Which Curve
Two graphs over time · pick which curve is the real shape of a phenomenon, from world population to a year of rainfall
Two graphs, one phenomenon. One curve is the real shape it makes over time · the other is a decoy. Pick the real one.
World population since the year 1800
Time · People
Tap the graph you think is real.
Tip: Think about the shape the real world makes · does it grow faster and faster, peak and fall, or settle into a plateau?
About Which Curve
Which Curve is a quick test of your feel for how the world actually behaves. Each round names something that changes over time · world population, a year of daylight, the price of computer storage, a viral video's views · and draws two graphs. One is the real shape that thing makes; the other is a believable decoy. Your job is to point at the real one.
It is about shape, not exact numbers. The curves are the genuine shapes of real phenomena · exponential growth, a seasonal bell, an S-shaped adoption curve, a sharp spike and fade · drawn cleanly so you can compare them, rather than a precise data plot. After you choose, the game tells you which was real and explains in one line why it makes that shape.
Build a streak. Get it right and your streak grows; miss and it resets. Over a run you build an intuition for the handful of shapes that show up again and again in nature, economics and society.
Part of the PlayMemorize family · runs entirely in your browser and works offline as a Progressive Web App.
FAQ
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Are these real data sets?
They are the real shapes of real phenomena, drawn cleanly rather than plotted from exact figures · so the curve for world population really is exponential, and the one for daylight really is a seasonal bell. The point is to learn the shapes, not the precise numbers. -
How do I win?
There is no end · you simply build the longest streak of correct guesses you can. Each correct answer extends your streak; a wrong one resets it, and your best streak is shown. -
Why does a phenomenon make a particular shape?
That is exactly what the game teaches. After each round it explains the shape in a line · why population grows exponentially, why adoption follows an S-curve, why deaths rise in winter, and so on. -
Will I keep seeing the same questions?
The questions are shuffled and which side shows the real curve is random each time, so a run stays fresh even over repeats. -
Does it work offline?
Yes. PlayMemorize is a Progressive Web App, so Which Curve keeps working without a connection once the page has loaded.