zlacker

>>tonyg+(OP)
Eurisko is definitely part of CS and hacker folklore - but it is not really science. It wasn't reproduced (or for that matter, produced again by Lenat) - it's not clear, out of the described Eurisko output, what was really Eurisko and what was Lenat's contribution.

Lenat's "next gen Eurisko", Cyc, hasn't been nearly as impressive as Eurisko is supposed to have been.

>>beagle+eb
It's a big enigma for me. It's like he achieved some big AI advance that ostensibly won a major competition, went dark for two decades, and then resurfaced with a grand project that looks crappy with no tangible results.

It matches the theory "AI advance way ahead of his time that Lenat keeps secret with a cover story" ... but I think Occam favors your explanation now.