Two Minute Papers · 2026-07-12 · notable
Two Minute Papers: 'Minecraft Was Missing One Brilliant Idea'
Two Minute Papers walks through InfiniteDiffusion by Alexander Goslin — a training-free algorithm that turns any diffusion model into an infinite, deterministic terrain generator, shipped as a Minecraft mod and a Unity demo.
A Two Minute Papers walkthrough of InfiniteDiffusion — a diffusion algorithm that generates unbounded terrain in real time.
What is it?
Two Minute Papers' July 12 video reviews InfiniteDiffusion, a SIGGRAPH 2026 paper by independent researcher Alexander Goslin. The method is training-free: it wraps any pre-trained diffusion model into a seed-consistent, infinitely tileable terrain generator. The paper ships alongside an MIT-licensed GitHub repo and a Minecraft Fabric mod on Modrinth.
How does it work?
InfiniteDiffusion combines a hierarchical diffusion stack with a Laplacian encoding so a single model can span the full ~-10,000 m to ~9,000 m Earth elevation range. An open-source infinite-tensor framework gives O(1) random access to any tile, so the same seed always produces the same landscape at any coordinate — no border artifacts, no re-generation.
Why does it matter?
The video pitches diffusion as a practical successor to Perlin noise for game worlds and simulations: random-access, seed-consistent, and running interactively on a consumer GPU with ~1.5 GB of VRAM. Karoly's channel is a common first-look explainer for engineers tracking practical applications of diffusion beyond image generation.
Who is it for?
Game developers, procedural-graphics researchers, and diffusion-model engineers.
Try it
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae9q7KsRbuI