Science Times Conjures Up a Puzzling Section

December 16, 2010

Lovers of puzzles, games, mazes, jumbles, encryptions, and diversions should make a beeline to the Science Times issue of December 7, 2010.

The items in the special feature, according to the Times, "will either stretch your mind or fray your nerves." The eclectic mix of material includes "Tracing the Spark of Creative Problem-Solving"; "Enigma: Asking the Mind to Jump Through Hoops"; "Eye for Art and Artistry Amid Jigsaw’s Jumble"; "Across and  Down, the Wizard Who Is Fastest of All"; and "Math Puzzles’ Oldest Ancestors Took Form on Egyptian Papyrus".

In addition, the issue’s multimedia section highlighted "Voices: What's Next in Science?" in which ten scientists offered glimpses into the "kinds of possibilities that get scientists excited." While none could say what they’d be discovering 10 years hence, they did give "hunches about where they and their fields are headed."

Included were the forecasts of mathematician Steven Strogatz (Cornell University), who had penned a popular column for the Times earlier this year (which was referenced in “Math in the News” last winter).

Source:  NYT's Science Times (December 7, 2010)