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nil_zirilrash  ·  3189 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: A Quick Puzzle to Test Your Problem Solving

A little off-topic, but... most of the discussion here seems to be focusing on the fallacy presented, but I would just like to point out how amazing it is that, with such a small number of data points, we as humans can latch on to an entirely plausible pattern. More data may show that pattern to be incorrect, but, with surprising frequency, human intuition can come up with a rule that fits at least partially. In my experience as a programmer, trying to get a computer to achieve the same result typically involves pre-programming different patterns to check for. There are, of course, numerous strategies that can be employed, but the complexity of the program appears to quickly surpass that of a simple glance.