Elementary school, my dear Watson

I’ll take “Computer Overlords” for $500, Alex: Watson, an IBM supercomputer, overwhelmed its human challengers in a three-day “Jeopardy” tournament, finishing with a final total of $77,147.

Watson may be smart, but it misplayed things by hitting “Jeopardy” first. It could have made a lot more money by starting small and working its way up, beginning with “Wheel of Fortune,” then “The Price is Right” and “Deal or No Deal,” then “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader.”

—

The seller’s motivated: Google wants to buy the Web’s top airline fare-tracking site, ITA Software, for $700 million, which would likely cut into profits for Travelocity, Expedia and others. But the U.S. Justice Department must rule on whether the sale would violate antitrust regulations.

Google’s next purchase after ITA should solve that problem: the U.S. Justice Department.

—

Building an asphalt path to the 21st century: Washington state officials say they intend to make a play for some of the $2.4 billion that had been allocated for high-speed rail projects in Florida but rejected by its tea party-backed governor.

Instead, Florida plans on laying a network of sidewalks on which its retired population can ride their electric scooters.