Spread the Love: November 13 is World Kindness Day!

^{(Image via Bunnicula on Flickr)}

In the spirit of World Kindness Day, today's word problem celebrates how one positive act has the power to inspire many more. Give it a try; we'll update this article on Monday with the answer!

You write two positive messages and give them to two different strangers. Touched by your act of kindness, those two strangers write two positive messages each, which are given to other strangers. Then, each of those strangers writes two more notes each to share. If this pattern continues, how many positive messages will be given out after 10 rounds of positive notes? (Round 1 = the two positive messages you wrote)

More inspiration:

A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. - Amelia Earhart (aviator)

The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth... - Albert Einstein (physicist)

Kindness is ever the begetter of kindness. - Sophocles (playwright)

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. - Seneca (philosopher, statesman, & dramatist)

Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind. - Henry James (author)

Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. - Maya Angelou (author, poet, and civil right activist)

How will you spread good vibes today?

Update 11/16/15 - Here's the solution to our World Kindness Day word problem: You write 2 notes, so after 1 round, 2 notes are written. You give those notes to 2 strangers and they write 2 notes each, so after 2 rounds, 4 notes are written. Those 4 notes are given to 4 people who write 2 notes each, so after 3 rounds, 8 notes are written. So we go up by a power of 2 each time. After 10 times, 2¹⁰ = 1,024, so 1,024 positive notes will be passed!