Nick Hornby wrote an essay p15 where he compares listening to a new song over and over to figuring out a puzzle. Can you point me towards any other writing about this same idea? [more inside]
posted by martinX's bellbottoms on Oct 9, 2009 - 6 answers

Please help me understand how to duplicate the solution to this puzzle: What is the largest amount of postage you cannot make exactly with 7- and 11-cent stamps? (Spoiler inside, so don't look if you want to figure it out yourself - I have the solution but would like to learn how it was solved.) [more inside]
posted by widdershins on Sep 17, 2009 - 5 answers

Can you suggest some food-filled puzzles to give my backyard tribe of raccoons? [more inside]
posted by Netzapper on Aug 19, 2009 - 14 answers

It's my boyfriend's birthday soon, and I want to make the present giving AWESOME! Have already purchased presents and booked flights to be with him. Am organising special birthday meals for him, and a couple of activities too, so most of the day is pretty much sorted. But I really really want the present giving/opening experience in particular to be super fun for him. I'm thinking along the lines of a treasure hunt with clues so he has to hunt for the presents... Or wrapping the presents in a giant box and painting it like a cake with sparklers on top! Or multiple layers of wrapping disguising the present...Or, um, something else. But I don't know what exactly. I just want to make it a completely excellent fun surprise for him. [more inside]
posted by t0astie on Jul 21, 2009 - 10 answers

PuzzleFilter: What books would you recommend for a sudoku addict who's already worked through a "fiendish"/"super fiendish" sudoku collection and would like to try more challenging puzzles? There seem to be a zillion sudoku books that are available. Please help me narrow down the selection, based on a few other things I'm looking for... [more inside]
posted by macguffin on Apr 30, 2009 - 11 answers

Old 7 the Baffler and Space Moose: was the answer ever revealed? [more inside]
posted by UrineSoakedRube on Apr 8, 2009 - 6 answers

Can you make the equation true by moving only one match? [more inside]
posted by fantasticninety on Apr 7, 2009 - 11 answers

Can you recommend some simple, fun, online two-player games suitable for two people chatting over a webcam? [more inside]
posted by Robot Johnny on Feb 4, 2009 - 18 answers

I need help coming up with an idea for a short, simple, but immensely entertaining activity at work (banking office). There's about 20 people, and maybe a 15-minute time limit. Half knowledge/trivia test, and half scavenger hunt/capture-the-flag type game. [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing on Jan 26, 2009 - 5 answers

My girlfriend is mildly addicted to cryptic crosswords. She’s also mad about History. Is there a book available that combines the two? [more inside]
posted by Del Chimney on Nov 25, 2008 - 12 answers

Need a clever puzzle for someone recovering from heart surgery. [more inside]
posted by foodybat on Nov 17, 2008 - 6 answers

Is this a medium difficulty Sudoku puzzle? Am I a Sudoku idiot? [more inside]
posted by cosmonaught on Aug 25, 2008 - 18 answers

I've been feeling slow lately. How can I sharpen my mental powers? [more inside]
posted by decoherence on Jul 30, 2008 - 19 answers

I need some mind-bendingly difficult brain teasers. [more inside]
posted by Christ, what an asshole on Jun 23, 2008 - 16 answers

Looking for good crossword puzzle books. I enjoy the Boston Globe puzzles online (alas, no Sundays unless I subscribe) and usually get a kick out of the themed puzzles in the print edition of The Onion. [more inside]
posted by horseblind on Apr 4, 2008 - 10 answers

How many words can be made from the letters in the word "Metamorphosis"? [more inside]
posted by LizardOfDoom on Mar 18, 2008 - 8 answers

What are some fun and simple puzzles or cryptography I can solve with Python to help me learn the basics? [more inside]
posted by cowbellemoo on Feb 28, 2008 - 12 answers

Can you think of time-travel puzzle rooms for my D&D mini-campaign? (2 other categories of puzzles I'd like are described inside) [more inside]
posted by TimeTravelSpeed on Jan 6, 2008 - 10 answers

I got a Nintendo DS for Christmas! Given my logical style of solving sudoku, which of the scores of sudoku titles do I want? [more inside]
posted by booksandlibretti on Dec 27, 2007 - 11 answers

I'm interested in websites that explain/list/provide examples of word oddities... [more inside]
posted by widdershins on Oct 31, 2007 - 14 answers

I've been enjoying Brain Challenge on my cell phone and am thinking of purchasing a hand held system. I'm unsure whether it would be better to buy a GameBoy Advanced or a Nintendo DS. Also which is more kid friendly. [more inside]
posted by beautifulcheese on Oct 13, 2007 - 15 answers

Now that World of Warcraft has abandoned all attempts at creativity, my friends and I would like a fun, casual, multi-player game where we can hang out. Any ideas? [more inside]
posted by iwhitney on Aug 3, 2007 - 33 answers

Looking for more puzzle/RPG hybrids! [more inside]
posted by yellowbinder on May 20, 2007 - 9 answers

Anyone have reccomendations for audio brain-teasers? [more inside]
posted by mzurer on Apr 21, 2007 - 8 answers

Does drafting a truck theoretically lower the truck's mileage? [more inside]
posted by condour75 on Mar 10, 2007 - 19 answers

I need to get back in touch with one of my original loves - gaming - and need some help finding some great play-by-email-games ... [more inside]
posted by jbickers on Sep 10, 2006 - 10 answers

I'm working on a book of puzzles and need help coming up with interesting images to use. [mi] [more inside]
posted by papercake on Aug 8, 2006 - 6 answers

Puzzle Filter: Looking for any information about a puzzle I saw in the late 70's (?). As a kid I saw an explanation of a jigsaw puzzle that was distributed in a velvet bag, on a TV show (That's Incredible! maybe, or 60 Minutes). The jigsaw pieces had a code written with numbers on both sides of the puzzle pieces (white numbers on black background?). [more inside]
posted by unceman on Jun 29, 2006 - 4 answers

Attention geometry wizards, Explain this picture
posted by Crotalus on May 18, 2006 - 14 answers

I loved that old game "The Incredible Machine" Any suggestions for more recent games in a similar vein?
posted by coffee and minarets on May 9, 2006 - 17 answers

Where can I find out little known traps , puzzles , paradoxes , myths and limitations of economics, beside wading through college textbooks? [more inside]
posted by studentguru on Apr 14, 2006 - 7 answers

Help my friend schedule his bocce leauge: 8 bocce ball teams meet weekly, playing 8 games a week over 4 timeslots (7pm, 8pm, 9pm, 10pm) in 2 courts (courts E and W). [more inside]
posted by ao4047 on Apr 10, 2006 - 2 answers

Information on an old TV show called "It Stands To Reason." [more inside]
posted by lockedroomguy on Nov 28, 2005 - 2 answers

How to give away a limited number of items as fairly as possible? [more inside]
posted by AmbroseChapel on Oct 27, 2005 - 11 answers

Back in 1988 or so I remember coming across a toy called, if I remember right, "The Brain." It was clear plastic, cylindrical in shape (a little bigger than but similar to a stack of 20 CDs), and it had about a dozen small black rods sticking up around the top plane of the cylinder. You could see a bunch of interlocking plates in the inside of the cylinder, and they controlled which rods you could move at which time. The goal was to figure out the code. Has anyone seen this toy or know where I can find one? I've tried eBay and Froogle but no luck.
posted by mark7570 on Aug 25, 2005 - 3 answers

I have an English final coming up, and I need to make a presentation on Franz Kafka. As a reinforcement activity, I would like to give my class a puzzle of some sort that is either impossible to solve, or at least very difficult. My goal is to frustrate everyone in order to make a point about Kafka's life, as well as his writing style. [more inside]
posted by Amanda B on Apr 29, 2005 - 16 answers

I want to cultivate some good mental exercising habits. For that, I need some good, diverse sources for puzzles and activities. Specifically, I'm looking for, preferably free, sites with a decent database of verbal, logical, spatial, lateral thinking games. The format can be flexible, so crosswords are included. Also, games that test and hone reflexes and reactions are also welcome. Additionally, ADHDers are also advised to stimulate the cerebellum. Any help on that? Basically, I'd like a list of resources for complete brain workout, that can be performed atleast once every day. Obviously, I'm not looking for one site to include all of the above.
posted by Gyan on Apr 20, 2005 - 25 answers

Back when I was in gradeschool in the late 60's early 70's, I found this book in our school library that I think was called "Puzzles" (maybe more, maybe not). It not only had puzzles but other things like rhymes (Biddy Bodder bought bum butter. Blah said she, bum butter bitter, but it's blended with my batter. Maybe if I get some better butter, blend it with my bitter batter, it'll make my bitter batter better....etc., etc.). There were also these little cartoons in the margins that were very interesting. There were optical illusions and magical tricks and it seemed like each page had something different and interesting. I remember signing that book out all time. Now I have kids of my own and would really love to get my hands on a copy of that book. I know this is a reach but, has anyone ever heard of this? Or, anyone know where there is a repository of old books that I could look? Doing a search for "puzzle books" is very ugly indeed.
posted by SparkyPine on Apr 13, 2005 - 8 answers

I have a circular patio table with four legs. The paving stones are uneven, so it has always been difficult to set the table in place so it doesn't wobble. I move it regularly, since the shadows from the trees change, and sometimes I want shade, other times sun. I used to mark small dots on the stones so I could set it down quickly. Then I discovered something very interesting--no matter where I put the table, if I simply rotate it around its center, I can very quickly find a steady configuration. But move it from place to place, and it takes all day. This is like the four color map theorem. It works every time, but I haven't figured out why. It might even be tricky to put this into a mathematical format. The table doesn't need to be level, and all four legs needn't be the same height or "at" the same height. The table just can't wobble. Go geeks.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium on Mar 10, 2005 - 10 answers

Why is it so hard to find a magazine of 100% crossword puzzles? Do crossword puzzle creators charge more than other puzzle creators? [more inside]
posted by Slack-a-gogo on Mar 5, 2005 - 9 answers

I'm having a lot of trouble finding a logical solution to a Sudoku problem. [more inside]
posted by obiwanwasabi on Feb 28, 2005 - 13 answers

What is the best modern day Rubik's Cube type of toy/game/puzzle? [more inside]
posted by gluechunk on Feb 28, 2005 - 4 answers

I have a couple of questions about Sudoku. [mi] [more inside]
posted by obiwanwasabi on Dec 12, 2004 - 2 answers

Does anyone remember the US States List puzzle? Was it ever resolved? (More inside, thank you please.) [more inside]
posted by kev23f on Dec 6, 2004 - 3 answers

I enjoy mathematics, and I'd imagine that on these internets there are many others who are similarly inclined. Why then, am I unable to find a good "Problem of the Day" site? [mi] [more inside]
posted by phrontist on Nov 20, 2004 - 8 answers

Has anyone participated in the Urban Challenge? I'm participating this weekend and would like to hear about strategies or experiences. [MI] [more inside]
posted by Frank Grimes on Sep 7, 2004 - 1 answer