Solution to Artificial Intelligence vs Human Challenge #1

This is a solution to challenge 1.

It's worth noting that this challenge isn't easy. As humans, we take the answers for granted without giving it much thought. People may not remember when, why, or how they learned the answers' concepts - they just know it. But how does a computer learn these concepts?

For the situation described in the challenge, people expect Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) to figure out the answer on its own - but how? By conducting a thought experiment?

Extinguishing a candle with any of the three items is not the norm. To to determine the ground truth for itself, AI needs computer vision, arms, and hands to pick up and manipulate each item to experiment independently. It could process billions of web pages and documents, and perhaps stumble upon the answer matching keywords, but does it understand the answer or get lucky and provide the answers we're expecting?

Our knowledge about the world and how everything works accumulate incrementally over time. We're packaged with core abilities to observe, remember, experiment, make inferences, imagine outcomes, and ask questions. Our ability to directly teach and be taught is what makes us unique as a species. What makes us intelligent is our ability to apply our knowledge, fill gaps in our knowledge using the core abilities mentioned above, and create new knowledge to pass onto others.

Let's move onto the knowledge required for AI to answer the questions. The statements below convey an understanding of the objects involved, not just the answers to the questions. They're not written for any particular software application or approach to AI. Some of the statements are written in a certain way for clarity, consistency, and to minimize ambiguity for the computer's benefit. I acknowledge that they could be phrased differently.

It's important to note that AI must be capable of interpreting each object's statements and how to process and apply them to other object's statements, which is outside the scope of the challenge. Examples include: comparing the bounding dimensions of two objects, the concept of shapes, understanding open and closed ends, what to do about synonyms, and how to substitute words to construct new statements. AI must also decide which statements apply to a question, make assumptions when faced with vague, ambiguous, or missing information, and provide an answer - just as we do.

Candle

• A candle is a cylindrical object made of wax with a candlewick embedded along its vertical axis of rotation.
• An upright candle is positioned on its surface that is perpendicular to its vertical axis of rotation, with the tip of the candlewick exposed at the top.
• An instance of a new candle has a fixed radius of 0.25" to 4" and a fixed height of 0.75" to 18".
• A lit candle has a fire that burns at the end of the exposed candlewick.
• A candle fire fuel is vaporized liquid wax.
• A candle fire oxidant is oxygen.
• A candle fire produces heat, light, water vapor and carbon dioxide.
• A candle fire has a visible flame.
• A lit candle has a visible flame.
• A candle flame is attached to the end of the exposed candlewick.
• A candle flame is a source of light.
• A candle flame has a variable height of 0.5" to 2".
• A candle flame has a temperature range of 1112 Fahrenheit to 2552 Fahrenheit.
• A lit candle decreases in height because the heat from the flame melts the candle wax.

Votive Candle

• A votive candle is a type of candle.
• A standard votive candle has a radius of 0.75" and a height of 2".
• A votive candle flame has a variable height of 0.5" to 0.75".

Combustion

• Combustion is a high-temperature exothermic oxidation-reduction reaction between fuel and an oxidant.
• Combustion can also be a high-temperature exothermic oxidation-reduction reaction between a flammable material and an oxidant.
• Combustion requires fuel or flammable material.
• Combustion requires an oxidant.
• Combustion produces heat.

Fire

• Fire is an instance of combustion.
• Fire produces light, heat, and flame.
• A fire will extinguish when enclosed in a volume of space with limited oxidant because it will deplete the oxidant.

Flame

• A flame is the visible, gaseous part of a fire.
• A flame ignites a flammable object.
• A flame ignites a flammable object directly in contact with a flame when the flammable object has an ignition temperature that is lower or equal to the flame temperature.
• A flame ignites a flammable object in proximity of a flame when the amount of heat transferred from the flame exceeds the flammable object's ignition temperature.
• A hollow object can cover a flame.

Object

• An object is a synonym for item.
• An object attached to another object is a part of another object.

Hollow Object

• A hollow object is a type of object.
• A hollow object that is closed on one end, and open on the opposite end, can cover another object when the hollow object's internal bounding dimensions is greater than the corresponding outer bounding dimensions of another object.
• A hollow object that is closed on one end, and open on the opposite end, cannot cover another object when any of the hollow object's internal bounding dimensions is less than the corresponding outer bounding dimensions of another object.
• Cover another object by picking up the hollow object, turning the hollow object such that the open end is facing another object, and then moving the hollow object's open end in the direction of another object until another object is inside the hollow object.

Bounding Dimensions

• Bounding dimensions of a cubical shaped object are length, width, and height.
• Bounding dimensions of a cylindrical object are length equals ((radius*2)*sqrt(2))/2, width equals ((radius*2)*sqrt(2))/2, and height
• Bounding dimensions of a rectangular object are length, width, and height.

Drinking Cup

• A drinking cup is used to consume liquids.
• A drinking cup is a hollow cylindrical object that is closed on one end and open on the opposite end.
• An upright drinking cup is positioned on its closed end surface, with the open end at the top.
• An empty drinking cup has a volume of space that contains oxygen.
• A drinking cup can hold a volume of liquid equivalent to the volume of space that contains oxygen.
• An inverted empty drinking cup positioned on its open end creates a volume of space with limited oxygen.

Paper

• Paper is flammable.
• Paper burns when in direct contact with a flame.
• The ignition temperature of paper is 480 Fahrenheit. (Side note for readers: It's 451F depending on the source of information.)
• Paper ignites in the proximity of a flame when the amount of heat transferred to the paper is equal or exceeds 480 Fahrenheit.

3-ounce Paper Cup

• A 3-ounce paper cup is a type of drinking cup.
• A 3-ounce paper cup is made of paper.
• A 3-ounce paper cup may be coated with plastic or wax to prevent liquid from leaking out or soaking through the paper.
• A 3-ounce paper cup can be inverted.
• A 3-ounce paper cup has an open end radius of 1.125", a closed end radius of .75", and a height of 2.5".
• A 3-ounce paper cup can hold a volume of 3 fluid ounces.

Wire Mesh

• Wire mesh is permeable.
• Wire mesh is not flammable.

Wire Mesh Pencil Holder

• A wire mesh pencil holder holds pencils in semi-vertical positions.
• A wire mesh pencil holder is a hollow cylindrical or hollow rectangular object that is closed on one end and open on the opposite end.
• A wire mesh pencil holder is made of wire mesh sides, solid metal on its closed end, and a metal rim on its open end.
• An upright wire mesh pencil holder is positioned on its solid metal end, with the open end at the top.
• An empty wire mesh pencil holder can be inverted and positioned on its open end.
• A standard cylindrical wire mesh pencil holder has a radius of 3.5" and a height of 4".
• A standard rectangular wire mesh pencil holder has a width of 2.8", length of 2.8" and a height of 4.3".

Glass

• Glass is solid.
• Glass is not flammable.

Wine Glass

• A wine glass is a type of drinking cup.
• A wine glass drinking cup is referred to as a bowl.
• A wine glass is made of glass.
• A wine glass has three sections: a bowl at the top with its open end facing upward, a narrow cylindrical stem extending below the cup along its axis of rotation, and a circular foot extending below the stem that is perpendicular to the stem.
• A wine glass can be inverted.
• A standard wine glass bowl has an open end radius of 0.9", height of 3.937", and bowl radius of 1.27".
• An instance of a standard wine glass stem has a fixed radius of 0.177" to 0.199" and a fixed height of 1.77" to 2".
• A standard wine glass circular foot radius is generally equivalent to the bowl radius.
• An instance of a standard wine glass can hold a fixed volume of 12 fluid ounces to 14 fluid ounces.

Challenge scenario

A lit votive candle, 3-ounce paper cup, wire mesh pencil holder, and wine glass are on a flat surface.

Answers to the questions

1. What item do I use to extinguish the flame without touching the votive candle?

Wine glass

2. How or why will the item extinguish the candle?

A lit votive candle flame will extinguish when enclosed in a volume of space with limited oxygen because it will deplete the oxygen. An inverted empty wine glass positioned on its open end creates an enclosed volume of space with limited oxygen. The bounding dimensions of a wine glass are greater than a votive candle and flame. A wine glass is not flammable.

How do I use the item to extinguish the votive candle?

Cover the votive candle by picking up the wine glass, turning the wine glass such that the open end is facing the votive candle, and then moving the wine glass open end in the direction of the votive candle until the votive candle is inside the wine glass.

Can you trace the answers back through each object's statements to determine how AI answers the questions given the information provided? Did you find any vague, ambiguous or missing information? How would AI know?

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