Algorithms are incredible tools. When run by computers, they can fly airplanes without human pilots. They can figure out how much insulin a teen with Type I diabetes needs minute to minute. They even decide what social media shows you — and billions of other people. Your brain creates algorithms, too. It uses them to decide where to stand on the soccer field when you’re playing defense. Or map the best bike route to school. Or choose between multiple-choice options on a test.“An algorithm is just a fairly precise list of instructions to accomplish a specified task,” says Noah Giansiracusa. He’s a mathematician at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass.Each defender (in red) must decide where to stand to keep the offenders (blue) from getting past them. Using a mental algorithm, defenders note the position and speed of offenders and of the ball, then decide where to stand or run. This happens fast — but here, apparently not fast enough.simonkr/Creatas Video/Getty Images PlusAlgorithms have been around since the beginning of human history. Hammurabi’s Code, for example, is a list of 282 rules from almost 4,000 years ago. A Babylonian king named Hammurabi laid out these rules for his subjects. They included things like the punishment for stealing an ox. (You had to pay back 30 times its value.)Those rules are perhaps the first “algorithm for justice,” says Giansiracusa. Today, people use algorithms to design anything from friendship bracelets to skyscrapers.About 3,800 years ago, the Babylonian king Hammurabi made up his “Code,” seen here. It is perhaps the earliest example of an “algorithm for justice.” Its 282 rules were carved into a rock using cuneiform script, an ancient language. Hammurabi’s Code included fees for services and punishments for crimes.jsp/iStock/Getty Images PlusBut when people use the word “algorithm” these days, they’re often referring to algorithms online. These can have a huge influence on us. Large companies have created computer algorithms that decide what users see on social media and other websites.Explainer: What is an algorithm?Online algorithms can help you find the content you want more quickly and reliably. But they can also treat you like a preschooler, assuming they know what you want better than you do. Algorithms may try to push you into doing what their creators want, even if it’s far from what you want.You are not powerless in this, Giansiracusa says. He describes why in his book, Robin Hood Math: Take Control of the Algorithms That Run Your Life. Algorithms are often at work behind the scenes online. But you can learn how they work and how they often try to influence you.“If you know about algorithms,” says Giansiracusa, “you can tailor them for you.” That way, he says, they can actually help you — not just some big company.In their simplest forms, algorithms are recipes. They’re directions for how to bake a cake (output), including what ingredients (inputs) you? for high school students (grades 9–12) in a clear, engaging, and age-appropriate way. Use straightforward but respectful language and keep the summary under 150 words. Focus on key facts and why the story matters. Then, on a new line and as a separate paragraph, include one insightful, open-ended question labeled as “ QUESTION:” The question should: • Be directly related to the article • Be varied in tone and structure (not repetitive) • Encourage reflection, curiosity, or connection to students’ lives Examples of question types to rotate through: • What could happen if…? • How would you feel if…? • Why do you think…? • What should people do about…? • How might this affect your generation? Format: [Summary paragraph] QUESTION: [Your insightful, open-ended question here]
Understanding algorithms — and how to make them work for you
