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On The Turing Completeness of PowerPoint (SIGBOVIK)

Tom Wildenhain · talk · Watch on YouTube

Computability & complexity theorySatire & parody

What it is

A short SIGBOVIK 2017 presentation by Tom Wildenhain showing that PowerPoint animations are Turing complete, with a working Turing machine built in slides. The talk is delivered deadpan as a serious research result.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN repeatedly names it as one of the funniest and best talks, a favorite example of absurd computation.

  • 8 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 3 strong recommendations
  • first 2017, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “it is probably the greatest thing ever made.”

    Research, talk and paper all made in PowerPoint.

    aeleos, 2018-01 · Strong recommendation · in “HDR Photography in Microsoft Excel (2017) [video]”

  2. “I can only think of one of the greatest videos[0] on Youtube”

    One of the greatest videos on YouTube for unusual Turing complete systems.

    stanlarroque, 2018-02 · Strong recommendation · in “Age of Empires 2 Scenario Editor Is Turing Complete”

  3. “Nerding out should always be hilarious like that!”

    Witty five-minute talk on PowerPoint's Turing completeness.

    K0SM0S, 2020-01 · Strong recommendation · in “The “No Code” Delusion”

  4. “On The Turing Completeness of PowerPoint”

    Listed among favorite talks of 2017.

    floatboth, 2018-01 · Recommendation · in “Ask HN: What’s your favorite talk from 2017?”

  5. “My personal favorites are”

    Personal favorite SIGBOVIK paper.

    codepie, 2018-02 · Recommendation · in “Lessons from Optics, the Other Deep Learning”

  6. “demonstrating the Turing completeness of PowerPoint. It is also art.”

    SIGBOVIK demonstration of PowerPoint's Turing completeness.

    kgrizzle, 2018-09 · Recommendation · in “3D engine entirely made of MS Excel formulae”

  7. “completely insane but kind of fun way to abuse an office application”

    Insane but fun abuse of an office application.

    bschne, 2019-06 · Recommendation · in “3D engine on MS Excel without VBA (2018) [video]”

  8. “the PowerPoint presentation demonstrating the Turing-completeness of PowerPoint animations[1]”

    Amusing demonstration of PowerPoint animations being Turing-complete.

    alpaca128, 2020-12 · Recommendation · in “Ask HN: Best Talks of 2020?”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: powerpoint, turing machine, sigbovik, esoteric computing, humor

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