Algorithms are quietly running huge parts of the modern world — from the GPS directions that guide you to school, to the videos that pop up on your screen.

In this week’s Squiz Kids Science Short, we explore what an algorithm actually is, where the word comes from (hint: it traces back more than 1,000 years to a mathematician often called the Father of Algebra), and how simple step-by-step instructions power computers, coding platforms like Scratch and Minecraft Education, and the apps many of us use every day.

Tune in to find out how algorithms work… and why understanding them might just change the way you look at your feed.