The Dot Game That Breaks Your Brain
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- On Tuesday, February 21, 1967, in the math department common room of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, the world of pencil and paper math games changed. John Conway and Michael Paterson were trying to invent a brand new simple-to-play, hard-to-analyze game, and the result came to be known as Sprouts.
The basic setup of Sprouts is easy: start with any number of dots, then connect them with lines. When a dot has 3 lines coming to or from it, that dot can no longer be played. Lines are not allowed to cross, and the player to draw the last line wins. But the most important rule came from Paterson: every time a player draws a line, he or she gets to add a new dot anywhere on that line. As Conway put it, at that point “sprouts sprouted.”
Despite its simplicity, Sprouts is actually a game teeming with mathematical complexity and depth once it’s played with more than a few dots… and at a certain point, the human brain is overwhelmed by the possibilities. Not only is there no straightforward ‘perfect’ strategy for Sprouts, but the sheer number of ways the game can play out push the limits of microprocessors that attempt to map optimal approaches.
The complex world of Sproutology presents a delicate dance between making the most of surviving dots and engineering your opponent’s failure. Grab a pencil and paper and get ready to break your brain.
SOURCES:
Elwyn R. Berlekamp, John Conway and Richard K. Guy, “Winning Ways for your Mathematical Plays”: www.amazon.com/Winning-Ways-Y...
Martin Gardner, “Mathematical Carnival”: www.amazon.com/Mathematical-C...
World Game of Sprouts Association: www.wgosa.org
David Applegate, Guy Jacobson, Daniel Sleater: “Computer Analysis of Sprouts”: www.semanticscholar.org/paper...
Julien Lemoine and Simon Viennot, “A Further Computer Analysis of Sprouts”: compmath.files.wordpress.com/...
Riccardo Focardi and Flaminia L. Luccio, “A new analysis technique for the Sprouts Game“: www.semanticscholar.org/paper...
Julien Lemoine and Simon Viennot, “Computer Analysis of Sprouts with Nimbers”: library.msri.org/books/Book63/...
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#education #vsauce2
him: let’s play some sprouts, a game with two dots
me: ok
yoda: *_has a stroke, seizure, and goes through cardiac arrest all at once_*
me: not ok
yoda took too much ketamine
Whats the matter its just acting so meh
@Squatting Szpion Detector
Whats the fun in seeing a man talking to himself? I appreciated it when he explained the game but the other stuff...nothing special acting-wise so bleh
No! I don't want that!
wanna play sprouts? i will start.
•-•
1.1 million people just watched Yoda throw a tantrum for 22 seconds.
1.2 buddy
*beans*
Yugmi hahah what am I doing at 2:04am in the morning
Yugmi *_-YODA THROWING A TARRUM FOR 22 SECONDS that’s a powerful statement-_*
and you wasted 22 more seconds counting how many seconds he threw the tantrum for
He had the perfect chance of saying "Your mind can't connect the dots." and he missed.
damn
I was just thinking about that! Damn it, a good opportunity was wasted lol
Oop
I guess he just didn't "connect the dots" to that thought.
the fact that kevin works with a team makes this way better because a grown man playing sprouts by himself while role playing yoda in complete isolation would be the saddest thing i’ve ever seen
*funniest
*Alternate Title: Yoda has a heart attack for around 22 seconds*
I like your face
gachatube the other guys brain fried when the first player drew a line
@@twilight1599 lamo
@@twilight1599 I like your face too
His neighbors probably think he’s crazy
What I actually learned:
A mathematician will fill an entire notebook for 10 bucks.
He probably got more as a bonus for the publication as well. Things like this make for good papers.
He probably needed a gram of weed
The real thing on the line was not the 10 shillings.
It was his pride.
Please update to 2,000,000
or solve a millennium problem and not even accept the million dollar prize because reasons
Yoda’s expression when he loses tho
I watched this when it came out, but it recently showed up in my feed again so I gave it another watch and sprouts makes me think about how the neurons in our brain create unique pathways as memories. Mapping out Sprouts games sort of seems like we're trying to make out every possible connection in a brain.
Question for you. If we had x neurons, how many different different brains could we obtain?
@@quantumgaming9180 Counter question; What is a brain? If we say it's aomething that stores data, then a simple bit, a 1 or 0 can be a brain. Same goes for a more complex definition such as, "A brain is something that can store data and make decisions." A single bit could do that too. I think most people would conaider a brain to be more complex, but when do grains of sand become a pile? When does a pile become a dune? To try to draw a definite line is near impossible.
@@KaigaKarasuma i would define a brain thus: *Any information-based structure which is able to design another „brain“ themselves.*
@@dot1298 By that logic any AI that can complete programming code to create another AI would be a brain. I'm willing to accept that.
That Yoda segment genuinely made me really uncomfortable and almost scared
It made me horny for some reason.
@@whathappenswhen4767 hold up!
What happens when neat
It made me laugh
Yeah, I literally just woke up from the freakiest nightmare of my life and turned on this video to calm down. Yoda spooked me pretty good.
DIdn't expect to watch yoda have a stroke for half a minute but a welcome surprise.
Wesley223332 _Welcome_ is an interesting choice of words, to be honest
You could say it's a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.
they stole the twitter yoda. this is ip theft
I waited for yodas death sound from Lego Star wars
Ah yes
Enslaved bamax
4:35 math teachers are freaking out because he didn’t show step by step how he did it
Hahahahahaha
3:29 seems more accurate
Lol I hated that before I hit pre-algebra because I sometimes really didn’t know how to “show my work” even though I had the correct answer. I was like, “what is there to show??” (Not trying to sound like a smarty pants, just sharing =] )
You don't hear of John Conway often, but when you do you know it's gonna be fun
Conway is the guy who got up one morning and said, "What if we made a math formula that made math attack itself on autopilot?"
Did i just used 22 Seconds of my life to watch Yoda throw a tantrum. Yes i did.
But you could watch it over and over again to waste MORE time!
@@BrainLure49 , it isn't wasted time
Wisdom comes in many forms
*used*
Just wasted your time, you have. No turning back, there is.
Kevin: Your brain can't handle this
*Draws a dot*
Me: He's right!
HAHAHA
Draws two dots.
Me: nose starts bleeding and falls to the floor
Draws 7 dots: everyone within a 5 mile radius dies instantaneously
wanna play sprouts? i will start.
•-•
mini francis aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAA
This has, in my mind, the same fascination as a rubiks cube, but on a higher plane. The simplicity of 0-0 makes the complexity of this so much more interesting. And the fact that there is a finite number of possibilities in each game makes it possible yet mind blowing to explore
"Becomes more difficult to analyze than tic tac toe it does." This is where I laughed for a solid ten seconds.
Wow that looked better when I was typing it you get the point
So, I'm in a math writing class, and we have an assignment where we have to write about a mathematician who's... known... but not super famous (so we can't write about Einstein or Euler, but we can write about John Conway or Ron Graham), and I picked John Conway because there was something very interesting about him. Well, today, I read some more about him on Wikipedia, and then I noticed that he was the mastermind behind this game, and suddenly I remembered that I had watched part of this video before, and had to come back to this. Apparently, this video was really useful in explaining the game. And then I asked my professor if I could use this as a source. He said it's definitely useful, but I should see where he obtained all his information. Sure enough, Vsauce did cite his sources.
@@Garbage_Pizza Oh, I didn't mention anything about that. But I did get into detail about Sprouts and Conway's Game of Life. I'm not sure I got enough time to finish the whole paper though due to other time constraints, but I was glad to use this as a reference.
@@williammunson2508 you should’ve mentioned the baby today part you would’ve gotten extra credit
Good point. I didn’t even think about that
Gotta love cited sources
Conway died :(
“you can’t just play with yourself”
*brings out yoda toy*
*press “x” to doubt*
X
What do you mean yoda “toy”?
@@thepeepeepoopooman8154 he means the puppet on the dudes hand
X
@@princesslovelorn7832 there are people dumb enough to need this
I remember playing sprouts with someone in a different period on a desk and I didn't even know their name
Also the teacher was super chill about it, every Friday he wipes down the desks but kept our game
John Conway just keeps coming up! I see so much stuff created by him. What a cool dude!
I think you should release the video segment from 3:28 to 3:50 as a separate video with some random title like quantum field theory for beginners.
ok
AH
HEH
MMMMMMHHHHH
AAAAAHHHHHHH BAAAAHHHHBVAGAHHMMHG
Reminds me of HowToBasic sound effects
Yes
This is something the world desperately needs.
Things I expected to see in a Vsauce video:
1. "Vsauce!"
2. Vague math
...
...
35184. Yoda having a conniption fit.
177013
@@smile6676 Dont remind me of 177013...
@@smile6676 oh god 177013 please no
@Dylan C. YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
27 is kinda cute tho
Yoda : screams because he lost
Subtitles : [music]
For me it says *angry noises*
I didn't have a problem understanding this game. It seamed more interesring and a fun game to me then something that would break my mind.
We interrupt this Vsauce episode to bring you “Yoda screaming”. The thing no-one thought they never wanted.
@Christopher Herdin its something you never knew you didn't like
3:28 lol
Adam Gordon lmfao you should had got more likes
1000 likes
I came for dots...
Stayed for Yoda dying of lung cancer ASMR
Lol same
@@Gorgovoid173 ok boomer
@@Gorgovoid173 Did you like your own comment?
@@Gorgovoid173 Implying that you *are* full of yourself, just not quite to that degree
@@Gorgovoid173 I give up 😂 You are a worthy opponent when it comes to words.
Every time there is a simple game that redefines physics it is ALWAYS Conway. First the Conway's Game of Life, and now this.
3:16 The best moments of my life, this is hilarious
What breaks my brain, is that I’m happy that at least one Vsauce channel is still loyal to my notification bell. Vsauce 1’s bell is getting a bit rusty.
Hmmm I wonder why???? *Coughs in CZcams premium*
@@ryuuducat there's a bunch of content from Micheal at DONG
@@Csibike00 you mean at DONG WONG SCHLONG?
@@ryuuducat no D!NG
😂😂😂😂
Him: "and you can't cross over lines"
Me: "What if we play in 3D?"
What have you done. The computers already tremble to 2D. If sprouts goes 3D then it's going to cause brain damage trying to compute eveything.
@@Roman-ji7iu ok but then what about _4 D I M E N S I O N A L S P R O U T S_
Now you're thinking with portals.
@@razvanefros411 you will cause a rip in time and space. Prepare to be brainwashed to save the universe
You have broken world
Ever since I watched this video I've been playing this game with my friends CONSTANTLY
Yay I got a heart! :D
yay
Vsauce:The Dot Game That Breaks Your Brain
My brain:Chuckles im in danger
3:29 when you’re trying to fake being sick for school
You don’t have to do that anymore
@@Captain.Dank64 indeed
Y o d a T a n t r u m
@@muffinhead5569 ya
3:26 am i the only one who sees yoda can just connect the dot to itself?!
3:28:When you win at rock, paper, scissors but your friends says best of three and then you lose
Hahhahahahahahahahaha
Not funny didn't laugh 😥😥😢😓😞😖😥😖😓😞😖😥😖😥😖😢😢😢😫😫😩😫😩😩😱😱
૨σ૮ҡεƭ ɱαɳ
EpIc 📳💓🈶📳💗🈶📳💗📳🕎🉐🔯🉐💘🉐💔🈶㊙️🈹💚㊙️💕✴️🧡🈹💕㊙️🧡🆑💘❤️㊙️🆑💖🖤🛑❣️🖤
@@theextremelycoolseal2478 Can y'all chill with the emoji spam
@@cedar5579
You👄👁️❤️😵👇🏽👇👇🏽💖😭😬😵😤👇🏻😤👇🏽💖👇🏽😚☺️😊😙😊😙😊🙃😊🙃😂🤣🤗🤬😐🤬😐🤕😐😡🤮🌜☠️😻☠️😻👹🙉😿🤡😽🖤💓💌💗💌💗💌✨💗🔥💓💜💯😿👈🤚🤘🤚🖕🤘🤳🤳🖖know😋😚😊😙🥰😙🥰👹🙊🤓🤠🌝🥳🤡👩🎓👩🏭👩🏭👩🎓👩🏭👮👩🎤👩✈️👦☔🌨️🌥️🌨️🌩️💧🌄💧🦋🐜🦋🐜🦋🦑🏥🏢🏢🏥🏢 that's ⛽🚲🛢️🛴🚗🛴🚙🚲🏍️😙😊😊😙😊😙☺️🙂😅😛😙🔥💯✨💯💌💯😊🙂😅😙😂😙😂🛌💇🧘💇🧘💇🚵🌊🌱🌬️🌱🍀💮🍀🥦🥕🥦🍈🥝rude,🥦🍏🥥🥕🥥🍈🍇🍠🍊😛🙂😛🙂🥰🤗😂🙂🥰😊🙃😛😚😲😨😲😨🤐😲😥🤐😨🤐 right?
Was tryna breathe while laughing at yoda losing and literally choked
I would love to see the raw unedited footage, just kevin screaming as yoda
3:29
When babies realize whatever just flew into their mouth wasn't actually an airplane
💀
💀💀
💀💀💀
💀💀💀💀💀
💀💀💀💀💀💀
“But you can’t just play with yourself”
Me: is that a challenge?
"But you can't just play with yourself" me: or can you?
The lonliest man I am.
You have cracked my head into 10 million pieces
I love that I learned this game me and my friend will play each other over discord and since there is no rule on how you draw a line you can draw little sketches and memes as lines and it still counts
P1: Alright lets start the game! How many dots should we start out with?
P2: 0
P1:
*_C h e c k m a t e_*
【Silver Bytez】 P1: Say sike right now.
P1: 3:31
Lol
It will take -1 moves to find a winner
"When you stare at these two dots your brain starts to short circuit, doesn't it"
Philosophy students: *dies in Socrates*
Me: *Dies in Socrates*
Havoc I too, like hemlock
Philosophy students in the comments: *use a human being as a language*
Me: *dies in Witgenstein*
*chuckles in Epicurus*
*dies laughing in Chrysippus*
I’d watch a show with just you and Yoda’s banter LOL
The most complex game ever devised by man is called (dramatic pause)
Go. You have a grid of lines (the pros play 19x19, but you can vary it for simpler play) and you take turns placing pieces on intersections. If you completely and tightly surround a group of your opponents pieces, you take those pieces. You want to have as many empty spaces surrounded by your pieces as possible.
I thought there's a new game called (Dramatic Pause) before continuing reading this comment
@@eclecticsoffy lol
Go is easy all the pieces are the same.
I'm just kidding. I've known go for almost as long as chess and even though I can play chess relatively well, I don't even know what I'm quite doing half the time in go.
@@danielyuan9862 While I don't play either game that often, I feel the same way.
“You can’t play with yourself”
BET
@Imran Osman nasty badass
These hands say otherwise
W-wait what
@@delta8793 ._.
Ur move
I have no words.
The only vsauce that uploads
Edit: VSAUCE FINALLY UPLOADED!!!!!!!
And doesn't jumpscare
Man, not even DONG uploads anymore.
He is still being sponsored so thats good
F
Yeah Vsauce1's notification bell is getting rusty *coughs in CZcams Premium*
Very nice presentation. With nearly 6,000 comments, I suspect this is not new to the thread. The game of Sprouts figures somewhat prominently in the novel Macroscope by Piers Anthony, first published in 1969; that was my introduction to the game.
Me and my friends will never be bored again with these games 😂
3:27 Losing a game of chess to that cocky 3rd grader be like
Ikr
Are you me?
Cannot relate
_can_ relate
I love how he draws the entire sketch carefully and then just erase it like It's nothing
Welcome to Schools
I mean, he does have a semi-permanent record of his drawing.
Oh, two, actually.
I meant the video. But, he also has a sheet with it printed.
"at that very moment was the first time the king felt true fear" seriously that was painful for me to watch.
I've been trying to remember how to play this game for months. I saw it in a library book in grade school once. I *think* it's the same game. I'm not sure, but it's got to be. Thanks.
I really liked that Joda interaction, 🤣 the sudden interruptions from both sides LOL! really funny, though short.
Just fill out the whole paper with your line so that your opponent’s line has to overlap with yours and that’s game
lol
You just can do it it your line is 1mm apart hell put it 0.5mm
XD
Imma do this
the rules of the game states that there are no borders. So, no, that is not possible.
The second he made that dot, all my brain cells died from confusion.
Damn, you lost 2 brain cells?
@@princesslovelorn7832 wait, wait, wait, you just made me commit blue screen I need to recover
@@user-kx8pu6ys5i I know this is late but what did the now deleted comment say?
@@pridepotato314 yea if it was so utterly confusing that I was bluescreened 2 years ago, I'm assuming it was total nonsense.
@@user-kx8pu6ys5i Wacky
glad i didnt know about this earlier i wouldve played this with my friend during class everyday
This is educational and absolutely hilarious! Thanks dudes!🤣🤣 liked and subbed,I did!
Am I the only one here in this comment section who is asking himself why haven't we been playing sprout all this time? I am totally playing this game with my friends and jedi masters
Let me guess yoda had a stroke right?
Look up Gridcannon. Did the same for me.
Needs a mobile app. Vsause make one.
Estevan Phillips Gridcannon has only existed for a few weeks iirc so while it's worth learning it's less shocking that no one knows about it.
In a way it reminds me of sticks. Just on a whole new level of complicated...
3:31
Yoda has a mental breakdown
*_2019 colorized_*
Disliked, come in!
Zxyhlo it is now
@@dish7343 thats not how the game works
Thats not how the meme works
Stalins death 1953 colorized
Finally found a use for all those old connect-the-dots books in the attic
I had no idea that this game existed might play this at some point.
My mom: Why don't you go play with the neighbors kid he seems so nice!
Me: He is kind of weird
My mom: What do you mean?
The neighbors kid: 3:29
😂
This comment actually made me bust out laughing I skipped to that part and I actually had a good laugh.
🤣🤣🤣
8
LMAO
see yall in 6 years when this is in everyone's recommended
Same
I
ok.
S a m e
6 years has come
I knew sprouts before I watched this video and I LUV IT!
0:17 I've got hyperhidrosis so yeah.
Amazing video. Vsauce never dissappoints.
3:50 Overdose on Ketamine I did. Run over infidel in my 2001 Honda Civic I must
burn down an orphanage, Allah told me
Devour child’s souls I must *un-sheathes scythe*
Be alone forever, I have to
did you mean infant instead of infidel?
@@asewuibv2 infidel, I did mean. Infant, mean I did not. Run over infants in my Honda Civic, I might still do.
"YOU CAN'T JUST PLAY BY YOURSELF"
*proceeds to bring out a yoda toy*
😏 now we are ready to jerk off
Josue Carela Now this belongs in r/cursedcomments
r/cursedcomments
@@CatIsMad cursed
someone already r/cursedcomments so no need
"WITH" yourself, very different implications.
Yoda must like cornflakes.
The possible moves at the start are all triangular numbers, with the number of starting dots being that number, plus every positive integer that comes before.
0:23 when I stare at it, I see a smile with green blob there in my imagination
Careful with that puppet, or Disney will claim your video.
People in the US must be fatigued from hyper-vigilance due to the litigious culture. WAY too many lawyers.
Tim Smith
We are
@@linkinlog8543 I'm genuinely sorry for you.
What do you call 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
A good start.
Tim Smith
Please save the US, it’s currently hell and I want to leave
Punani Tsunami 1312
😢😢 please help. The US is literally on fire and it’s being divided. I can’t anymore.
i didn’t believe the game would break your brain until he pulled out the yoda puppet.
Solus Chrunchy milk Nice one
I played sprouts with my brother and sister a lot last year!
I gotta remember this game so I can play it with my friends
(ASMR) Yoda robs you outside of a strip club to feed his ketamine addiction
Vallhalla?
I laughed out loud
@JOSIAH ROCK A game where you play as a female bartender in the far future where you make alcoholic drinks for a variety of characters. These drinks are made with a mixtures of chemicals due to a decrease in natural resources.
One of the ingredients you use to make alcohol is called ketamine and you can just pour as much as you want to get someone shitfaced drunk.
@JOSIAH ROCK DUH he has the ability to get drunk at will with that stuff!
I'm working on an oil painting of this. I will update this comment with a link when done.
Kev: _YOUR BRAIN CAN'T TAKE IT._
Me: _WELL, JOKES ON YOU, I DON'T HAVE A BRAIN._
Achilles Ah I see you are a man of stupidity as well
Achilles how are you still alive?
Lmao
Kevin: "what?"
You: "what?"
Mine can
I have a book from the 1980s called Five Minute Games in which this game is described. Very interesting reading it is too.
When he rubbed that all out near the start
*I FELT THAT*
(Runs out of possible line to draw)
Yoda:*theres another*
Dad: calm down it’s just a video game
Also dad during football games: 3:29
*also proceeds to throw glass bottle at wall*
I feel like this would mean that chess is also a game that “breaks your brain”. While chess may be easier to analyze and predict, there are many different combinations. By this logic most games would be impossible to comprehend especially if they have many choices. Although I do understand that this game is way more rooted in math than most other games and that a lot of games are able to be predicted by computers, but I am sure that there are other games out there that also are impossible to process
True in a combinatorics sense many games are beyond human and computer comprehension, including chess and certainly go. We can only play them and have fun because our opponent is a flawed human being as well.
If we would play against a 'god'(cause even a computer would be incapable of this) that somehow used the entire possibility tree it would actually break our brain. Against such a god magnus carlsen would struggle more than a 100 elo player would against magnus. Even better, you can replace the word 'magnus' with stockfish or alpha zero, and my previous statement would still be true.
its currently 8 AM, just came back from partying, and those yoda scenes are just what my mind needs to get back on track, weirdly enough
I came for some cool mathematics, I stayed for Yoda screaming.
Lololololol 😋
When he said
“Are you sweating yet?”
I actually was help I’m dying Wisconsin is supposed to be cold help me
Milwaukeeeee
are you still alive?
@@fractal5764 he died 💀
@@bread7713 💀
I've heard it's even colder than Michigan
Neil and Chuck sent me. Good stuff for a hungry brain. At 54 I'm still trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can. And I always love the good brain f**k. Thank you, Young saucy one.
Don't know about anyone else but I was entertained by the Yoda tantrum. 😆
2:52 "dots lead to lines, lines lead to dots-" :D
3:22 is what I was watching when my whole family walked in the room
This is no coincidence
Me: watches Yoda spasming.
Me: alright that's enough internet for today
Literally gave me cancer
Yoda just had an aneurysm on the table
I must say thanks for the new game for me to play It's pretty nice.
This should be an international competition that ends with a 100 dot game
Everyone:
Admiring the intellectual and hard game logic
Me:
*Admiring how Yoda dies*
Drew Escalante everyone is commenting about this. You aren’t special
@@felixx4611 yo momma either
Drew Escalante that’s such an old joke
For me it’s the other way around
@@felixx4611 Shut up
Is yoda’s 22 seconds temper tantrum canon now?
Yes
George Lucas can only dream of writing of this quality.
yodas break down was freaking amazing
3:27 When you ate a Taco Bell yesterday and now it has to go out
how it feels to chew five gum
*_-fIvE gUm bYe nOw-_*
2009: "wow CZcams is really getting big, I wonder what it will look like in 10 years"
2019: 3:31
"YOUR BRAIN CAN'T TAKE IT"
Nice way to make people go "OH we'll see about that! Let me watch this entire video"
That's quite complex... Im really surprized
Me: sees dots
My brain: *sweats*
I can’t imagine what Kevin looked like when “Yoda” was having a tempter tantrum
4:00
It remind me the *"How to win tic tac toe when you are the first player"* where i write all possible moves to trap the P2
I love how he drew that entire thing, erased it and i could see his pain after the video
3:29 me after I don't place the Lego sticker perfectly on the brick.
Lmao I’ve built a few of the lego cars including one big technic one and I can totally relate.