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MENACE: the pile of matchboxes which can learn

Stand-up Maths · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Machine learning & deep learningRecreational & visual mathHistory of computing

What it is

Matt Parker of Stand-up Maths demonstrates MENACE, Donald Michie's 1961 machine made of matchboxes that learns to play noughts and crosses through reinforcement. He builds and trains a physical version.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN cites it as a fun, tangible way to teach machine learning, including to kids.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 0 strong recommendations
  • first 2018, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “Stand up maths did an episode on a similar”

    Matchbox machine that learns to play tic-tac-toe.

    jimktrains2, 2023-01 · Recommendation · in “A Matchbox Game-Learning Machine (1991) [pdf]”

  2. “an amazing way to teach kids about this.”

    Physical matchbox learning machine that teaches kids about AI.

    Tachyooon, 2023-01 · Recommendation · in “A Matchbox Game-Learning Machine (1991) [pdf]”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: menace, reinforcement learning, tic-tac-toe, donald michie, matt parker, machine learning history

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