52 | New Scientist | 21 September 2019
The back pages Puzzles
Cryptic crossword #15 Set by Wingding Quick quiz #21 Puzzle set by David Bedford
#22 The 9-minute egg
I like my eggs to be
boiled for exactly
9 minutes. The
problem is that
I have no way to
measure time except
for two egg timers
that are able to
measure precisely
4 and 7 minutes
respectively.
There is more than one way to set up
the timers to measure exactly 9 minutes,
but I am keen to eat my egg as soon as
possible. Can you help?Answer next week#21 Six weeks of seconds
Solution
The number of seconds in six weeks and the
product of all the whole numbers from 1 to
10 inclusively (10!) are the same:
3,628,800.
Here is how to show they are the same
without a calculator:The number of seconds in six weeks is
6 weeks x 7 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes x
60 seconds
Now, rewrite these numbers as products of
smaller numbers.For example: 24 = 3 × 8
60 = 5 × 4 × 3
which gives you:
6 x 7 x (3 x 8) x (5 x 4 x 3) x (5 x 2 x 3 x 2)
which equals:
6 × 7 × 3 × 8 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 5 × 2 × 3 × 2Reorder and adjust this sequence, noticing
that 10 = 5 × 2,
and 9 = 3 × 3
= (5×2) × (3×3) × 8 × 7 × 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 ×
2
= 10 × 9 × 8 × 7 × 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2
= 10!1 In mathematics, the
continuum hypothesis
advanced by Georg Cantor in
1878 concerns the possible
sizes of what quantity?2 Pan troglodytes and
Pan paniscus are the sole
members of the Pan genus.
How are they better known?3 What is the main
chemical component
of standard glass?4 John Bardeen,
Walter Brattain and
William Shockley shared
the 1956 Nobel prize in
physics for which discovery?5 The hallux is the
biggest of your whats?Answers belowQuick
Crossword #40
AnswersACROSS 7 Brown rat, 9 Inlier,
10 Womb, 11 Complexity,
12 Taipei, 14 Apple DOS,
15 Expansion slot,
17 Cyclamen, 19 Arsine,
21 Rhinoceros, 22 Mole,
23 Aments, 24 EndogenyDOWN 1 Areola, 2 Swab,
3 Friction, 4 Dial-up, 5 Alex
Bellos, 6 Beetroot, 8 Tympanic
nerve, 13 Pipelining,
15 Erythema, 16 Nearside,
18 Mucosa, 20 Nylons,
22 MegaQuick quiz #21
AnswersInfinity. It states that while 1the infinity of real numbers (allnumbers you can order along aline) is larger than the infinity ofjust the integer numbers, thereis no level of infinity betweenthe twoThe chimpanzee and the 2bonobo6LOLFRQGLR[LGH6L2ċ 3The electronic transistor 4Toes 5 ACROSS
1 Express disapproval about
British leader putting his
country before Europe (6)
4 Headless rodents grab
physiotherapist’s tool (3,3)
9 Microbiologist finding sticky
substance by old city (7)
10 Boy eating last of supper
with zero fat (5)
11 Audibly put together joint
when necessary (2,3)
12 Vehicles’ gas emission
reversed by first generation,
adding carbon (7)
13 Large animal at university –
this might help her find her
way around (11)18 Complex pattern of French
law on aluminium (7)
20 Implied sensitivity, myself
included (5)
22 Climbing plants with drug
moving back in tubes (5)
23 Silver and spirit found in
Turing’s coat, adding
information (7)
24 Look to pull queen
backwards (6)
25 Northern Ireland and
Gibraltar initially stay in
the European Medicines
Agency? Turing’s cracked
it! (6)Answers and the next quick crossword next week.DOWN
1 Withdraw record held
by Madrid club (6)
2 Chemist had some of
Garbo’s children (5)
3 Bone in neck ape broke (7)
5 Cellular features said to
be more humorous (5)
6 Fowl took off, it’s reported,
fleeing this? (4,3)
7 Lover or church? Astronauts
feel it intensely (1-5)
8 Nuclear reaction’s ability
to sustain itself, sceptics
would have it? (11)14 “One is getting older,”
as American writes: this
could reveal the workings
of her mind (7)
15 Recklessly augment
harmful chemical (7)
16 Illness causing passion
for waiting in line? (1,5)
17 Part of flower that is
viewed negatively (6)
19 Heads of Turing’s agency
sought every reason to
develop shocking weapon (5)
21 Hold cold fish (5) Get in touch
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