The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Pose a question to a Magic 8 Ball, and it’ll answer yes, no, or something annoyingly indecisive. We think of it as a kid’s toy, but ...

When I left the classroom 12 years ago, computer science was still treated like a niche pursuit, something for the few. Today, it’s the engine of change across every sector. In K–12 education, it is ...