In 2013, a group of researchers wanted to create an AI system that could beat every Atari game. They developed a system called Deep Q Networks (DQN) and less than two years later, it was superhuman. But there was one notable exception. When playing Montezuma’s Revenge, DQN couldn’t score a single point. What was it that made this game so vexingly difficult for AI? Brian Christian investigates. Check out the video here.

Want to dig a little deeper? How to manage your time more effectively (according to machines) Can machines read your emotions? How does artificial intelligence learn?

Additional Resources At this conservation center in central China, captive-born pandas go through a gradual, carefully monitored process to prepare them for lives in their natural habitat. Photographer Ami Vitale shows how they go from wriggly newborns to independent adventurers.