October 22, 2012
It All Comes Down To This
The penultimate grid puzzle was unlocked on Friday–hopefully a nice break for your overheated eyes and brain after Puzzle #8.
A commenter wondered how other puzzlers were coping with the recent puzzles. Here are some approximate numbers as of last night:
- The most-answered web puzzle is still Puzzle #2, the riddle. More than half of all people who saw it answered it.
- Puzzle #5, the crossword, is a distant runner-up. More than a third of solvers who unlocked the web puzzles entered the correct crossword answer.
- The hardest puzzle overall seems to be Puzzle #4, the airplane story, which surprised me a bit. Less than one-quarter of all puzzlers have the answer to that one. The three most recent puzzles (the logic puzzle, the “Hail to the chief!” mosaic, and the rebus) are still less-solved than the airplane story, but that’s probably because they’re newer.
- It’s already clear that the rebus, Puzzle #9, is easier than the mosaic, Puzzle #8, but how much easier remains to be seen. A few hours after its publication, the rebus had already been solved 25 times. The previous puzzle only had 17 solutions, even though people had two or three days to work on it. (Twenty-five is still pretty low, though. Is the rebus harder than I thought, or have we lost puzzlers to attrition?)
The last grid puzzle will be unlocked today, and I’ll tell you right now: it’s a doozy. At that point, you’ll see the final puzzle in all its glory, and the email address to send your solutions to. The first set of correct answers we receive is our grand prize winner!
I know it’s been a long hunt through some of the darkest corners of the Smithsonian vaults, but the light at the end of the tunnel is at hand. I hope to see you some of you there at the finish!
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Good luck to all today! It’s been a fun ride. Thanks to Ken and the puzzle teak for the hair pulling problems. Perhaps Smithsonian Magazine can make this some kind of regular feature. One puzzle a month would suit me fine.
Attrition…yes, somewhat. We found that we could only put life on hold for so long. Shoot, it’s Oct 22 and I still haven’t finished the Oct issue of Smithsonian! We’re still mulling over our unfinished puzzles, but haven’t been able to put in the time to solve them all. However, I know which president had blue-gray eyes and which has a patent. I know where Mauritania is and a bit about Pandora’s box. But mostly I’m reminded that puzzling is a skill that has to be practiced. At one time I’d have been much faster at this. Puzzling needs to be nurtured in our young people because real life is full of puzzles where the solution you are looking for is not clear. The answer to the cure for cancer, world peace, or the meaning of life has not yet been worked out to be 6 letters long, ending with “T”. Thanks for the fun and I hope the website stays up for awhile so we can keep at. Might appreciate seeing some hints but we won’t be too quick to jump to the “back of the book” for the answer.
On the one hand I am sad it is ending. LOVE this. But, on the other I am looking forward to sleep. Awoke last night with my brain going full tilt in an effort to predict the next answer. Have to internet-proof my computer so I have no system failures at the last moment. Good grief!
It’s so interesting how the difficulty of the puzzles are perceived so differently. My quickest solve by far was #4. The rebus #9 a close second. The trip to origami hell the most mind numbingly frustrating. That word “doozy” is not comforting!
I just can’t find the solution to puzzle 8, the presidential mosaic. I guess I’m out of the running. (Also, I suspect my being at work and not having time to work out the remaining puzzles puts me at a distinct disadvantage. I think a lot of us would have appreciated it if the last puzzle opened at a different hour.) Still, Ken, it’s been fun. Thank you for the puzzles.
Hi Ken & Puzzle Team: Congrats on a very enjoyable contest. Even if you do not reveal the final answer just yet, I hope you will post soon whether or not a winner has been identified. It would be good to know whether we can throttle back or efforts or redouble them, as the case may be.
We would love to see you at the finish !!
We are so close, but so far.
My family has had so much fun with all the puzzles!
We love history, but we have learned more this month about America and the ties that bind us together, than we have in any history class or book.
Thanks Ken!
Thanks Smithsonian!
Final Puzzle’s message is a tough one! Did someone solve it yet? I’ll take a crack at it. Good luck everyone!
Jeez! I solved ten quickly.. but 11! 11 is killing me! I can’t see straight anymore.. wtg Ken!
Whew! That was fun! When is the next one?!
It was fun, though I am still struggling with #10, and will continue to do so.