An unsolved puzzle that's stumped mathematicians for 80+ years!
Here's something wild: Pick ANY positive number. Follow two simple rules. According to the mystery, you'll ALWAYS end up at 1... but nobody has ever proven why!
This is called the Collatz Conjecture, and even though it sounds simple enough for a kid to understand, the world's smartest mathematicians still can't prove it works for EVERY number.
Pick a starting number (try something between 1 and 1000):
NO ONE KNOWS IF THIS WORKS FOR EVERY NUMBER!
Computers have tested this up to 268 (that's 295 quintillion!) and it's worked every time. But mathematicians need PROOF, not just examples.
Try different numbers:
Can YOU find a number that doesn't reach 1? If you do, you'll be famous! 🏆