Watson Has Unfair Computer Advantage on "Jeopardy"

Unfair advantage. IBM's Watson computer cleaned up on "Jeopardy" this week. Crushed two of the greatest champions to ever play the game. Watson was plenty smart. But, as a machine he had a spectacular advantage over the humans. The person who wins "Jeopardy" is quite often the person who is not only smart but also buzzes in fastest. It's not easy to do. When the last syllable of an answer is past Alex Trebek's lips, a light column on either side of the board illuminates. Only then can you buzz in. I know. I've been on the show. Watson's response time is one-one-hundredth of a second. The same amount of time it takes a hummingbird to flap its wings once. We humans have to tell a body part to do something -- in this case, our thumb to push a button. Glaciers move faster. Watson was plenty smart but, had a huge advantage.

Just a Minute. I'm Harry Smith, CBS News.