Wordle started as a 2013 prototype that a partner helped trim to 2,000 familiar words

the gist

Josh Wardle first built a prototype of Wordle in 2013, inspired by the colour-matching of the board game Mastermind. The original list held about 13,000 five-letter words, which made guessing feel random, so his partner Palak Shah filtered it to around 2,000 familiar words. Wardle released it in 2021 for family and friends, then added emoji-style result sharing, which helped it go viral. The New York Times acquired it in January 2022 for a low seven-figure sum, and it stayed free. It became one of the most-searched terms on Google in 2022.

how it works

Each guess returns colour feedback on letters, so players narrow the answer using logic similar to Mastermind. Limiting the list to common words keeps each puzzle fair.

so what

Wordle showed how a simple daily format with one puzzle a day, shareable results and limited play time could create a global habit without advertising.

fun fact

Wardle originally named the game Mr. Bugs' Wordy Nugz, and the name Wordle was a pun on his surname.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Illustrative photo · Josh Wardle, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗