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Tag: puzzles

Slime moulds prefer right turns (new study)

August 19, 2016 Martin Gardiner

Slime moulds (Physarum polycephalum for example) are quite dexterous when it comes to solving complex 2-D puzzles – their skills having been documented in research which led to the double Ig Nobel prizes (2008 & 2010) awarded to Toshiyuki Nakagaki [full details via here]. Now a new study performed by Alice Dimonte and Victor Erokhin […]

Research Newsjunction, left, mazes, puzzles, right, slime mold, slime mould

Professor Povey’s Puzzling Problems

July 17, 2015 Marc Abrahams

What happens when a 747 collides with a mallard duck? That’s one of the puzzles in the book Professor Povey’s Puzzling Problems. I have not yet read the book, but the promotional video (which you see here) is possibly perfect: Professor Povey practices from a perch, and teaches tutorials, at Oxford University. Fluid dynamics is his game […]

Arts and Sciencemath, puzzles

Puzzle of the Disgruntled Children

August 19, 2012 Stephen Drew

Jin Park writes [AIR 16:2]: Can anyone help me identify the disgruntled children in this photograph? This is a science puzzle, and I want to know the answer. My professor when I was living in the United States gave me this as a sort of humorous scientific historical gift. He was that kind of professor. […]

Arts and ScienceAir Vents, Disgruntled Children, mystery, Photographs, puzzles
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