Philosophy
Samuel Loyd and the 14-15 Puzzle
Samuel Loyd January 31st, 1841 to April 10th, 1911
Samuel Loyd was an American puzzlemaker who was best known for composing chess problems and games, including Parcheesi, in addition to other mathematically based games and puzzles. He studied engineering and intended to become a steam and mechanical engineer but he soon made his living from his puzzles and chess problems. Loyd's most famous puzzle was the 14-15 Puzzle which he produced in 1878. The craze swept America where employers put up notices prohibiting playing the puzzle during office hours. Loyd's 15 puzzle is the familiar 4x4 arrangement of 15 square numbered tiles in a tray that must be reordered by sliding one tile at a time into the vacant space.The puzzleFifteen puzzle [Wikipedia]This is favorite of mine...Sliding Puzzles: Dad's Puzzle
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The Knitting Exception
I have noticed in virtually every meeting I attend now, people knitting. It strikes me as odd that if one were doodling, working on a crossword puzzle, or texting, that it would be seen as horribly impolite. Yet, there is an exception made for knitting....
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Rubik's Cube Is Back For A Mere $150
"Bust Out the Parachute Pants — Rubik Is Back" by Warren Buckleitner September 29th, 2009 New York Times While the amount of technology packed into Rubik’s TouchCube is impressive, the big question remains: Would you want to spend more than a few...
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Van Gogh's Mystery Star At The White House
It has all the ingredients of a cloak-and-dagger mystery: a long-missing art masterpiece, Nazi oppression, Communist secrecy, and, finally, what the heck is that star in the sky anyway? But the historical puzzle that spans more than a century and crosses...
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Martin Gardner -a Tribute
Martin Gardner October 21st, 1914 The following is a fine tribute to Martin Gardner best know for his "Mathematical Games" section in Scientific American from 1956 to 1981. "A gathering for Gardner" How does Martin Gardner inspire so many different...
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Lewis Carroll Fun
"Nearly Deafened And Disoriented, Alice Is Besieged By The Carcophonic Chaos Of Fifty Two Mischievous Playing Cards"--Mercury "Alice In Wonderland: An Interactive Adventure" "Alice's Maze" Lewis Carroll’s Puzzle Page ...
Philosophy