Game time on bookofjoe

Once again it's time for an interactive game not in the sense that term is most often used these days but, rather, in the sense that this one will require you to interact with your computer.

Last Sunday evening, while I was on the home stretch of that day's New York Times, I happened on an Op–Ed piece by Edward Tenner, who often writes (very entertainingly, I might add) about technology and its unintended consequences.

Towards the end of his column was the following paragraph:

Many students seem to lack the skills to structure their searches so they can find useful information quickly.

In 2002, graduate students at Tel Aviv University were asked to find on the web, with no time limit, a picture of the Mona Lisa; the complete text of either "Robinson Crusoe" or "David Copperfield"; and a recipe for apple pie accompanied by a photograph.

Only 15% succeeded at all three assignments.

I decided to see how the members of my crack research team on duty at the time would fare.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a single one of them who was both awake and coherent.

So, as is far too often the case lately here at bookofjoe World Headquarters, I was forced to undertake the assignment myself in order to bring you some sort of result from Charlottesville.

And that's all I'm going to say about that — for now.

The next post, at 1:01 p.m. today, will report the results.

Now get cracking.