The humble office-supply item that can explain humanity's imminent doom

In 2018, the word "algorithm" has become an evil agent. Facebook's algorithm sells our fear and outrage for profit. YouTube's algorithm favors conspiratorial and divisive content. We've anthropomorphized the word so much that Gen Z children might start checking for algorithms under their beds. But when you strip away all the boogeyman connotations, an algorithm is simply a set of rules.