Surprised

This is how a computer learns: it rolls downhill to the best answer.

Grown-up name: gradient descent

A computer sorts things by drawing a line between them.

Grown-up name: classification

One tiny brain cell adds things up and lights up when the total is big enough.

Grown-up name: the neuron

Lots of brain cells together learn patterns one cell cannot. This is how AI learns.

Grown-up name: neural network, backpropagation

Brain cells bend their answers with curves like these.

Grown-up name: activation functions

A computer can spot groups all by itself, with no help.

Grown-up name: k-means clustering

To guess something new, just ask what is closest to it.

Grown-up name: k-nearest neighbours

Too simple misses it. Too wiggly memorises the wrong bits. The middle wins.

Grown-up name: overfitting

Computers turn scores into chances that add up to one whole.

Grown-up name: softmax

AI reads by letting each word look at the words that matter. That is attention.

Grown-up name: attention

A chatbot works by guessing the next word, over and over.

Grown-up name: language model

Some AIs keep one little memory and update it as they read.

Grown-up name: state space, Mamba

Bigger brains can do more, but cost a lot more to build.

Grown-up name: parameters, scaling

Words that mean similar things sit near each other on a map.

Grown-up name: embeddings

A puzzle about taps that cancel each other out.

Grown-up name: parity

Move a tower by moving smaller towers first. Neat trick!

Grown-up name: recursion

Slide one tile at a time until they line up.

Grown-up name: planning

A game the computer has completely figured out.

Grown-up name: game theory

Each guess is a clue that gets you closer.

Grown-up name: deduction

Computers are built from tiny switches like AND and OR.

Grown-up name: boolean logic

Sometimes you must take things back to win. Tricky!

Grown-up name: planning

Every move must keep both sides safe.

Grown-up name: constraints

With a 5 and a 3 you can make a 4. Cool!

Grown-up name: state search

Think first! You can never pull a box back.

Grown-up name: planning

Each row, column, and box needs all four numbers, once each.

Grown-up name: constraints

Primes are the numbers left standing. A 2000-year-old trick.

Grown-up name: number theory

Practise your times tables against the clock.

Grown-up name: mental maths

A fraction is just a slice of a whole thing.

Grown-up name: fractions

Find the line that best follows the dots.

Grown-up name: algebra

You can feel roughly how many without counting.

Grown-up name: number sense

Find the rule and you find the next number.

Grown-up name: sequences

Angles measure turning. Ninety is a corner.

Grown-up name: geometry

The slope shows which way is uphill. Flat means the top or bottom.

Grown-up name: calculus

Lots of thin blocks add up to the space under a curve.

Grown-up name: calculus

The dot product tells how much two arrows agree.

Grown-up name: linear algebra

Four numbers can rotate and stretch a whole picture.

Grown-up name: linear algebra

Gravity bends the ball into a curve.

Grown-up name: projectiles

An orbit is falling forever and always missing.

Grown-up name: gravity

Longer swings are slower. The weight does not matter.

Grown-up name: oscillation

A steeper ramp means a faster roll.

Grown-up name: acceleration

Balls swap their speed when they bump.

Grown-up name: collisions

Weights far from the middle push harder than near ones.

Grown-up name: torque

A stiffer spring bounces faster.

Grown-up name: oscillation

A heavy cart barely moves when a light one hits it.

Grown-up name: momentum

It gets one longer every time. How far can you go?

Grown-up name: memory

Remember where each picture is hiding.

Grown-up name: recall

People take about a fifth of a second to react.

Grown-up name: reflex

Your brain wants to read the word. Tricky!

Grown-up name: attention

Computers count with just on and off.

Grown-up name: binary