitation, which put Fox under immense pressure.

By move 20, fine beads of sweat appeared on Fox's forehead. He took off his glasses, wiped them with a handkerchief, and put them back on, trying to calm himself. The situation on the board was increasingly unfavorable to him; Deep Blue's relentless pressure made him feel as if he were trapped in an invisible net. He attempted a counterattack, moving the Bishop diagonally to g5, hoping to create chaos.
But Deep Blue immediately neutralized his threat with a swift and decisive movement. Fox's breathing became rapid.

As the game neared its end, in the thirtieth round, Deep Blue pushed an inconspicuous pawn to a6. This seemingly ordinary move completely locked down Fox's king wing.

Fox was stunned, his hand hovering in mid-air, a look of bewilderment flashing in his eyes.

He tried to mentally reconcile the situation, but found that no matter how he adjusted it, defeat was inevitable.

His shoulders slumped slightly, his lips pressed tightly together, and finally, he slowly pushed the king down, signaling his surrender. As he rose, his hands gripped the table, his knuckles slightly white, and his face wore a complex expression.

His expression conveyed both admiration for Deep Blue's computing power and frustration at his own defeat.

Discussions arose from the audience.

"Professor, this is incredible!"

Even Jenny never imagined that Deep Blue could beat a mathematician.

In her view, being able to play for so long is already a remarkable technological breakthrough.

Lin Ran smiled at her, then prepared to get up and go on stage; everything was as expected.

Within a mere ten meters or so, the reporters crowded around him.

"Professor, is this your latest research result?"

"Professor, besides playing chess, what other uses can artificial intelligence have?"

"Professor, may I say a few words?"

"Professor, is this a show? Is Professor Fox acting?"

Reporters swarmed around him, bombarding him with questions like bullets.

Lin Ran stretched out his hands, trying to separate the reporters. "I'm sorry, I will introduce him and our work to you in detail after I get on stage."

The mathematicians in the audience were discussing how the machine did it and accusing Fox.

“I told you we couldn’t let Fox play; his level is not even as good as the 12-year-old chess champion.”

"Shouldn't we discuss how Randolph actually did it?"

“It’s really incredible. Now I finally understand why Randolph emphasized computers to us at the Mathematicians’ Congress.”

"Do you think that since computers can beat Fox in chess, will they one day be able to replace human mathematicians?"

"I want to go up and give it a try."

Lin Ran first hugged Fox and patted him on the back, saying, "Professor, you've done very well."

Fox smiled wryly, "No, no, no, I thought Stephen was good when I lost a game of chess, but now I can't even beat the machine."

Lin Ran laughed and said, "Professor, we will invite other mathematicians to the stage to play against him later. You will definitely not be the only one who loses to Deep Blue."

Fox froze. You might as well not offer any comfort at all.

Lin Ran stood in the middle, with Alex Bernstein on his left and IBM CEO Thomas Watson on his right.

Thomas Watson began by saying, "As you can see, Deep Blue, an AI chess program developed by IBM, has reached the same level as human chess players."

To dispel any doubts, we will open the equipment to journalists and mathematicians for close examination.

We welcome any other mathematicians who would like to challenge Deep Blue to a game.

Given the limited time, we can only invite a maximum of two more mathematicians up today.

But IBM has already rented the Times Square Theater near Times Square in New York, and we will transform it into the Deep Blue Museum, which will be open to the public from day one in 1963.

The Deep Blue exhibition hall will be open to the public free of charge, and the public can also purchase game tickets to play against Deep Blue.

Therefore, everyone, including the journalists, can purchase a Deep Blue game ticket to play a game against him.

If you win, we will refund the full amount you spent on the game tickets, and we will also display your name on the dark blue side as a memento.

Impacted by movies and television, the Broadway theater in Times Square had long since declined beyond recognition. Many theaters around Times Square no longer featured high-end dramas and had become screening rooms for low-budget films or even adult content.

For example, the core area of ​​Times Square, namely the Times Square Theatre between 42nd and 47th Streets, can be purchased and renovated at a very low cost.

It has a fan-shaped auditorium that can accommodate more than a thousand people. The spacious interior, along with the foyer and auditorium, makes it ideal for conversion into an exhibition hall.

After Watson finished speaking, the reporters' doubts were dispelled, and a round of enthusiastic applause broke out from the audience.

Then there's Alex Bernstein, who said, "I've been working on developing a chess program, and Professor Lin helped me realize that dream."

Deep Blue possesses unprecedented potential, and we welcome everyone to experience it. We will continue to improve Deep Blue until it can defeat all human players.

Lin Ran was last.

(End of this chapter)