Thursday Thistory: The Chess Machine

In 1770 a weird and amazing machine known as "The Chess Machine," or "The Mechanical Turk," was created by Civil Servant and Engineer Wolfgang von Kempelen. He claimed it could play chess as an automated machine, and indeed it played and defeated many talented players and well-known people, including Napolean and Benjamin Franklin. This device kicked off the type of thinking that influenced the development of the computer, and probably even AI. Unfortunately it was all a hoax...

Thursday Thistory is a look at psychological or cultural history. Half today's episode is available to all listeners, while the other half is only for Patreon members.

This month's highlighted charity is Stand in Pride, a nonprofit helping LGBTQ+ individuals find support after facing rejection from family. Go to www.standinpride.org to learn more.