The Game You Can't Win

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  • Опубликовано: 11 май 2020
  • John Conway’s work stretched from nearly-inaccessible math theory to fun children’s games, and it defined how we thought about recreational mathematics in the 20th century. Conway’s Soldiers is the perfect example of a Conway-esque math game: the rules are simple, the gameplay is easy, and it becomes very hard very quickly… and in this case of a basic checkers game, it packs a surprising punch of becoming literally impossible for a reason that isn’t even close to obvious.
    But the mathematical importance doesn’t end with an unexpected reveal of impossibility. Conway found that the secret to why it’s impossible depends on the Golden Ratio of 1.618, which has fascinated mathematicians since Pythagoras and Euclid. We see the Golden Ratio in aesthetically-pleasing magazine layouts, flower patterns, and pretty faces, but John Conway showed us that it’s at the heart of why we can’t reach the fifth row of a checker game.
    Play the game yourself with the online simulator and check out Zvezdelina Stankova’s proof on Numberphile. It’ll make sense. John Conway may be gone now, but we’ll be playing his games and poring over his ideas for centuries.
    Conway Checkers (proof), Numberphile2 | Zvezdelina Stankova: • Conway Checkers (proof...
    Conway’s Soldiers Interactive Game (Clever Learning): www.cleverlearning.co.uk/blog...
    ** SOURCES **
    Berlekamp, E. R.; Conway, J. H; and Guy, R. K. "The Solitaire Army." In Winning Ways for Your Mathematical Plays, Vol. 2: Games in Particular. London: Academic Press, pp. 715-717 and 729, 1982.
    Honsberger, Ross. "A Problem in Checker Jumping." Ch. 3 in Mathematical Gems II. Washington, DC: Math. Assoc. Amer., pp. 23-28, 1976.
    Tatham, Simon and Taylor, Gareth. “Reaching Row Five in Solitaire Army.” tartarus.org/gareth/maths/stu...
    plus magazine, “Mathematical Mysteries: The Solitaire Advance.” plus.maths.org/content/os/iss...
    Bell, George. “The Peg Solitaire Army.” www.gibell.net/pegsolitaire/ar...
    Bell, Hirschberg, Guerrero-Garcia. “The Minimum Size Required of a Solitaire Army.” arxiv.org/pdf/math/0612612.pdf
    Taylor, Jasper. “Conway’s Soldiers.” sites.math.washington.edu/~mo...
    John Conway’s obituary, New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/te...
    Roberts, Siobhan. “Genius at Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway” (2015). www.amazon.com/Genius-At-Play...
    ** LINKS **
    Vsauce2:
    Twitter: / vsaucetwo
    Facebook: / vsaucetwo
    Talk Vsauce2 in The Create Unknown Discord: / discord
    Hosted and Produced by Kevin Lieber
    Instagram: / kevlieber
    Twitter: / kevinlieber
    Podcast: / thecreateunknown
    Research and Writing by Matthew Tabor
    / tabortcu
    Editing by John Swan
    / @johnswanyt
    Huge Thanks To Paula Lieber
    www.etsy.com/shop/Craftality
    "Binary Max Escape" by Basswaite: distrokid.com/hyperfollow/bas...
    Select Music By Jake Chudnow: / jakechudnow
    Get Vsauce's favorite science and math toys delivered to your door!
    www.curiositybox.com/
    #education #vsauce2 #maths

Комментарии • 2,7 тыс.

  • @anythingg00394
    @anythingg00394 4 года назад +13645

    My guy really drew us a whole board just to tell us that he cant use it. The dedication.

    • @VivekYadav-ds8oz
      @VivekYadav-ds8oz 4 года назад +111

      Was about to comment the same.

    • @GautierAuvin
      @GautierAuvin 4 года назад +298

      It's not about the board, it's about sending a message

    • @nickcru5637
      @nickcru5637 4 года назад +31

      Not stonks

    • @DMFM71
      @DMFM71 4 года назад +11

      @@catwpants beautiful

    • @PhaseControlDNB
      @PhaseControlDNB 4 года назад +48

      also - he wanted to show that 5th level is impossible but drew a 7-level board :D

  • @bunsenn5064
    @bunsenn5064 2 года назад +3929

    I actually managed to win this game, I used a strategy called “cheating whenever I’m at a disadvantage”

    • @rayzorblader9198
      @rayzorblader9198 2 года назад +37

      XD

    • @TimThomason
      @TimThomason 2 года назад +107

      Yes, we can solve this if we bend the rules a little bit. Specifically the rules that say you have to jump other pieces. Or that you can't just put any piece on Row 5 from wherever.

    • @DotDotEight
      @DotDotEight 2 года назад +17

      did you use wemod?

    • @wertwert225
      @wertwert225 2 года назад +6

      lol nice

    • @quedoom
      @quedoom 2 года назад +3

      Good job 👏

  • @brighton2862
    @brighton2862 3 года назад +2186

    "The game you cant win"
    Me: pretty much every game i've ever played.

  • @thomasfieschi-rose3705
    @thomasfieschi-rose3705 3 года назад +1629

    Rest In Peace, John Conway. The man that gave us life.

    • @rogen8094
      @rogen8094 3 года назад +63

      Uhh... I mean, he was a great man, but didn't give us "life"
      Unless he's your father - in which case - I'm sorry for your loss.
      EDIT: Yes, I get it now! Apologies for the dumb comment! ;)

    • @no-ls7uj
      @no-ls7uj 3 года назад +128

      @@rogen8094 i mean technically he did cuz he made the game of life

    • @rogen8094
      @rogen8094 3 года назад +25

      @@no-ls7uj Fair point!

    • @tabbeyond311
      @tabbeyond311 2 года назад +6

      @@no-ls7uj yeha

    • @tabbeyond311
      @tabbeyond311 2 года назад +4

      @@no-ls7uj i mean yeah

  • @jmzlolo
    @jmzlolo 4 года назад +2998

    Thanks for making a tribute to John Conway, I'm sure he would have appreciated it

    • @user-kx8pu6ys5i
      @user-kx8pu6ys5i 4 года назад +1

      @@OzoneTheLynx i didn't since i had sort by newest

    • @recklessroges
      @recklessroges 4 года назад +4

      I'm not sure that he would have, but I certainly do.

    • @OzoneTheLynx
      @OzoneTheLynx 4 года назад +1

      @Gaytony It wasn't originaly... When I looked there were quit a few comments before it.(many of which I suspect were from bots).

    • @gamingworld8355
      @gamingworld8355 4 года назад +16

      R.I.P. John Conway

    • @AlexPBenton
      @AlexPBenton 4 года назад +52

      It’s even better, because Conway hated being known only for Conway’s game of life, so discussing something he did that is lesser known is probably what he would have wanted.

  • @teridactyl1250
    @teridactyl1250 4 года назад +3886

    ‘It’s like trying to invade Russia in winter’
    *laughs in Mongolian*

    • @johnlang6500
      @johnlang6500 4 года назад +115

      It's like trying to invade Russia in the winter - Impossible.
      Except for the Mongols!

    • @justinross4109
      @justinross4109 4 года назад +69

      Cue the mongoltage

    • @christianlamb3911
      @christianlamb3911 4 года назад +37

      Crash Course Gang

    • @teridactyl1250
      @teridactyl1250 4 года назад +9

      @@justinross4109 well done

    • @jovicagasic98
      @jovicagasic98 4 года назад +9

      I thought the exact same thing 😂😂😂

  • @ahuman3393
    @ahuman3393 3 года назад +129

    Every time I hear about Conway the guy sounds cooler, his game of life is still one of my favorite things

    • @Psi_Fan123
      @Psi_Fan123 5 месяцев назад +1

      Game of life or?

  • @FrancisACNH
    @FrancisACNH 3 года назад +737

    Kevin: “This video is spo-“
    Me: *furiously taps right side of the screen*

  • @notsofast3748
    @notsofast3748 4 года назад +2469

    Right?
    Wrong!
    :(

  • @huhneat1076
    @huhneat1076 4 года назад +1818

    This feels a lot like Minecraft piston extenders

    • @scottharbin1868
      @scottharbin1868 4 года назад +18

      Tru

    • @Potatoboii2
      @Potatoboii2 4 года назад +41

      You can make it 24 pistons

    • @cowch3916
      @cowch3916 4 года назад +4

      Jing RS Lin ᴍᴄ it don’t work 😭 (the link)

    • @allovas
      @allovas 4 года назад +2

      @@cowch3916 remove the space

    • @laurinneff4304
      @laurinneff4304 4 года назад +9

      @@cowch3916 here: ruclips.net/video/Q2YTC7-q4SA/видео.html

  • @jax6648
    @jax6648 3 года назад +416

    “The goal of this game is to get these checkers to the other side of the li-“
    Me: *shoves all the checkers to the other side of the board with my arm*

  • @trackeralias1124
    @trackeralias1124 Год назад +55

    2n+1 for the moves seems complicated.. if the goal is reached when the final piece hits the target level, and each move removes one piece, then you'll always make total pieces - 1 moves? as you can't have 'pieces left over' as any piece used effectively deletes itself.

  • @MrOvergryph
    @MrOvergryph 4 года назад +6091

    Kevin: "You can solve it if you bend time"
    Also Kevin: "Using 27-digit-dimensional space"
    Still Kevin: "He called it the Monster"
    *boldy explains nothing to audience*
    More Kevin: "And as always, Thanks for watching!"

    • @Piotr_Tokarz
      @Piotr_Tokarz 4 года назад +353

      I am literally confusion

    • @tyzonemusic
      @tyzonemusic 4 года назад +136

      The "you can solve it if you bend time" thing is a bit complex but very well explained in the paper in the desc tartarus.org/gareth/maths/stuff/solarmy.pdf

    • @vincentvanzwietenOFFICIAL
      @vincentvanzwietenOFFICIAL 4 года назад +386

      @@tyzonemusic what I find interesting is that the solution literally uses all of the infinite soldiers to reach level 5.

    • @tyzonemusic
      @tyzonemusic 4 года назад +161

      @@vincentvanzwietenOFFICIAL Yep! In the paper they mention a general version of the problem for N-dimensional checker boards, and have similar results. For a 3D checker board, you'd be able to reach a score of 7 with finite moves, and 8 with infinite moves (once again using every soldier).

    • @orlandomoreno6168
      @orlandomoreno6168 4 года назад +22

      @@tyzonemusic transfinite numbers?

  • @dorukefeozkan
    @dorukefeozkan 4 года назад +1305

    every actual time i watch a vsauce2 video:
    kevin: yes
    me: yes?
    kevin: no
    me: no?
    kevin: WRONG

  • @danieltreshner4955
    @danieltreshner4955 3 года назад +48

    The main difficulty I ran into using the game in the link, is that as you progress, you slowly create a void behind your leading soldier. That void prevents other soldiers from progressing in that column purely because they can't reach it.

    • @hadesciphernius5244
      @hadesciphernius5244 Год назад +9

      Ah. The main difference between explaining something logically and mathematically.

    • @wren_.
      @wren_. 9 месяцев назад +1

      It kind of feels like when you start running in a dream but you’re not actually going anywhere

    • @dukeofshadows5211
      @dukeofshadows5211 7 месяцев назад +2

      Yeah this is what I discovered to get one to the 5th row you need one in the 4th with one in the 3rd also but once you get one in the 4th row the remaining tiles are 5+ rows away.

  • @SuperSoxGaming
    @SuperSoxGaming 8 месяцев назад +6

    6:00 SAYONARA, PUNY CHECKER BOARD!!!

  • @cr4ckem
    @cr4ckem 4 года назад +1152

    I can imagine Kevin bullying his future child with the whole "right? WRONG!" thing. Poor kid.

    • @anduro7448
      @anduro7448 4 года назад +50

      and one time he goes "right? yea , its right"

    • @retardedautist
      @retardedautist 3 года назад +14

      He already has 23 babies

    • @anawesomepet
      @anawesomepet 3 года назад +20

      @@retardedautist No, he has 70.

    • @mryodak
      @mryodak 3 года назад +18

      "To get it right you would need to bend time. John Conway had imagined a group in the 196,883-dimensional space called a monster. And now, go to bed!"

    • @jackdaniels4968
      @jackdaniels4968 3 года назад +1

      brutal

  • @spoopy2180
    @spoopy2180 3 года назад +159

    It's Like trying to invade russia in winter, its impossible
    *_heh im just glad hitler didnt know that_*

    • @SunflSeeds
      @SunflSeeds 2 года назад +4

      He did and so he did it 6 months before winter but then he was too slow

    • @zettour.
      @zettour. 2 года назад +7

      @@SunflSeeds Nah, he was just really confused that Stalin didn't surrender when Hitler marched into Moscow. Though, I guess Napolean was in the same exact situation centuries ago.

    • @bypy3544
      @bypy3544 2 года назад +1

      @@zettour. napoleon waiting at moscow for tbe russiand to surrender
      A few montha later
      Brutal winter rekts napoleon

    • @woodybrison
      @woodybrison 2 года назад +1

      There is a theory that Stalin goaded Hitler to invade. Fighting near your own land you don't have a long supply chain.

    • @ILoveNigga
      @ILoveNigga 2 года назад +1

      Soviets and Mongols

  • @davidmagyar6093
    @davidmagyar6093 3 года назад +84

    "It's like invading Russia in winter"
    Finland: Not impossible...
    Mongolia: Am I a joke to you?

    • @papertom
      @papertom 2 года назад +7

      Germany: cries while doing so

    • @iamdivan7368
      @iamdivan7368 2 года назад +3

      Poor Napoleon

  • @DrakiniteOfficial
    @DrakiniteOfficial 4 года назад +475

    This is the first I heard about Conway's death. Rest in peace, my friend. You've done so much for us.

    • @JohnJohnson-od6dd
      @JohnJohnson-od6dd 3 года назад +22

      Well thats part of the game .. The game of life (Insert laugh track here)

    • @ammaleslie509
      @ammaleslie509 3 года назад +4

      maybe he can see the beautiful additional dimensions now

    • @cjfdnqkn4374
      @cjfdnqkn4374 3 года назад +3

      R.I.P.
      Rest In Peace
      My friend Conway...

    • @the-anhpham3364
      @the-anhpham3364 3 года назад +3

      Conway's Game of Life and Death

    • @Jst4vgApostle
      @Jst4vgApostle 3 года назад +2

      Tbh I didn’t even know he was still alive (in 2019) until now...

  • @kabirbatra
    @kabirbatra 4 года назад +226

    I'm all sad now..I remember when I was super fascinated with Conway's game of life in middle school, and I remember when my 8th grade teacher told me she had actually met Conway in person and they were friends..and I was so amazed and wished I could meet him some day..what a weird feeling it is to know that he was just human, vulnerable to corona like the rest of us. May his beautiful lessons live forever in the mathematical community, and may his games continue to appeal to the interests of people of all ages, from cs students programming the game of life at school, to nerds watching Vsauce and Numberphile. Thanks for watching? More like thanks for making this video Kevin.

    • @duk8227
      @duk8227 2 года назад +1

      Wait he died from corona?

    • @kabirbatra
      @kabirbatra 2 года назад +1

      @@duk8227 10:06

    • @duk8227
      @duk8227 2 года назад

      @@kabirbatra wow never knew he was an alcoholic...

    • @kaka88k1
      @kaka88k1 2 года назад

      this is so emotional ):

    • @observr8390
      @observr8390 2 года назад

      @@duk8227 how on earth did you derived that he is an alcoholic by using fact that he died of corona? are you one of the corona-deniers degenerates or something?

  • @xarim4769
    @xarim4769 3 года назад +64

    Kevin: mentions the golden ratio
    Me, an idiot that read JoJo: I’ve seen this one!

    • @Batmanman01
      @Batmanman01 2 года назад +1

      exactly what i thought of

  • @joiscode3832
    @joiscode3832 2 года назад +8

    Rip, john conway, may he always keep inspiring and fascinating people with the games math and legend he left behind.

  • @Never_Always2
    @Never_Always2 4 года назад +721

    “It becomes mathematically impossible which seems impossible”
    No way

    • @christianbarnay2499
      @christianbarnay2499 4 года назад +22

      I think you missed the meaning of this sentence. He doesn't say that "Mathematically impossible" is almost the same as "Impossible". He says that the mathematically proven fact "You can't reach as far as you want even with an infinite supply of soldiers" seems impossible.

    • @Never_Always2
      @Never_Always2 4 года назад

      Christian Barnay yep what’s your point?

    • @eljot1092
      @eljot1092 4 года назад +9

      @@Never_Always2 his point is you missed the meaning of the sentence

    • @elfro1237
      @elfro1237 3 года назад +2

      Oscar Ward he was not saying that something that was mathematically impossible was impossible. He was saying that it seems impossible that is is impossible, meaning it seems possible.

  • @budd8852
    @budd8852 4 года назад +437

    Well of course you can't beat it. You haven't handed the controller to your older brother yet.

    • @arielsproul8811
      @arielsproul8811 3 года назад +17

      I am the older brother, and this can be beaten by moving into hyperbolic space

    • @CopyTheCompcom
      @CopyTheCompcom 3 года назад +3

      The disappointed chorus kid fits this comment

    • @masonhunter2748
      @masonhunter2748 3 года назад +1

      Ariel Sproul nah you have to move into 12324587452 dimensional space and you need 2938737284 chips

    • @EclipsaEldrich
      @EclipsaEldrich 3 года назад +3

      I’m the oldest, and I’ll tell you how. Ya gotta jump twice, duck twice, dash to the left then right then left then right, draw a b and a and write start.

    • @CopyTheCompcom
      @CopyTheCompcom 3 года назад

      @@EclipsaEldrich That's cheating, dude!

  • @michaelestrada1972
    @michaelestrada1972 3 года назад +16

    "The game you can't win"
    You're telling me there's games I can win?

  • @markys_top1514
    @markys_top1514 2 года назад +7

    4:20
    I think about "number of soldier"--1

    • @GabRioBlu
      @GabRioBlu 6 месяцев назад +2

      yea its just 2^n - 1

  • @sharif47
    @sharif47 4 года назад +241

    On the second half of the previous year, one of my friends came to me with the idea of implementing Conway's Game of Life as a Software Development project and we ended up implementing a very basic version (i.e. not very optimized) in Unity.
    One day, I showed him a Numberphile video of Conway explaining Game of Life and he was like, "He's still alive?" and I was like, "Of course, he is."
    I didn't even know he died until this video.
    RIP John Horton Conway. We'll miss you.

    • @somewhatBoring
      @somewhatBoring 4 года назад +5

      R.I.P
      We'll miss you Mr Conway...
      Never will we forget, the greatest minds, now we'll see, how are the greatest minds of tomorrow...

    • @somewhatBoring
      @somewhatBoring 4 года назад +4

      We miss you already,
      If only you succeed to making a key of immortality, before it was too late, and the virus, beat you through the fight.
      RIP.

  • @panferno3926
    @panferno3926 4 года назад +521

    Everytime i get here because the headline sounds like a bad app ad and everytime i get dragged into the abyss of math and it's true nature, and by that i dont mean bad school math. I'm talking about the pure fascinating logic behind every single formula, every single number and how simple math looks when you such cool way to bring in across.

    • @scottgagnon7528
      @scottgagnon7528 4 года назад +9

      math is truly beautiful sometimes

    • @facundocadaa9020
      @facundocadaa9020 4 года назад +8

      That's how mafia works. Download Mafia City NOW

    • @edelweiss9467
      @edelweiss9467 4 года назад +1

      Almost everyone (myself included) don't fully understand just how greatly the math we know have been simplified and "dumbed down" that we'd even find the fact that there's extensive proof that 1+1 = 2 ludicrous.

    • @Alvionalx
      @Alvionalx 4 года назад +1

      spam

    • @Alvionalx
      @Alvionalx 4 года назад +1

      spam

  • @AllShakhov
    @AllShakhov 3 года назад +51

    "It’s like trying to invade Russia in winter"
    Actually literally everybody invaded in summer, but fought until winter.
    Забавно :D

  • @livethefuture2492
    @livethefuture2492 3 года назад +4

    great video! and really loved the tribute to John Conway, R.I.P. truly a gem in this world!

  • @crunchytee
    @crunchytee 4 года назад +249

    *Beautiful tearjerker outro begins*
    "and as always tha..."
    *manscape lawnmower ad begins*
    "WHEN IT COMES TO TRIMMING YOUR BALLS ..."
    RUclips, I beg you. Let us watch the outro in piece

  • @WarDaft
    @WarDaft 4 года назад +549

    There's actually a pretty intuitive way to see why you stall out. I'm going to post this before listening to the explanation, and before morning coffee so I could (possibly) be wrong.
    Movement requires spending pieces. More importantly, it requires spending *nearby* pieces. Movement higher requires spending pieces that you had to pay to move up there, meaning those pieces themselves "cost" more. The cost ends up exponential in the distance you move, at least doubling for each additional square of range, but the number of pieces in your "accessible fuel pool" increases only quadratically with increasing travellable distance, and so you starve out. If everything was conveniently in the right place, it should exactly double for every step up, but nothing is ever convenient, so it probably costs more to really actually move them.
    You can obviously move at least 1 place, at cost 2 (using 2 pieces from below the line).
    There's 4 fuel available within 1 distance (orthogonally, or by Manhattan distance) of your starting point, so you can move at least 2 places (at cost at 4).
    There's 9 fuel within 2 distance, so you can move at least 3 places (at cost 8).
    There's 16 fuel within 3 places, so you can move at least 4 places (at cost at least 16).
    There's 25 fuel within 4 places... Not enough to move 5 places which costs at least 32. It gets even worse from there. 36 fuel within 5, but cost 64. 49 within 6, but cost 128. 64 fuel within 7, but cost 256. Distance 10 has 121 fuel but costs at least 2048.
    In 1 dimension, fuel is sparser and you can't even move up 2 places.
    In 3 dimensions, fuel is denser, and you can move father - but the cost is still exponential which eventually beats the cubic fuel availability of 3d.
    In fact, any finite dimension Euclidian space will eventually run out of accessible fuel. Even if you can move a piece by more than one space in a hop, or diagonally. In a hyperbolic space, you should be able to move an unlimited distance up, because you access to fuel increases exponentially with distance.
    Note: we live in a functionally Euclidian space, and it costs fuel to move things - including fuel. We live in a very complicated game of soldiers.
    Time to watch.

    • @WarDaft
      @WarDaft 4 года назад +72

      Update: I ran through a simple thought experiment modification where you're allowed to stack as much fuel as you want on a given square, and the cost to reach a given height with ideally placed fuel is actually the Fibonacci sequence, rather than doubling! 1 piece at height 3 cost = 1 piece on height 1 + 1 piece on height 2. 1 piece at height 4 cost = 1 piece on height 3 + 1 piece on height 2. A piece at height n is height (n-1) + height (n-2), the same recurrence as the fibonacci sequence, whose successive terms (regardless of starting terms, as long as they're both positive) tend towards... The golden ratio! That's how that comes in.
      This is probably all explained right in the original paper proving it impossible. Which I should probably go read.

    • @Bloodsong13T
      @Bloodsong13T 4 года назад +16

      @@WarDaft nice! thanks for the analysis and explanation.

    • @XIIchiron78
      @XIIchiron78 4 года назад +19

      Bruh
      (That was a fantastic explanation, you have talent!)

    • @XIIchiron78
      @XIIchiron78 4 года назад +23

      This is actually an analogue for Tsiolkovsky's rocket equation 🤯 you have to carry your fuel

    • @gayatribiswal5652
      @gayatribiswal5652 3 года назад +12

      My mind has grown hyperbolically!

  • @alihesham8167
    @alihesham8167 2 года назад +2

    6:56 thing that makes me think that its less sense is that we can put a 3 behind a 4

  • @DaellusKnights
    @DaellusKnights 2 года назад +1

    Conway's game of life has long since been one of my favorite hobbies for times when I just wanted to chill and not use my brain overmuch. I didn't know he had passed. RIP Mr Conway. You didn't know me, but you changed my life in many ways. 💖

  • @DiogoCoutoooo
    @DiogoCoutoooo 4 года назад +412

    Kevin: Right?
    Me: ye...
    Kevin: WRONG!!!...Kinda
    Later
    Kevin: so this is the perfect algorithm right
    Me: of cour...
    Kevin: WRONG!!!!
    Me: ... *of course it was wrong* ...

    • @Etrehumain123
      @Etrehumain123 4 года назад +1

      Lol !

    • @TuxMan
      @TuxMan 4 года назад +3

      Kevin : right?
      Me: *pauses*
      ...
      Me: r... i-
      Kevin: NOPE

    • @somewhatBoring
      @somewhatBoring 4 года назад

      John died? The conway himself?
      😥

    • @SCP--gr3pd
      @SCP--gr3pd 3 года назад +2

      Kev: right?
      Me:...
      Kev:...
      Me...
      Kev:...
      Me:...y
      Kev:WRONG

  • @samarthkhandelwal5263
    @samarthkhandelwal5263 4 года назад +94

    Every Vsauce2 video:
    Starts of as a simple game but ends with a life-changing quote.
    One of my favourite creator.

  • @louisBrother1988
    @louisBrother1988 3 года назад +4

    That ending almost got me crying. May you rest in peace John Horton Conway.

  • @SopranoCheese
    @SopranoCheese 3 года назад +15

    Kevin: *says golden ratio*
    People who know part 7 of JoJo: Ah, yes, infinity

  • @Johnny-Joseph
    @Johnny-Joseph 4 года назад +272

    I was looking forwards to how he would explain the 5th level by removing time... alas, maybe next... time

    • @adb012
      @adb012 4 года назад +32

      It can be done in an infinite number of moves. But is a "not so large infinity" (because infinities come in many sizes, like there are as many natural numbers as there are rational numbers, but quantity of real numbers is infinite times larger than those even when all these sets are infinite to begin with). So you can set up an algorithm (at least in theory, because in practice it can't be realized) where the first move takes one second, the second move takes 1/2 second, the 3rd move takes 1/4 second, the 4th move takes 1/8 second and, in general, the n-th move takes 1/2^(n-1) seconds, and by 2 seconds you are done in infinite moves. It's like the famous paradox: You can never reach a place that is 2 meters away because you always need to reach the half point of what remains first. So you first move 1 meter, then 1/2 meter, then 1/4 meter and so on and you never get there. Except... if you do the first 1 meter move in 1 second, the second 1/2 meter move in 1/2 second, the 3rd 1/4 meter move in 1/4 second and so on, you've made all the required infinite moves to reach 2 meters in 2 second. And that is how you actually can get from the bed to the bathroom at all. It is called "supertasks". Note however tat you can get to the bathroom because it does actually take less time to walk 1/4 the distance than 1/2 the distance. So that is a "possible" (in the real word) supertask. But in real life you cannot make that each following checker move takes 1/2 of the time it took the previous time forever, so solving this puzzle in infinite moves and finite time is impossible in practice. And by the way, reaching row 6 is impossible even in infinite moves. Infinite moves is barely enough to take just one soldier to the 5th row. Eve 2 soldiers to the 5th row is impossible (I think).

    • @Geigenzaehler
      @Geigenzaehler 4 года назад +21

      @@adb012 Two soldiers on the fifth row is impossible.
      In fact, you have to use every single one of the soldiers below the line to get a soldier to the fifth row.
      After the infinite sequence of moves, there is only one soldier remaining.

    • @alexandrubragari1537
      @alexandrubragari1537 4 года назад +7

      @@Geigenzaehler or you can divide the infinity in two equal parts and make run 2 algoritms at the same tims 1 for 1 half and the other for the other half of soldiers and you have 2 soldiers on 5 lel

    • @Geigenzaehler
      @Geigenzaehler 4 года назад +11

      @@alexandrubragari1537 I know you are probably joking, but I still want to give a short analogy why that's not possible, if anybody is wondering:
      Imagine an infinite row of soldiers.
      First soldier is valued 1. Next one 1/2 then 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 ...
      If I add all the soldiers values, I get 2.
      But no soldier can be ignored.
      By your method we could now divide the infinite row of soldiers into two infinite parts. But guess what, the sum is still limited to 2.
      This is analogous to why there can only be one soldier on the fifth row.

    • @serraramayfield9230
      @serraramayfield9230 4 года назад +4

      Geigenzähler Set theory doesn't follow common sense....wait a second.
      Aleph-0 number of soldiers = 1 soldier on level 5.
      What would aleph-1 soldiers get?

  • @aarryasaraf
    @aarryasaraf 4 года назад +26

    That man deserves this tribute and more rip JH Conway

  • @Wunba
    @Wunba 2 года назад +23

    You can explain it all day, but I still won’t believe level 5 is impossible until I do it myself. 😂

    • @FabbeNJ369
      @FabbeNJ369 Год назад

      Didn’t expect to see you here Wunba, love your videos

    • @Cowtymsmiesznego
      @Cowtymsmiesznego 8 месяцев назад

      Well, that's understandable, as he didn't actually explain anything

    • @brotonnorgrinson7651
      @brotonnorgrinson7651 6 месяцев назад

      Why are you here?

    • @loverofcattz932
      @loverofcattz932 5 месяцев назад

      I sort of figured it out myself before he explained it, the soldiers will eventually run out of being close to the center line and you will not be able to get to that center line and keep going back and back until your too far away to do anything.

    • @3xtremelamborghini
      @3xtremelamborghini 5 месяцев назад

      What are you doing here mister wunba

  • @DoctorBones1
    @DoctorBones1 8 месяцев назад

    Conway is my inspiration, i love the way he turns extremely complicated math concepts into interactive experiences.

  • @raveneagle9117
    @raveneagle9117 4 года назад +85

    The dedication in this dude he drew a board just so he can’t use it

    • @irrelevant_noob
      @irrelevant_noob 3 года назад

      And at 12:17 we get a glimpse of how LONG it really took to fill it up too... @-)

    • @pauldacon828
      @pauldacon828 2 года назад +2

      The color of game pieces that he used makes me believe he was making a reference to Buddhist monks who spend hours, sometimes even weeks, making sand art just to sweep it all away in order to embrace the acceptance of the inevitably of the passage of time and the futility of trying to fight it.

  • @axlcodes
    @axlcodes 4 года назад +72

    Absolutely loving that 12:34 video length!

  • @MiguelLopez-tj1br
    @MiguelLopez-tj1br 2 года назад +1

    Got an essay to write about this for my calculus class thank you!!

  • @hoyyosoy
    @hoyyosoy 3 года назад

    One of the best videos I've seen, Kevin: we send you a big hug from Uruguay

  • @elucinadoboy4967
    @elucinadoboy4967 4 года назад +12

    wow, that ending really got me. Conway's death didn't really hit me until now. Thanks for helping carry on his legacy, Kevin

  • @aldothelizard6669
    @aldothelizard6669 4 года назад +332

    Me: mom can we have "right" at home?
    Mom: we have "right" at home
    "right" at home: WRONG !
    1st thought, can you do it backwards, started it on a square at the 5th row
    2nd thought, what if, the plane is 3 dimensional, so you have multiple column, row, AND layers; 1 checker can jump forward, backward, right, left, AND up and down

    • @YOM2_UB
      @YOM2_UB 4 года назад +15

      On the second thought: level 5 would be fairly simple, just do level 4 like you do on the plane, then jump enough checkers down to do level 3 in the same spot. You could then jump enough checkers up to do level 4 again to get to level 6.

    • @user-wr2uy9pj4m
      @user-wr2uy9pj4m 4 года назад +10

      Right? WRONG!

    • @adb012
      @adb012 4 года назад +10

      "1st thought, can you do it backwards, started it on a square at the 5th row"
      You mean doing it in reverse? Like starting in the 5th row, jump back to the 3rd row and add a "soldier" in the 4th row? You can't make it in a finite number of moves. You will end up with soldiers "hanging" beyond the line and not being able to return.

    • @user-wr2uy9pj4m
      @user-wr2uy9pj4m 4 года назад +2

      that's a really smart way to find a solution

    • @zsivkovicsmate8747
      @zsivkovicsmate8747 4 года назад

      Actually if its over 2d, over 3d etc like 60d, its infinitely possible

  • @Mr_Tophatt
    @Mr_Tophatt Год назад +1

    "think of them as soldiers, trying to penetrate as deep as possible" well at this point I think I have won without playing

  • @mr.jabbywock1830
    @mr.jabbywock1830 2 года назад +6

    3:52 trust me, and now you can't un hear it

  • @adilloco6261
    @adilloco6261 4 года назад +187

    If a smart guy like kevin promotes an app it must be good
    Edit: just came back from the appstore the app is not available in my country so that is nice

    • @demerion
      @demerion 4 года назад +3

      Same here :/
      Gotte find an IPA or create a new account

    • @user-kx8pu6ys5i
      @user-kx8pu6ys5i 4 года назад +2

      @@demerion sad

    • @8o8inSquares
      @8o8inSquares 4 года назад +1

      Same here..

    • @Johnny-Joseph
      @Johnny-Joseph 4 года назад +8

      They must have paid him a tonne to drop his credibility like this

    • @syrialak101
      @syrialak101 4 года назад +4

      @@Johnny-Joseph The app looks like it fits his style though.

  • @Pugs
    @Pugs 4 года назад +105

    Is there ever going to be an actual POSSIBLE game?

  • @damamoot2291
    @damamoot2291 11 месяцев назад +4

    0:18 Two of the checker pieces swapped for some reason.

  • @norman5917
    @norman5917 8 месяцев назад

    Bro i don’t usually tear up from stuff but for some reason I just started to get teary when he was talking about how Conway died.

  • @AverytheCubanAmerican
    @AverytheCubanAmerican 4 года назад +130

    Even if it doesn’t make sense, you have to admit that it’s kind of fun to do the impossible. Walt Disney said it best

  • @ScibbieGames
    @ScibbieGames 4 года назад +8

    Conway would be proud seeing something other than his Game of Life being talked about.

  • @jaceysspace971
    @jaceysspace971 Год назад +2

    I don't understand any of this but I just listen to this man spit facts at my face

  • @DaxSkrai
    @DaxSkrai 2 года назад +2

    Instead of "2n+1" you could just say that it takes one less move than the number of pieces it takes to get to that level.. 8 pieces takes 7 moves to get to level 3.

  • @luis_leitao
    @luis_leitao 4 года назад +4

    This video got insanely emotional all of a sudden, it was already really deep once you start feeling the frustration and the passion in Kevin's voice but the whole thing with John Conway got me real bad. I'm tearing up man, thanks for that.

  • @RicoEumaGreatestOfAllTime
    @RicoEumaGreatestOfAllTime 4 года назад +81

    i'd like to get that "collar that swears when your dog barks
    "

    • @cornesalvo9366
      @cornesalvo9366 3 года назад +1

      I have a really strong feeling that even though it's implied that the feet pic sending AI is worthless, a lot of people would think otherwise.

  • @RichTiger7
    @RichTiger7 Год назад +1

    "This is a one-player solitaire game."
    Thank you for the clarification. Otherwise, I might have become confused because of all the 4-player solitaire games out there.

  • @cubingman4632
    @cubingman4632 7 месяцев назад +1

    "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

  • @razdahooman
    @razdahooman 4 года назад +90

    WHAT???? he died??? I didn't even know and he was one of my favorite mathmaticians..... Really sad now :(
    hey, it was still a good video tho XD

    • @Mitiya__ua
      @Mitiya__ua 4 года назад +2

      I didnt even know this guy before this video and now he is dead! Oh man! What is wrong to the world?need to cancel death for at least couple months

    • @saddlebag
      @saddlebag 4 года назад +5

      @@Mitiya__ua I mean the main reason I knew about him was because of “Conway's Game of Life“ which he created.

    • @samraatplayz1607
      @samraatplayz1607 3 года назад +1

      @@AbiGail-ok7fc Who

  • @kandyappleview
    @kandyappleview 4 года назад +14

    "The answer is beauty...and taxis."
    Sounds like me answering a word problem about trains on my math test

  • @SuperSoxGaming
    @SuperSoxGaming 9 месяцев назад

    I broke out into laughter when you said "SYAONARA, PUNY CHECKER BOARD!!" 😂

  • @Infidak1ng
    @Infidak1ng 3 года назад +4

    i felt like a hero when i reached the 4th tile until i realized that 5 was the impossible one

  • @Ykulvaarlck
    @Ykulvaarlck 4 года назад +31

    it's refreshing to see someone honor conway for one of his more interesting and significant discoveries, rather than the culturally-widespread one that i shall not name

    • @YahyaFalcon
      @YahyaFalcon 4 года назад +2

      In case anyone doesn't know what yuval is referring to, it's the game of life

    • @wariolandgoldpiramid
      @wariolandgoldpiramid 4 года назад +2

      Conway's Game of Life.
      You are not allowed to not name it.

    • @unhingedfrogspawn6715
      @unhingedfrogspawn6715 4 года назад

      I am confusion

    • @anduro7448
      @anduro7448 4 года назад

      @@wariolandgoldpiramid y tho?

    • @sujatapatne9521
      @sujatapatne9521 3 года назад

      @@unhingedfrogspawn6715 y tho

  • @seymourbutts5612
    @seymourbutts5612 4 года назад +3

    I love this tribute. Was so saddened to hear the news about Conway, but he’ll have a legacy unlike any other

  • @TheIndieGhost
    @TheIndieGhost 3 года назад +4

    "get ready to social distance your heart out"
    me: that aged well
    then i see upload date
    me: oh

  • @pattsw
    @pattsw 3 года назад +7

    I forgot that I was watching on 1.75x speed and wondered why Kevin was extra hyped up 🤣😅

    • @alandouglas2789
      @alandouglas2789 2 года назад

      No you didn’t

    • @pattsw
      @pattsw 2 года назад

      @@alandouglas2789 whatever you say 🤷‍♂️

  • @jay-tbl
    @jay-tbl 4 года назад +77

    fun fact: otters have a favorite rock they take around wherever they go
    edit: what? this comment is from two years ago and i neither remember making it nor watching this video. it isnt even relevant. did I just click the video for the sole reason of writing this one comment? why did i do that? what

    • @user-ty2ry2sk2w
      @user-ty2ry2sk2w 4 года назад +9

      I knew that already but being reminded of it made me smile so here is a like from me

    • @jay-tbl
      @jay-tbl 4 года назад +1

      @@user-ty2ry2sk2w Thanks

    • @balintbosnyak3383
      @balintbosnyak3383 4 года назад +6

      And they hold hands in their sleep so they won't drift away from eachother

    • @human-1223
      @human-1223 4 года назад

      I learn this from a manga

    • @nickf3242
      @nickf3242 4 года назад +4

      This was news to me... Decided to take a stroll down the comment path and was enlightened by this tidbit of knowledge. I knew about the hand holding, but not this. I will probably be obsessing over this for the next few hours. It sparked a bit of curiosity and now I wanna know what happens if they misplace their beloved rock or someone takes it, do they freak out? I'm afraid of falling down a unplanned Google rabbit hole with this question. I'm not ready for the time investment at the moment. Thanks for the future Google query.

  • @sebdo2292
    @sebdo2292 4 года назад +11

    Me: Reads title
    Also me:
    Isn't that 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 Vsauce2 game?

  • @bhavanim4295
    @bhavanim4295 3 года назад

    2:24 haha that sideways action 😂 😂 😂 😂

  • @arcurifamily8525
    @arcurifamily8525 2 года назад +3

    Level 1, dirt, level 2, wood, level 3, Stone, level 4, bedrock

  • @fumpledump
    @fumpledump 4 года назад +19

    When you make a custom board only to realize that the game is impossible...

  • @CharlieBitMyFinger-bang
    @CharlieBitMyFinger-bang 4 года назад +8

    -
    I'm sorry. I started drooling at about the 2:00 mark...t-t-t-TODAY, Junior!

  • @mfml94
    @mfml94 2 года назад

    Sometimes, I watch this video just to see the tribute that Jake made to Conway. It was very touching.

  • @jacekennedy2342
    @jacekennedy2342 3 года назад +2

    Why do I like that whiteboard desk so much

  • @kevinmyers8325
    @kevinmyers8325 4 года назад +16

    When you know kevin so well u can right wrong him before he does

  • @joshrobertson4900
    @joshrobertson4900 4 года назад +4

    This is the first news I've seen on John's passing. Thank you for the kind words.

  • @NDS8027
    @NDS8027 Год назад +1

    When you beat the game: good job you beat the tutorial. Now loading level 1

  • @oryionterrell6498
    @oryionterrell6498 2 года назад

    Yooooo when he started talking about how to get to level 3 I paused the screen to look at the board and figure out how I would get to level 3 and 4 and I was almost spot-on
    That made me feel so smart lol

  • @ReezeZoronauto
    @ReezeZoronauto 4 года назад +14

    Anyone else just recently been getting recommended videos mere minutes after they're posted

    • @coriae
      @coriae 4 года назад +2

      the algorithm is tired of recommending the old catalog of at least 3 year old videos

  • @heldersantos9928
    @heldersantos9928 4 года назад +18

    7:36 "impossible, it's like invade Russia in the winter".
    [Laughs in finish]

    • @aarneheikinheimo1256
      @aarneheikinheimo1256 3 года назад +1

      I don't think Finland has ever invaded or even tried to invade Russia

  • @hallowizer440
    @hallowizer440 3 года назад +7

    Promotions end at 1:39

  • @rebornreaper194
    @rebornreaper194 7 месяцев назад

    This reminds me of that wood triangle with golf tees, where you jump pieces until you're left with 1 piece left. Dunno the name.

  • @masteryoda5931
    @masteryoda5931 4 года назад +91

    “It’s like trying to invade Russia in winter, it’s impossible”
    -Vsauce 2

    • @epicadus8722
      @epicadus8722 4 года назад

      Lol Napoléon Bonaparte and Hitler agreed 😳😀😂

    • @dirkbastiaandejong997
      @dirkbastiaandejong997 4 года назад +5

      @@epicadus8722 the huns and mongols dont

    • @greengreen110
      @greengreen110 4 года назад

      well the atom bomb doesn't care much for temperature

    • @user-uy6io8wm5e
      @user-uy6io8wm5e 4 года назад

      @@dirkbastiaandejong997 Well, they invaded Russia in summer...

    • @GermanRumm
      @GermanRumm 4 года назад +2

      @@epicadus8722 FYI Both of those guys invaded Russia in June

  • @mikerphone.
    @mikerphone. 4 года назад +3

    Rest in peace John. Your contributions to mathematics and mankind will be greater than you could've ever imagined.

  • @strategyknight4820
    @strategyknight4820 4 года назад +2155

    Kevin: bend time
    Me: did you want to elaborate a bit more
    Kevin: thanks for watching
    Me: wtf just happened did I just get mathematically trolled

    • @TheOiseau
      @TheOiseau 4 года назад +218

      It takes an infinite number of moves to reach Lvl 5. You can therefore do it if one move takes 1 second, the next move takes 1/2 second, the third takes 1/4 second… and then you're done in two seconds. That's what they mean by bending time.

    • @strategyknight4820
      @strategyknight4820 4 года назад +23

      @@TheOiseau Cheers

    • @Picklericksin
      @Picklericksin 4 года назад +6

      @@TheOiseau NOT AT ALL

    • @caseyclark1153
      @caseyclark1153 4 года назад +33

      COMET BOOST Nah, that math is right. That geometric series does in fact converge to 2.

    • @SharksShade
      @SharksShade 4 года назад

      @@caseyclark1153 it doesn't.

  • @MrSpooner1985
    @MrSpooner1985 3 года назад

    Playing the game, it quickly becomes apparent why you cant get to level 5; its so frustrating that each new tile you need is further back than use so you are always further and further away from the goal with tiles in front you can never reach again. Clever game.

  • @sphorple
    @sphorple 2 года назад

    "Sianara, puny checkerboard!" That is my new catchphrase.

  • @trbld5219
    @trbld5219 4 года назад +7

    “Right?”
    Me:Yeah!
    “ *WRONG* !!”

  • @prozior
    @prozior 4 года назад +7

    Every time Kevin asks: Right?
    WRONG!

  • @TheProGam3rHD
    @TheProGam3rHD 3 года назад +1

    "The Game You Can't Win" Pursuit of Wonder

  • @agim5879
    @agim5879 3 года назад

    god i loved the sideways action joke which made no sense at all, LOVE IT

  • @zawsrdtygbhjimokpl6998
    @zawsrdtygbhjimokpl6998 4 года назад +29

    :actually it us possible
    viewers: oh, nice. Now to hear about how it's possible
    :you need infinite everything and time manipulation
    viewers: darn

  • @Savant_Ananya
    @Savant_Ananya 4 года назад +8

    My guy really did get emotional at the end.
    I hope Covid-19 goes away asap

    • @carealoo744
      @carealoo744 3 года назад

      I had to drop out of univeristy because its online

  • @fbi3165
    @fbi3165 3 года назад +2

    I played that game .... i reached level 5 with my own board on paper.....
    How i got there was like a god making a barrier through the sea to make path.....
    So i was stuck at level 4 and the god came... my lil brother.... he was 7 and he solved how it was made my mind explode...
    When u reach 4 the "soldier" supposed to cant go further but my lil bro took 1 soldier and put it right behind the 4th soldier i asked why and he said " Why not" lol xD

  • @taiwanisacountry8221
    @taiwanisacountry8221 3 года назад +3

    It isn't that weird to think about when you try to play it. The soldiers require other soldiers to be close to them in order to move. The further away they move the harder it is for them to keep moving