52 | New Scientist | 10 August 2019
The back pages Puzzles
Cryptic crossword #12 Set by Wingding Quick quiz #15 Puzzle set by Paul Tissier
#16 Clever code
Rashmi told us that she had to make
up some codes, ones that preferably
have a unique quality to them.
“For a four-digit code, I chose
2020, because it has two 0s, zero 1s,
two 2s and zero 3s. I chose 3211000
for a seven-digit code.”
She then told us that she used
the same idea for a 10-digit code.
What was this code?Answer next week#15 Lines through
the chessboard
SolutionIt is possible to cut through all 64 squares
with seven lines. There are several ways to
do it, but here is one approach. In fact, it is
always possible to draw lines through an
NxN grid with no more than N-1 lines.1 The area around
Solnhofen in Bavaria,
Germany, is the source of all
12 fossil specimens of which
pioneering flying creature?2 In 2015 to 2016, Mark
stayed on the ground while
Scott orbited Earth on the
International Space Station.
What were they up to?3 If you douse yourself in
beta-ionone, you are liable to
come up smelling of what?4 Amphibians, reptiles and
most birds use a single orifice
for urination, defecation and
sexual reproduction. What is
it called?5 Underlying Fort Worth and
surrounding areas of Texas,
which geological formation
is thought to contain the
largest reserves of any
onshore natural gas
field in the US?Answers belowQuick
Crossword #37
Answers
ACROSS 1 Nymph, 4 Logic
bomb, 9 Walkman, 10 Medulla,
11 Orange, 15 Ice, 16 Exxon,
18 Radii, 20 Nappa, 22 Rayon,
23 Phi, 24 Teletext, 26 Unplug,
28 Eardrum, 30 Anaemia,
32 Messenger, 33 Torus
DOWN 1 Newtonian,
2 Malware, 3 Hum, 4 Lung,
5 Gem, 6 Codon, 7 Oilseed,
8 Bragg, 12/13 Greta Thunberg,
14 Henry, 17 Xerox, 18 Renin,
19 Isinglass, 21 Pylorus,
23 Polymer, 24 Therm, 25 Three,
27 Pair, 29 Meg, 31 AntQuick quiz #15
AnswersArchaeopteryx 1Investigating the effect of 2space flight on the body – theKelly brothers are identical twinsand are both astronautsRoses 3The cloaca. Some male birds 4also have a penis to aid thereproductive processThe Barnett Shale 5 ACROSS
1 Mammal’s first to
consume flesh (4)
3 After card game, Leslie
makes high-pitched
noises (8)
9 Singing lady visiting Royal
Institution with new
astronaut (7)
10 “Criminals!” – I start to libel
oil company (5)
11 Breaking up over thin zone,
point of no return? (5,7)
14 22 down cycling in a
curved line (3)16 Relation has allocation
reduced (5)
17 Connect time, current
and energy (3)
18 Athlete’s cups smashed
in defunct vehicle (5,7)
21 Tesla and one relative
travelling west in
circular route (5)
22 Pain is sacred, though
some rejected probe (7)
23 Reward almost certain
to constitute a valuable
discovery (8)
24 Spoils neighbour (4)Answers and the next quick crossword next week.DOWN
1 Puzzled at German
astronomical object (8)
2 May be right to use a
hook (5)
4/7 Resistance fighter from
Chinese ethnic group on
his own (3,4)
5 Heartless snail and
mosquito disturbed by
sound source at night (12)
6 Safety gear made of dog
hair? (3,4)
7 See 4 down8 After losing son, the oysters
cry, sadly – they are in your
blood (12)
12 Sounds like cereal may be
some time (5)
13 Green newt winces every
now and then – she gets
it from her parents (8)
15 Efficient wire wrapped
around sound system (7)
19 Big cat heard in forest (5)
20 Distant cloud obscured
by Io or Titan (4)
22 Fish has tail cut off in
transport (3)
Get in touch
Email us at
[email protected]
[email protected]