The world is doomed, but not in the way you might think. Since the source code for the iconic video game DOOM was released in 1997, programmers have been on a quest to run the game on every device imaginable—from graphing calculators and ATMs to digital pregnancy tests (which we were definitely not expecting).
Then last month, a site that tracks these unique ways to play DOOM announced another milestone had been reached—running it on a PDF. The game that required a cutting-edge home computer in the ’90s can now be played on the same document you use to sign a lease. (Note, slaying demons could void your security deposit.)
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More than a delightful case of digital-age weirdness, this obsession with DOOM highlights just how wired our world has become. Code snippets can be injected into just about every corner of our lives. And for anyone with even basic coding skills, the creative possibilities are limitless. If you can imagine it, you can make it—whether it’s designing the next blockbuster app or adding multiplayer mode to your rental agreement.
The best part is, you can start learning the basics of programming in the time it takes to beat a level of DOOM. And while Brilliant can’t be played on your digital thermostat yet, we look forward to seeing you try. |
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🌙 Going over the moon. This new article is full of lunar insights—read just a quarter of it and you’ll be waxing poetic about gibbouses. |
🏀 Court documents. Only one man can summarize any PDF, no matter how dense. That man is… LeBron James? Thanks, AI. |
🪐 See the world(s). This month’s planetary parade is the last for 400 years. Apocalyptic omen? Nah. Cosmically cool? Definitely. |
🍋 Lemon aid. Forget world domination. The robots at this high-tech facility are focused on one thing only: juicing lemons. |
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Math that feels like Mario |
Everyone’s building AI tutors—we’re using AI to turn lessons into games. Find out how we’re leveling up learning. |
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Flo and Jo are having a snowball fight. Flo hits her target 70% of the time. Jo hits hers 30% of the time. One at a time, they chuck snowballs at each other, starting with Jo. Each only has 4 snowballs to throw. If someone gets hit, they lose. Otherwise, the game ends in a tie.
What’s the chance that Jo wins?
Bonus: Now, Flo and Jo play for as long as it takes for someone to win. What would Jo’s accuracy have to become for her to have a 50% chance of winning the match? |
We’ll randomly choose one correct respondent to each puzzle for a shout-out in next month’s email. |
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Congrats to January's winners, Donatas G. for the main puzzle, and the mysterious qwe for the bonus.
The key to last month’s puzzle was to work backward. With one spin left, we have to take what we get. With two spins left, we can compare our spin to the expected value of another turn. Carrying this through to the beginning lets us find the expected value of the overall game.
Check out the full solution here. |
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