- the aha moment when you get a gem of an idea of how to solve the puzzle,
- successfully working out the solution, and then
- realizing your prize.
One thing I've definitely decided is that I'm going to plant a puzzle box specifically for this blog and walk you through the solving of it (as a group exercise). This means that the playing field will be even for all solvers (rather than giving away big hints to an existing box that some people have already spent long, agonizing hours trying to figure out). I haven't gotten this box in place yet or decided where to place it, although the stamp is carved.
One of the math-literacy building exercises I sometimes do with my children is to note the different ways numbers are used in everyday life--stats in the sports section of the newspaper, prices at the store, weights on products, daily high temperatures, etc. That's not a bad place to start thinking about possible cyphers, codes and encryption that use numbers.
I have used classical cyphers and encryption techniques at times (and you certainly should familiarize yourself with these), but other times I make up methods that you can't search out on Google. To get you started thinking about possibilities, the box I'll hide for the blog will be called Customer Service and the clues will feature one of those befuddling codes like this (2.6, 1.3, 2.9, 1.10). If you want, feel free to leave comments or email some possibilities about what that might mean...before the clues are even published...that might help you and other potential solvers. Working together is always great; handing someone a solution is a definite no-no.
Unfortunately, sometimes all looking at a sea of numbers does is befuddle you further. You have to look past the numbers and puzzle out what they mean.
In closing, if something seems out of place or even a tiny bit odd, you might want to explore it further.
click here
3 comments:
Can't wait for more homework! I think your best "puzzle tip" of all time is when you are stuck to just put it away and let it swim around in your head a bit. I will never forget hollering out loud in the shower when I finally figured out how to solve "Celestial Elemental"...and sitting staring at the numbers wasn't what did it for me. -Mother of Five
Unfortunately the only things swimming around in my head right now are those maddening numbers!
My first thought is that CUSTOMER SERVICE is a key word. But the numbers that follow confused me. I did notice that each pair of numbers begins with either a 1 or a 2. And there are two words in CUSTOMER SERVICE. Hmmm, could the second number have a direct bearing on the letters in those words? EX: 2.6 would be a "C" because that is the 6th letter of the 2nd word. But then I reached 2.9 and SERVICE does not have 9 letters. Oh well, back to the drawing board!
Thanks for posting this; I am enjoying it. I don't know WHY YOU decided to pick my question to answer, but I appreciate it. :)
SandiBox
You're somewhat on the right track, because you've definitely noticed something.
To give you more to go on, here's another 4-letter word in that particular code:
3.3,1.9,2.3,1.3
-dewberry
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