The Fastest Way To Find Waldo

less than 1m read

·Nov 10, 2024

Here's how to become scary good at finding Waldo.

In 2015, data scientist Randall Olssen used all 68 of Waldo's hiding spots in the seven primary books to build this kernel density estimate. So where's Waldo really? He's here!

Now, there are more ways to connect these 68 dots than there are atoms in the observable universe, and that makes it very hard for us to find the perfect path for our eyes to trace across each page to find Waldo the fastest.

Olsen estimates it would take the 10 largest supercomputers on Earth more than 10 unvigentian times longer than the universe has existed to find the perfect solution. So instead, he used a genetic algorithm to find a nearly perfect solution.

This is how you start: on the left at the top of the bottom third, scan across for a bit and then jump up to the bottom of the top third. Move about halfway into the right page and then dive down.

If Waldo isn't there, check the very middle or the edges. Using this method, I've been able to find Waldo in an average of like 10 seconds per page. It's incredible! And guess what? Waldo has never once found me.

Do Robots Deserve Rights? What if Machines Become Conscious?

How to stop being unconfident

View All

TIL: A Bumblebee's Buzz Is Basically a Superpower | Today I Learned

All bees buzzed, but bumblebees are one of the very few types of bees that actually take that buzzing sound and use it like a secret weapon to get pollen. In fact, what the bumblebee is doing is sonication, or buzz pollination. It’s a technique that it’s …

Surviving a Box Jellyfish Attack | Something Bit Me!

After surviving a box jellyfish attack, Dr. Yanagihara recovers at home. The process is slow and painful. After three days of brutal agony and a week total, there was no sustained relief. My skin became, you know, terribly inflamed. All along these differ…

15 Things to Do After 7pm That Will Make You 1% Better

What does it mean to be 1% better? Exponential growth, compounding appreciation in your personal development, because every 1% builds on the previous one. And here’s what you need to keep in mind to achieve that: your day begins again at 7 p.m. We don’t …

My Water Is Not Safe to Drink | From The Ashes

WOMAN: Here’s my first letter. It tells me I got to have re-sampling. A month later, a little over a month later, again, my well water is not safe to drink. Then the third letter I get says my water is safe to drink, almost 11 months later. [inaudible] ar…

Calming an Overly Excitable Dog | Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog

[suspenseful music] [knock at door] Hi, Cesar! Hi, guys. How are you? Good morning! I have a surprise for your final challenge. NARRATOR: For the past month, Cesar has worked closely with the Calderones, a family of first responders, with a red-zone pit …

Water Is Amazing -- World Water Day!

Hey, Vsauce. Michael here. And today, we’re going to talk about water. Because today is World Water Day. A day about raising awareness of the fact that, even though, here on Earth, there is enough clean, safe, drinking water for everybody to have enough, …

The Fastest Way To Find Waldo

More Articles