AI might rule the world someday. But for now, humans hold all the power, literally. We’re rushing to keep up with AI’s energy needs, which could top a million gigawatt-hours annually by 2030. That’s a lot of AA batteries! Specifically, 426 trillion according to ChatGPT—which drained the equivalent of one more calculating that.
This has led scientists to seek out new ways of fueling the future. Some are taking solar power to its source with kilometer-wide orbital arrays. Others are reinventing the wheel, using old waterwheels as generators. And others have managed to turn car exhaust into electricity. (Save the planet! Sit in traffic.)
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This explosion of innovation goes against claims that AI is a creativity killer. Sure, someday LLMs might find their own energy source (mental note: never let AI watch The Matrix). But for now, the problem of keeping AI energized is uniquely suited to human ingenuity.
Want to spark some creative thinking of your own, right now? Plug into our new lesson on Circuits and explore the physics behind electricity. No batteries, waterwheels, or tailpipes required.
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⏰ FYP + FYI. Swap viral crazes for wide-ranging knowledge with this TikTok clone that serves you random Wikipedia pages. |
🏺 Code on a Grecian Urn. Ever looked at an amphora and thought, “I could do better”? This virtual pottery studio lets you take a crack. |
🥈 2 math 2 curious. Put 2 and 2 (and 2 and 2) together to see how many numbers you can make in this math puzzle. |
🪃 Mind bender. Sure, this is just a Wikipedia page, but it’s one about an illusion we’ve seen, we understand, and we still refuse to accept. |
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The many faces of algebra |
Are you a Detective, a Pattern Hunter, or a Pragmatist? Find out with this peek inside our various approaches to learning algebra. |
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Bored at work, you start typing random keys on your keyboard. Are you more likely to type EAT or ATE first?
Bonus: The random typing continues. What is the probability that you type TALES before STALE? |
We’ll randomly choose one correct respondent to each puzzle for a shout-out in next month’s email. |
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First, a shout-out to February’s winners, Gian Luca Degani and Daniel Jennings.
The key to solving the snowball fight was figuring out the relationship between Jo’s position in one round and the next. In the case of the bonus, each round was the same! This led to a nice recursive equation for Jo’s chance to win.
Check out the full solution here. |
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