Observed arrival · 2026-09-23
Understanding Exponentials: Eight ways to feel a curve
An interactive essay uses eight scenarios to show why exponential growth is hard to intuit.
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- For
- Readers learning to reason about exponential growth
- Worth noticing
- The chessboard scenario contrasts 4.3 billion grains across the first 32 squares with more than 9 quintillion on square 64.
Field notes
The prompts ask readers to commit to an answer before seeing what happens, including whether to stop a long-running project that appears only one percent complete. The visible chessboard explanation says the first 32 squares total 4.3 billion grains, while square 64 alone holds more than 9 quintillion. The extract also shows a draggable prediction exercise and says to estimate day 20 from ten days of a doubling process.
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○OpenPublic substance visible
✦PrettyNotable craft visible
●ProPolished or operationally mature
◎NicheUnusually specific use
ƒJavaScriptBrowser-side code central
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