Show HN: Fermi – A Wordle-style game for order-of-magnitude thinking
andrewrn Wednesday, April 09, 2025
I always thought it was cool when someone could make a plausible estimate from reasonable guesses. I recently learned that these are sometimes named after Enrico Fermi, the famous physicist, and its the same technique used to create his famous Fermi paradox.
You build a rough logic chain using a few sliders and fixed quantities (e.g. weeks per year), and the goal is to get within an order of magnitude of the true answer. The math is simple; the thinking is the game.
Would love feedback.
Summary
Fermi-Game is an interactive web application that allows users to explore the Fermi paradox and consider the question of whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. The game presents a range of scenarios and variables to help users understand the factors that influence the likelihood of extraterrestrial civilizations.
52
28
Summary
fermi-game.andrewnoble.me