Two gems from the wizard of recreational maths

UPDATE: Puzzle solutions can be read here.

Today’s column is a celebration of John Horton Conway, the legendary British mathematician, who died of coronavirus earlier this month, aged 82.

Conway was an inspirational, iconoclastic genius who invented and studied countless puzzles and games, in addition to his more highbrow work in group theory, number theory, geometry, topology and many other fields.

The answers to today’s puzzles

Earlier today I set you two puzzles that the late John Horton Conway suggested for this column:

1) The Miracle Builders

Puzzles for kids in quarantine

Update: Solutions can now be read here.

Today’s teasers are from my new puzzle book, Football School: the Ultimate Puzzle Book, which is aimed at 8 to 13-year-olds. No pressure. I have extracted some of the problems that I thought might also provide entertainment for grown-ups.

We kick off with a problem for everyone tending their lawns, plant pots, and window boxes during lockdown.

The solutions to today’s puzzles

Earlier today I set you the following four puzzles from my new book, Football School: the Ultimate Puzzle Book:

1. Which of these two watering cans can carry the most water?

Some weeks ago my main worries were around my GCSEs. Now I hear every day about deaths from Covid-19

• Coronavirus – latest updates
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It is the sixth week of lockdown, and for many people things are getting progressively more intense. Most families are physically distancing at home. People are only leaving the house for their weekly shop – and spending a lot of that time waiting in the queue – or to exercise once a day.

In my family things are a bit different. Our driveway is usually empty during the day as my parents, who are doctors, go in to work. It is difficult to imagine how only some weeks ago my main worries were around my GCSEs. Now every day, I hear about deaths from coronavirus. I cannot help but feel a surge of fear for my parents as I watch these updates with my brother. I’m painfully aware of the many healthcare workers who have lost their lives.

The chance to put biodiversity and the environment at the heart of recovery from the pandemic should not be squandered

One night in April, birdwatchers from around Britain stepped outside their doors and listened intently to something most of them had never experienced before: the fluting, mysterious, melancholy cry of the common scoter on the wing.

Flocks of these dusky sea ducks were beating their way over Britain on their long migratory journey towards their Arctic breeding grounds, easily audible to the naked ear. The first great wave was heard on the Wirral before being picked up in the Peak District, and at last by the Humber. A second wave was made out as flocks made their way along the line of Hadrian’s wall, from the Solway Firth in the west to Northumberland in the east. A third wave flew above listeners from the Severn estuary to the Wash. The birds were heard in urban Blackburn, Stalybridge, Bristol and London. It was thanks to social media that so many listeners were alert to the birds’ progress – and thanks to the silence of lockdown that they could be heard.

Exclusive: report criticising government lockdown proposals heavily redacted before release

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Government scientific advisers are furious at what they see as an attempt to censor their advice on government proposals during the Covid-19 lockdown by heavily redacting an official report before it was released to the public, the Guardian can reveal.

The report was one of a series of documents published by the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) this week to mollify growing criticism about the lack of transparency over the advice given to ministers responding to the coronavirus.

Researchers say cannibalistic tendency may help explain why the invasive creatures thrive

When the going gets tough, most parents try to protect their offspring. But the warty comb jelly takes a different tack: it eats them.

Despite initial appearances, comb jellies are not jellyfish but belong to a different group of animals, ctenophora, which swim using tiny hair-like projections called cilia.

A young wild horse likely wouldn't have survived the night if a group of animal lovers hadn't stumbled across the filly struggling — and failing — to drag itself out of a two-metre deep mud hole.

The mother of a newborn wants to see her own mother cuddle the baby, while adult children must rely on virtual connections with their elderly mother. COVID-19 proves challenging physically and emotionally for many this Mother's Day.

While the White House looks ahead to reopening houses of worship, most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic — and only about a third say that prohibiting in-person services violates religious freedom, a new poll finds. States have taken different approaches to resuming gatherings as the coronavirus continues to spread, raising tough questions for religious leaders and the faithful about the appropriate time to return. Among that group is 54-year-old Andre Harris of Chicago, a onetime Sunday school teacher who has shifted his routine from physical worship to the conference calls his church is holding during the pandemic.

The United Nations said a "smart strategy" is to contain coronavirus in the world's most vulnerable countries to stem a "further phase of the pandemic."

Hackers linked to Iran have targeted staff at U.S. drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc in recent weeks, according to publicly-available web archives reviewed by Reuters and three cybersecurity researchers, as the company races to deploy a treatment for the COVID-19 virus. In one case, a fake email login page designed to steal passwords was sent in April to a top Gilead executive involved in legal and corporate affairs, according to an archived version on a website used to scan for malicious web addresses. Ohad Zaidenberg, lead intelligence researcher at Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky, who closely tracks Iranian hacking activity and has investigated the attacks, said the attempt was part of an effort by an Iranian group to compromise email accounts of staff at the company using messages that impersonated journalists.

The United States on Friday objected to a proposed U.N. resolution on the coronavirus pandemic after diplomats said it had agreed to compromise language with China that didn’t directly mention the World Health Organization, an issue of growing dispute between the world’s two major economic powers. The U.S. objection to the Security Council resolution drafted by France and Tunisia reflects rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. It also leaves the U.N.’s most powerful body impotent on reacting to the greatest crisis facing the world — and unable to back Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ March 23 call for global cease-fires to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which diplomats said all 15 Security Council members agree on and is the main point of the resolution.

Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power.

Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power.

Yep, in-the-wild SQL injection exploits in 2020 are still a thing.

You've probably never heard of LockBit, but that's likely to change.

Firings highlight “toxicity running through the company culture,” Bray said.

Because the airline industry can monetize literally anything, apparently.

"I just always want to reiterate the spiders are our friends, and this isn't a dangerous spider," said Royal B.C. Museum entomologist Claudia Copley.

The slowing economy due to COVID-19 has allowed solar, wind and hydro power to overtake coal-fired power.

In some cases, the tests may detect old particles of the virus, which may no longer pose a significant threat to the patient or others, scientists say.

About this Episode On Episode 109 of Voices in AI, Byron speaks with Frank Holland about the nature of intelligence and…

About this Episode On Episode 110 of Voices in AI, Byron speaks with Didem Un Ates, the Senior Director of AI…

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About this Episode On Episode 112 of Voices in AI, Byron speaks with fellow author and technologist David Weinberger about the…

'This is the first time we've ever looked inside a comet from outside our solar system, and it is dramatically different from most other comets we've seen before'

Covid-19 could be 'antidote to complacency' among those on the fence about vaccines, scientists say

A set of asteroids that came from outside our solar system have been hiding in plain sight, according to scientists.

Researchers find official records documenting fatal strike in Iraq in 1888

'This type of natural manipulation in ecosystems ... has barely been researched to date, but holds tremendous potential,' says researcher

Researchers say evidence from China 'may demonstrate the huge scale of testing and contact tracing that's needed to reduce the virus spreading'

First and last names, email addresses, gender and sexual orientation, and credit card information of models and users was left on an insecure server

Pictures are some of the sharpest infrared images of Jupiter ever taken from the Earth

Uplay+ service, with access to + 100 games is is 50% off for the 1st month!  Members can get unlimited access to + 100 games for $6.99
https://store.ubi.com/us/uplayplus/
 
Free shipping and +50% off on all physical games until April 19th. There's merch on sale as well.
https://store.ubi.com/us/free-shipping-sale/

Posted this to collector's edition topic, but figured I'd give everyone a heads up:

https://www.gamestop.com/video-games/playstation-4/games/products/persona-5-royal-phantom-thieves-edition/11098855.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microsoft-Xbox-One-X-1TB-Black-Console-as-is-for-repair-or-parts-only/264227168298

YMMV obviously--I ordered two of these a month ago and they have been running fine for me.  All I had to do was reinstall the newest system update and they have both been fine with no issues.  One system's issue noted was "freezes" and the other was "no video". 

It says he has only 2 in stock, but I bought two a while back and the listing has remained active for the entire time with stock available, so he probably leaves the number low to keep demand going. This is probably a bulk buyer who doesn't extensively troubleshoot the systems.  I am not affiliated with the seller.  Cosmetically, the systems are nice enough to trade in without taking a refurb fee when stores re-open for business.

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/alien-isolation

https://store.steampowered.com/app/214490/Alien_Isolation/

Thought this discount was notable enough to warrant its own thread.

Thanks MysterD for the following post

 

GameBillet has Alien: Isolation Collection [Steam key] for $9.29.

 

Side note:

On GameBillet, all the Alien Isolation's DLC's, Season Passes, etc. are on sale on GameBillet too:

 

Alien Isolation sale on GameBillet:

Alien Isolation: Collection (Base Game & All 7 DLC's) = $9.29.

Alien Isolation: Season Pass (The 5 Challenge Maps DLC Pack) = $4.10

Alien Isolation: Crew Expendable DLC (Story DLC #1) = 79 cents

 

Alien Isolarion: Last Survivor DLC (Story DLC #2) = 79 cents.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (Xbox One) for $19.99

The Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo, Iowa, reopened Thursday after a coronavirus outbreak there. Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson says he'd support a second shutdown if the changes aren't enough.

By Monday at least 31 states will be open or partially open. This as President Trump pushed for the country to get back to work despite public health experts warning that it's too soon.

Boris Johnson has insisted he will act with “maximum caution” in any measures aimed at easing the lockdown

Earlier Matt Frei spoke to Mark Roscrow, the Chair of Trustees for the Health Care Supplies Association

Mike Tyson is easily one of the most legendary fighters of all time and despite being 53 years old, there is still an appetite for him to come back to fighting. Recently, Tyson has been posting his training videos where he looks like an absolute menace. His punching power is still scary and even today he […]

The post Mike Tyson Offered $20M To Fight Again appeared first on Chart Attack.

A couple of days ago Alison Roman, critic and food enthusiast gave an interview directly trashing Chrissy Teigen’s approach to business. “What Chrissy Teigen has done is so crazy to me. She had a successful cookbook. And then it was like Boom, the line at Target. Boom, now she has an Instagram page that has […]

The post Alison Roman Is Eating Her Words, Apologizing To Chrissy Teigen appeared first on Chart Attack.

1. Britain to quarantine travellers for 14 days, UK airlines association says  Top Live News
2. UK plans 14-day compulsory quarantine for all airport arrivals  Livemint
3. UK To Quarantine All Incoming Trvallers For 14 Days: Report  NDTV
4. Britain to introduce two-week quarantine for arrivals: Reports  Times of India
5. Britain to Quarantine Incoming Travellers For 14 Days to Avoid Second Covid-19 Peak: Report  News18
6. View Full coverage on Google News

Robert Cohen, Michael Koncewicz

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John Nichols

The post Bernie Sanders Reflects on the Power of International Solidarity appeared first on The Nation.