Update #1 (1:40 PM)
Currently in 13-4101 trying to solve our first puzzle before I have to go to lab meeting in 20 minutes ... ahh!
Update #2 (7:17 AM)
Sorry for the delay in updating but the rest of the day has just been absolutely crazy and I'm just waking up from a power nap. I don't know how other teams are doing, but I think the puzzles this year are ridiculously hard. Since noon, I've been working on this one puzzle with pauses to work on other puzzles, but despite my recharging with pizza, carrot sticks, and Gatorade, nothing seems to be working.
Funny part of it is that even though we're working at full speed, they keep giving us puzzles faster than we can solve them ... bummer.
Alright, I'm gonna get started on the puzzle from &#%% and for your reading enjoyment, I'll post it here to see if you can come up with any bright ideas:
Odd One Out
Or maybe it should be "One Odd Out"...
1. NWOKAANA
2. ROETJFENCIGMKN
3. BSAHIBRPIECBNOG
4. AEUIUNTEECOTEABSHLRLSTEATMETENSPTETGAITTEETDWSSDSO
5. YSAAAUENTOSLCLSMRILTKNJ
6. HRINGGRRUHGIHRCSHRSRUAKRNSELRVLETNVLOGOTM
7. CMCNRLAEIAMVELISSIIHNBCMRCEDIEESENETIMNTVSO
8. CLSDASJCNOLCRBRMPTOPAWRO
Update #3 (9:46 AM)
Still working ... no puzzles solved yet this morning. Can we get a hint? And everyone is still asleep. :(
Update #4 (11:41 AM)
The dry spell is over! We just solved a puzzle. We called in like a gajillion different answer, but finally, WE GOT IT.
Still no luck on Odd One Out, though. LAME.
Update #5 (12:48 PM)
I WILL NOT SLEEP until I solve this puzzle. However, running low on energy, I'm playing Ricky Martin's "Shake Your Bon Bon" in order to wake up.
Update #6 (5:40 AM)
Somewhere around 18 puzzles solved except this DREADED ODD MAN OUT .... AHHHH
WHYYYYYYYY
The sun is about to come up ... beautiful
Update #7 (8:06 AM)
The sun is up and the puzzle is not solved.
Update #7 (2:12 PM)
THE PUZZLE HAS BEEN SOLVED.
I will post a solution tomorrow.
OMG
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Happy Dance
Update #8 (4:59 PM)
Still puzzling
Update #9 (8:16 PM)
THE HUNT IS STILL GOING!!!
in my five years, it's never gone this late.
recent dialogue:
douglas: (awkward noise)
mike: what was that?
douglas: i had a meatball and it was tasty.
anecdote: our team cannot operate without food; thus, we just had an italian buffet :)
---
another comment:
while eating dinner, dan our resident comedian looks over a puzzle:
dan: HOLY CRAP
everyone goes silent.
dan: ... i just realized this puzzle has two lucky charms in it.
Update #10 (8:51 PM)
The hunt is over.
From: Abigail Freebie
We are pleased to report that the Evil Midnight Bombers What Bomb at
Midnight found the coin at 8:28 pm on Sunday January 20, 2008. The
murderer was John Alafontaine, because Otto broke down his will. The
investigation is shutting down at this point.
Wrap up and fill revelation on Monday January 21 at 12:00 noon in room 26-100.
What a weekend :-)
---
Here's a puzzle for you to try out (directly copied below)
Kana Game
Okay, this isn't exactly the way Rampo would have written it. But really, what's the difference?
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Does MIT ever rest? Come on man,
The Freshman application, snowman, nopants, Telethon, and now Mystery Hunt..Seriously this all in just 20 days..OMG....It really is insane.
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 18, 2008
If a place ever rested, it wouldnt be called MIT
@Bryan
Great to hear from you after quite a while! Cant wait for the mystery hunt post! Howz the Grad school MIT?? Does the experience sort of change? or is it still IHTFP(read:as amazing as the undergrad life) all the way?
Though I suspect the latter...
Posted by: Nihar on January 18, 2008
@Libin - Resting is boring. MIT is EXCITING!
@Nihar - Undergrad life is amazing, but remember it's difficult too. It's not all fun and games =P
Posted by: Piper on January 18, 2008
Well, I thought the puzzle would have been available online, but I was wrong, so good luck to you all ! ^^
Posted by: Isshak on January 18, 2008
Posted by: Jess on January 18, 2008
Posted by: Edgar on January 18, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Or you've already done that ?
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Rosencrantz on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
1: 80
2: 150
3: 130
4: 608
5: 294
6: 551*
7: 460
8: 290
I think 6 is the "odd" one. Nice idea Isshak.
Posted by: Rosencrantz on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Rosencrantz on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
Not that I think it's particularly relevant; it's just kind of cool.
Posted by: Matt, PSU '11 on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
Bro, try submitting it. Maybe it's an easier one when you have that super tough murder quesion. The title inclines me towards 6..ODD( NOT even) one OUT..
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
2. FEN
3. PIE
4. MET
5. no words
6. LET
7. DIE
8. TOP
I think its 5 as it doesn't has a word( english) when seen front or back.
How's this?
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Unless it's a red herring, the title and the text below typically are instructive in terms of solving the puzzle, but this puzzle is beyond me.
So apologies if I can't say that's the right track or wrong track, 24 hours working on the same puzzle, I don't know what's right or wrong.
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Rosencrantz on January 19, 2008
Still trying to decipher it.
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Sorry for this non instructive post, but I had to say it ^^'
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Any luck Libin ?
Maybe we should share failed atempts so that we don't do the same thing.
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Maybe we should work on another one...okay forget that, we have to find this one !!!
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Anyways, I think all the strings have even numbered characters..Any light on this? 2 and 3; and 7 and 8 have same number of characters( sorry for the bad punctuation).
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: anon on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
War Game
"The difference between winning and losing in war," Jack was fond of saying, "hinges on decisive tactics and clever deployment of forces." This was demonstrated in the historical record of his most recent head-to-head confrontation:
1. The final layout featured at least one winning formation of each of the 5 types (Wedge, Phalanx, Battalion Order, Skirmish Line, and Host), and at least one losing formation of 4 out of the 5 types.
2. Neither player played a card of the same value or color as his opponent on the same flag. Neither player played a card of the same color to two of his own adjacent hands.
3. One particular Troop value was never played at all. One particular Troop color was played fewer times than any other.
4. One of the players could have removed any 20 active (that is, not unplayed or discarded) Troop cards on his side of the final layout and had the remaining active Troop card values on his side of the final layout sum to a positive, even number.
5. The final layout contained more blue cards than violet cards.
6. The green, blue, and violet Light Cavalry Phalanx in Column 1 was one of three Phalanxes in the final layout, and it faced a formation higher than a Skirmish Line.
7. The final layout featured more than one doubleton. All incomplete hands (singletons or doubletons) at the end were either (a) a singleton orange card or (b) a non-orange Skirmisher paired with an orange non-Skirmisher. The orange Javalineer remained a singleton, and it did not lose to a Battalion Order.
8. Each player could have played a Troop card from his hand during each of his turns, though sometimes the players chose to play a Tactics card instead. South started the game, and at some point played the only Tactics card he held all game to discard North's orange Hypaspist from play. At some point, North played the Tactics card "Fog" to Column 3 and immediately claimed that flag with a hand summing to more than 19; if North had not played "Fog" on that turn, South could have claimed that flag on his own next turn by playing a yellow card from his hand. After North played "Fog," South played no yellow cards for the rest of the game. At some point, North also played the Tactics card "Scout."
9. The highest-ranking formation in the final layout was in Column 2.
10. At least one Troop in North's Column 3 hand had the same value as at least one Troop in North's Column 4 hand.
11. In the final layout, Column 5 contained 2 cards that summed to exactly 16, and Column 7 did as well, but no other column did.
12. The first-played card in the North Column 9 formation had the same value as the first-played card in the North Column 3 formation. The second-played card in the North Column 9 formation had the same value as the second-played card in the North Column 3 formation. The third-played card in the North Column 9 formation was green, and differed by 2 from the value of the third-played card in the North Column 3 formation.
13. Column 4 in the final layout contained cards of all 6 colors and at most 3 different values, and its cards summed to exactly 25. The first Troop played to Column 4 was green, and all Troops played to Column 4 thereafter were of a value higher than that first card.
14. At the end, each player had at least one active card played to each flag. Throughout the contest, whenever a player could claim a flag at the end of his turn, he did. The winning player claimed his fifth flag immediately upon playing an Elephant.
15. The red Javalineer and yellow Phalangist were part of a winning Battalion Order and losing Battalion Order (not necessarily in that order) that had different sums.
16. North did not have a losing Host.
17. At the end, North had a Battalion Order the sum of which differed by exactly 2 from the sum of a Battalion Order played by South.
18. The sum of all cards appearing in single-colored hands (whether or not complete) in the final layout was not evenly divisible by 10.
19. The unplayed Troop cards summed to exactly 81.
Posted by: Snively on January 19, 2008
It is ruthless suicide of our intellect...Lol..
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Snively on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
and a certain "Jack" is refered on the page as one of the founders of the wargaming. Coincidence ? I don't think so.
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Sam on January 19, 2008
And about "odd one out", I still have no clue...
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 19, 2008
Posted by: Ankit on January 19, 2008
Posted by: april on January 20, 2008
Bryan, Snively, did it work ?
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 20, 2008
That was the easy part. We now have to find the strategy or tactic the text describes.
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 20, 2008
If you find interesting links on Battle Line strategies, please post them !
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Take for example, NWOKAANA and instead consider these to be the "Odd One(s) [Letters] Out" thus N-W-O-K-A-A-N-A. If you look at the first half, it looks like New York but we're currently trying to figure out an algorithm that works for the second half to probably make another state for this line.
However, it's unlikely that 2 - 8 are states, but see if you can come up with anything clever!
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Good try though!
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
ROE ==} REOPEN ?
ROE ==} REORDER ?
Somehow I don't think so...
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
I'm still looking for words...
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
So either I was wrong about REOPEN and I should find a word with ROET (and not ROE). Or I'm going delirious. I hope it's the first one !
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
I am not seing any sense in this ^^'
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 20, 2008
Okay I found :
ROBERT JOFREY NECKING MAKING
...I think I'm going to continue looking for words on the 2nd one...
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Bryan any update on your progress ?
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
It's just a wild guess, I'm working on the 2nd line.
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
I dunno for sure, but that's my interpretation.
Posted by: 0 on January 20, 2008
Unfortunately, if that's the case, NeWyOrK(AANA) is not possible.
Also, it's possible that with the odd ones out, we have to start the lines with an inserted letter (as the first letter is letter 1, an odd number).
Following both of those rules I've got 1 as sNoWyOaK at the moment.
Posted by: AwayfromHome on January 20, 2008
in the problem of odd one out, i tried working on one of the lines (number 5), by combining different methods done by ishaq and also using prime numbers.
Here is how I worked on it:
The problem:
5. YSAAAUENTOSLCLSMRILTKNJ
I then (like ishaq has tried above) numbered each letter with its order in the alphabet
Y S A A A U E N T O S L C L S M R I L T K N J
25 19 1 1 1 21 5 14 20 15 19 12 3 12 19 13 18 9 12 20 11 14 10
Then I deleted the first (5) unrepeated prime numbers (which are also odd), the anagram I got resulted in the one of the following: (using the anagram solving website given up)
Jack Malts Jinn Trolls
Jack Malt Jinn Strolls
Track Mall Jinns Jolts
Track Smalls Jinn Jolt
---------------
I am not sure if that is anything at all, but at least I give it a try in someway, I am also not certain if this way will work with the other lines (i didn't have the time to try them all)
And also (maybe), since the problem said odd one out, so line number 5 is itself an odd number, so maybe you odd it out and get the name of which you should track to solve the mysterious crime!
Good luck with the others!
Posted by: Abdullah on January 20, 2008
Posted by: AwayfromHome on January 20, 2008
How is it going Bryan ? And what was the hint given (can you copy-paste it as it is said?).
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd_One_Out
and an anagram for number 2 is
"Corn Gem Jet Fink"
???
Posted by: Ankit on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
JOY FLEW IN NYC TO REOPEN GAME KING
Could this be possible ?
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Paul on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
we are currently on a roll ... will update soon!
We have an idea and we're working with it, once we see if it works, I'll let you know!
Posted by: Bryan on January 20, 2008
And I guess I go back to the position of spectator. Go all bloggers ! ^^
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
It sounds really cool and intense... How many puzzles are there exactly?
Posted by: Nan on January 20, 2008
for example:
1. NWOKAANA (lets remove the odd "A" because it appears 3 times) We are now left with NWOKN. If we unscramble this we get:
KNOWN
2. ROETJFENCIGMKN (lets remove the E and the N because these letters appear 2 times. Also, we will leave a space where each of the removed letters once existed. We are now left with RO TJF CIGMK. If we uncrypt these letters we get:
IN THE WORLD
I am probably way off.
Good Luck to all
Posted by: Chris T on January 20, 2008
I'll ponder on this tomorrow ! It's too late here to think ^^'
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
so I guess you have to decipher the code by using the sounds of rach kana to make english words...maybe...
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
Posted by: Isshak on January 20, 2008
"Edogawa Rampo is a writer whose latest work is censored by the government, deemed too disturbing and injurious to the public to be allowed to be published. However, after burning his drafts, his publisher shows him a newspaper with an account of events just like his forbidden story. As the film progresses, fantasy and reality intermingle in a tale that draws heavily on influences from Poe and Stoker's Dracula. "
so maybe thats like a series of events in Japanese. omgggg if i didnt have to rush to school i would translate them :( but heres what i got so far that sorta makes sense with a murder theme.
kusai = smelly - mizukala = personally
-> smelly person?
haku = count; earl; eldest brother; uncle; chief official? - tsuchi = hammer;mallet/earth;soil
-> killed with a mallet? buried in soil?
aaaaaah. school
anyway, this is a good japanese dictionary if you need one: http://jisho.org/
Posted by: Jayne on January 20, 2008
iwa = rock;crag / physical disorder? - ishi = dying wish /(historical) ruins / death by hanging /gem
mi.tsu = three - futatsu = two
--> the date maybe?
or maybe it can be read the other way..bleh
Posted by: Jayne on January 20, 2008
Thanks again for havin' me on the team, Bryan!
PS: If you reply, tell me if you liked the CYOA!
Posted by: Adam M. on January 21, 2008
Posted by: 0 on February 13, 2008
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