Odd book

[Tony Duell]

On Sat, May 9, 2020 at 4:23 PM Noel Chiappa via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
>     > From: Dwight Kelvey
>
>     > There was a fellow that made a relay logic that could play tic tac toe
>
> What's with these new-fangled devices using _electricity_ anyway? :-)
>
> In high school, my math teacher (I think it was) used a couple of matchboxes
> and some beads to create a TTT device; he 'programmed' it by playing against
> it, and when the device lost a game, he pulled out the bead that indicated
> the device's previous move, so it could never make that losing move again.
> Pretty impressive, I thought...

I am pretty sure that was in one of Martin Gardner's columns
(Mathematical Games) in Scientific American, and is reprinted in one
of his books. Of course he might have got it from your teacher rather
than vice versa.

I am sure I have the appropriate book on my shelves, I can try to find
the reference if you want it.

-tony