From aaai97-owner@cc.gatech.edu Wed May 28 14:16:57 1997
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To: Maria Gini <gini@cs.umn.edu>
cc: aaai97@cc.gatech.edu
Subject: Re: questions on "Find Life on Mars" 
In-reply-to: Your message of Wed, 21 May 1997 09:57:32 -0500.
             <199705211457.JAA01300@octavius.cs.umn.edu> 
From: Reid Simmons <reids+@CS.cmu.edu>
Date: Wed, 28 May 1997 13:55:12 -0400
Message-ID: <16295.864842112@jubilee.learning.cs.cmu.edu>
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Status: RO

> 
> I have a few more questions:
> 
> 1. are we allowed to choose the color of the squiggle balls or will the
>    squiggle balls be provided?  Also, can we assume all of them will be
>    of the same color?
All objects will be provided.  As mentioned in an earlier message today, there
will be two colors of balls.  The exact colors will be posted in a few weeks.

> 
> 2. is it correct to assume that the dead martians will be different from
>    the squiggle balls? will they differ for shape or color or size?  For 
>    instance, would it be possible to have a dead martian that looks exactly 
>    like a squiggle ball except for not moving?
>    Will any dead martian (or squiggle ball) have the same color as the doors
>    of the pen?
> 
All objects (and the doors) will have distinct colors.  I think a squiggle
ball is somewhat larger than a tennis ball, but not by much, so that you will
have to distinguish "dead round Martians" from "live round Martians" either by
their movement or by their color.  The shapes will be nearly the same, as will
the dimensions (I guess the dead Martians dehydrate a bit, so they are a bit
smaller ;-) ).

> 3. the rules give points for picking up objects, but do not say anything
>    about picking up and dropping the same object multiple times to collect
>    extra points.  I imagine that you do not want to give points for doing 
>    this, but perhaps it should be clarified in the rules.
>    

I thought you had caught us, but actually, the rules do address this.  They
state "And, obviously, no additional points will be given for picking up the
same object more than once in the same trial."  I'll add "or depositing" to
make it doubly clear.

> Thanks!
> - maria