Idea: age verification by university quiz

[frisco2]

The idea is: when you go to an adult site, instead of just asking to click a button "I'm over 18" ask them to solve a university level question that they wouldn't know how to solve unless they have a university course. The answer can't be multiple choice, but must be free form typing.

Example, with math:

  What mathematician proved that for any prime number P, and any number A: A^P = A (mod P)

  Last Name: _________

Or:

  What theorem relates area integral of curl to volume integral of divergence?

   Name: _______

Or:

  What is the name of a polynomial whose roots are eigenvalues of a matrix?
 
  _________ polynomial   (hint: starts with letter C)


There could be a drop-down choice of questions from different fields. For people who study biology:

  What molecule generates a protein from DNA ?

  Name: ________


This could be a service implemented in the style of CAPTCHA widgets.

Bounty: https://booster.io/tipjar/0C8TU2O

[rjk]

Lowest traffic site evar.

[drakahn]

Google-fu knows no age limits

[cbeast]

Yeah, I can see a gentleman's club that requires those answers from their dancers. Let's see what kind of dancers they get. Anyone?

[frisco2]

This is not about dancers, it is about visitors to the site.

[cbeast]

This is not about dancers, it is about visitors to the site.

Whew, you had me worried there. Since I don't patronize those sites, I don't have an opinion. Even if I did, that would mean I understood what you're talking about, which I derp.

[MrTeal]

What is the name of a polynomial whose roots are eigenvalues of a matrix?
 
________ polynomial   (hint: starts with letter C)

1. What % of people under 18 couldn't copy/paste that into google and get "Characteristic" within 30 seconds.

More importantly
2. What % of people 18 and over do you think could actually answer that question without looking it up in the first place.

[Red Emerald]

What is the name of a polynomial whose roots are eigenvalues of a matrix?
 
________ polynomial   (hint: starts with letter C)

1. What % of people under 18 couldn't copy/paste that into google and get "Characteristic" within 30 seconds.

More importantly
2. What % of people 18 and over do you think could actually answer that question without looking it up in the first place.

+1

[Meni Rosenfeld]

Question #1 is a trick question. It's Fermat's little theorem and it was stated by Fermat, but its first known proof is by Euler. I say this after looking it up, but I did pretty good from memory - "Hm, Euler or Fermat? Hey, isn't this thing called Fermat's little theorem? But wait, didn't Fermat have a notorious habit not to prove anything?"

Question #3 is wrong. There are many polynomials whose set of roots equals the set of eigenvalues of a matrix. And you can't sidestep this by saying "by multiplicity" because the algebraic multiplicity can be different from the geometric multiplicity.

Anyway, I don't know how serious you are with this, but these days kids know more than their parents (and more generally age explains only a tiny fraction of the variance in knowledge between people), so trying to deduce age based on knowledge is futile. Basically only people who have recently studied a relevant course have better than average chance at a solution.

[Red Emerald]

Anyway, I don't know how serious you are with this, but these days kids know more than their parents (and more generally age explains only a tiny fraction of the variance in knowledge between people), so trying to deduce age based on knowledge is futile. Basically only people who have recently studied a relevant course or can use a search engine have better than average chance at a solution.

FTFY

[Elwar]

Is this an age verification or an non-American verification quiz?

[bulanula]

Is this an age verification or an non-American verification quiz?

I see what you did there

[John (John K.)]

Question #1 is a trick question. It's Fermat's little theorem and it was stated by Fermat, but its first known proof is by Euler. I say this after looking it up, but I did pretty good from memory - "Hm, Euler or Fermat? Hey, isn't this thing called Fermat's little theorem? But wait, didn't Fermat have a notorious habit not to prove anything?"

Question #3 is wrong. There are many polynomials whose set of roots equals the set of eigenvalues of a matrix. And you can't sidestep this by saying "by multiplicity" because the algebraic multiplicity can be different from the geometric multiplicity.

Anyway, I don't know how serious you are with this, but these days kids know more than their parents (and more generally age explains only a tiny fraction of the variance in knowledge between people), so trying to deduce age based on knowledge is futile. Basically only people who have recently studied a relevant course have better than average chance at a solution.

+1. This idea will not keep the determined kids out, but will keep the bored adults out. No sane adult site will implement this.

[Sukrim]

Also you shut out any internationals that don't understand mathematical terms in english.

The idea itself is quite interesting, as pre-schoolers who haven't even seen an integral equation will be dumbstruck (but a large part of the population above 18 too...!) - it might not be the right thing to determine someone is above or below 18 years old. Also depending on the question domain, it will be hard to have a fairly unique question for everyone. Duplicates would then probably quickly be spotted + solved, depending on how attractive the site is this "captcha" protects.

[frisco2]

This is an idea I had this morning, so I posted it. Seemed like a good idea.  

I don't think a Google search will find an answer to a math question that is displayed as a formula.  For example  "A^P = P (mod P)" google finds. But: "a^v = a (mod v)" it doesn't. Just have to be creative about the questions.  Also, if you use shorthand formulas rather than words it is harder for google to find it.

It is true that if you have studied it you could look it up.  But if you haven't at all, it would take a lot of work to look it up.

Like I said, not all people studied math, but then they studied some other subject, and there you could be a drop down selection for subjects.  So for History question, for example, the trick would be to use blanks creatively, and to phraze it without any key words. E.g. "Which Roman general beat a huge, unexpected, army that came from the north, was hailed, and then rejected in disgrace for political reasons ?"

!! Also, here is a variation on the idea.  Just create a kind of Tiny URL shortener, than puts a quiz in front of a page. Basically, to enter, one must have some knowledge.  This can be great for geek sites.  Maybe it can also allow users to score points. There could be a hunt for these links.  Kind of like a distributed version of Quora.  This can convert advertising into a kind of "Dumas Club".

[drakahn]

page full of people saying its a bad idea

OP ignores them and keeps talking

/thread

[John (John K.)]

This is an idea I had this morning, so I posted it. Seemed like a good idea.  

I don't think a Google search will find an answer to a math question that is displayed as a formula.  For example  "A^P = P (mod P)" google finds. But: "a^v = a (mod v)" it doesn't. Just have to be creative about the questions.  Also, if you use shorthand formulas rather than words it is harder for google to find it.

It is true that if you have studied it you could look it up.  But if you haven't at all, it would take a lot of work to look it up.

Like I said, not all people studied math, but then they studied some other subject, and there you could be a drop down selection for subjects.  So for History question, for example, the trick would be to use blanks creatively, and to phraze it without any key words. E.g. "Which Roman general beat a huge, unexpected, army that came from the north, was hailed, and then rejected in disgrace for political reasons ?"

!! Also, here is a variation on the idea.  Just create a kind of Tiny URL shortener, than puts a quiz in front of a page. Basically, to enter, one must have some knowledge.  This can be great for geek sites.  Maybe it can also allow users to score points. There could be a hunt for these links.  Kind of like a distributed version of Quora.  This can convert advertising into a kind of "Dumas Club".

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

[yodog]

lol

STUPIDEST IDEA EVER!

OP you must be stupid if you think any 18+ website would implement this...

[Raoul Duke]

You understand that page is only there to avoid lawsuits and not to keep persons -18 out, don't you?

[Kluge]

Require webcam, have the visitor capture and upload imagery of their genitals (it must be from the attached image-capturing device), have site app determine whether genital (or breast) size is large enough to be considered an adult.

Duh.