Start with one grain of rice on the first square of a chessboard and double it on every square, and the 64th square alone would hold more than 9.2 quintillion grains — with more than 18.4 quintillion grains across the whole board.

Exponential growth seems harmless until you're obligated to deliver more grain than exists on Earth. The post Start with one grain of rice on the first square of a chessboard and double it on every square, and the 64th square alone would hold more than 9.2 qu…