Queries ‘N Theories: The Game of Science & Language
date: label: date made
content: ca 1971
name: label: developer
content: Allen, Layman E.
label: developer
content: Ross, Joan
label: developer
content: Kugel, Peter
label: maker
content: Learning Games Associates
notes: label: Description
content: This series of games introduced an approach to the scientific method that is based on linguistics. Queries ‘N Theories was developed by Layman E. Allen, Peter Kugel, and Joan Ross. Allen, of Yale University Law School, and Kugel, of MIT, had begun thinking about this game in 1965 while they were completing the design of the game ON-SETS (MA.335306) and Allen was director of the ALL (Accelerated Learning of Logic) Project that developed mathematical games under a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Ross, of the University of Michigan Mental Health Research Institute, joined the team in 1967 and the game sold from about 1968.
label: Description
content: The set includes 480 small colored chips, twelve mats, and one query marker. The set also includes an instruction book, <I>QUERIES ‘N THEORIES: The Game of Science and Language (A Simulation of Scientific Method and Generative Grammars)</I>, written by Allen, Kugel, and Ross and published by WFF’ N PROOF Publishers in 1971. The term “generative grammar” in the subtitle, which is usually credited to linguist Noam Chomsky, refers to rules that allow one to decide precisely which strings of words form grammatically correct sentences. In Queries ‘N Theories one player, the “native,” secretly defines a language by listing rules to combine chips of various colors, in the way that ordinary languages have rules to describe how to combine differing parts of speech and types of phrases and clauses to produce sentences. The Queries ‘N Theories games have the other players ask the “native” questions in order to determine if a string of chips represents a sentence in that language.
label: Description
content: The kit, which was sold in a yellow soft plastic case, also includes a sheet listing “GAMES for THINKERS” that were available from WFF ‘N PROOF Publishers and a postcard offering a free one-year subscription to the WFF ‘N PROOF Newsletter.
label: Description
content: In 1968 Allen moved from Yale to the University of Michigan with a joint appointment in the Law School and the Mental Health Research Institute, where he continued his work on instructional games. Over the years the name and location of the distributor of the Queries ‘N Theories changed, although the phrase “Games For Thinkers” has been associated with it from before Allen’s move to Ann Arbor. Price lists in the <I>WFF ‘N PROOF Newsletters</I> (part of the documentation in accession 317891) indicate that at first the game was distributed by WFF ‘N PROOF through Maple Packers in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, and sold for $8.75. A firm called Learning Games Associates of Ann Arbor later took over distribution of the game and donated this example to the Smithsonian in 1975. The Accelerated Learning Foundation of Fairfield, Iowa, then became the distributor.
label: Description
content: Reference:
label: Description
content: Games For Thinkers Website.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Michigan, Ann Arbor
topic: label: Subject
content: Education
label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Games
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Mathematical Recreations
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Learning Games Associates
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.335309
label: accession number
content: 317891
label: catalog number
content: 335309
objectType: label: Object Name
content: game
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 3.25 cm x 22 cm x 15 cm; 1 9/32 in x 8 21/32 in x 5 29/32 in