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.

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.

Can MemPi help me study and practice this game?

Yes! Click MemPi in the header or on the game board to summon him. He observes the board, thinks out loud, and can demonstrate moves or guide you through tricky steps.

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.

Streak 0Best 0

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.

How to master

New game videos on YouTube

YouTube channel

FAQ

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.
Can MemPi help me study and practice this game?

Yes! Click MemPi in the header or on the game board to summon him. He observes the board, thinks out loud, and can demonstrate moves or guide you through tricky steps.