WELCOME

TO CLEVELAND AREA MENSA (CAM)'S BRAIN GYM FOR GIFTED CHILDREN!


Did you know Mensa has had members as young as 3?  CAM has lots of fun children's activities not listed on our Calendar.  If you like mental gymnastics like these consider joining Mensa for even more fun!  Bring your friends!heavy learnerBelow is an expanding archive of past CAM Gifted Children Program Director Jim Szirony's very cool and  very entertaining mental challenges so return here often for even more opportunities to  s t r e t c h  your gifted mind!

Thanks, Jim, for taking such good care of CAM's young members and their friends!


Challenge #1    Challenge #4    Challenge #7    Challenge #10    Challenge #13    Challenge #16    Challenge #19

Challenge #2    Challenge #5    Challenge #8    Challenge #11    Challenge #14    Challenge #17    Challenge #20

Challenge #3    Challenge #6    Challenge #9    Challenge #12    Challenge #15    Challenge #18

Lake Lore

©2005 by Jim Szirony

A lake is defined as a large body of fresh or salt water surrounded on all sides by land. Most of the world's lakes, including the Great Lakes, were formed twenty thousand years ago when the glaciers of the Great Ice Age began their final retreat northward. Other lakes were formed though volcanic or tectonic activity.

The importance of lakes to human survival cannot be overemphasized. Lakes provide us with water for our homes, irrigate our crops and are an important source of hydropower. Their ecosystems provide us with food and lakes even improve the quality of our lives as a source of recreation. Be an amateur hydrologist and match each of the following facts with the body of water it best describes.

1. Having the largest surface area of any freshwater lake on earth, this lake is the largest, deepest and coldest of all the Great Lakes.

2. The saltiest lake in the world (6 times the salinity of the oceans), this body of water lies at the lowest point on earth--over 1,300 feet below sea level.

3. Located in Peru at an altitude of 12,500 feet above sea level, this lake is the largest freshwater lake in South America, and is the highest navigable lake in the world. Considered sacred by the Andean people, those falling into its waters are, by tradition, not rescued but left to drown as a sacrifice to the Earth Goddess Pachamama.

4. This is the only one of the Great Lakes to lie entirely within the United States.

5. Located in Siberia, this lake is estimated to hold 20% of the world's fresh water supply.  With a depth of over a mile, it is the deepest lake in the world.

6. The deepest lake in the United States, this water-filled caldera has neither inlet nor outlet. Water lost through seepage and evaporation is replaced through precipitation.

7. This lake was the first of the Great Lakes to be formed by melting Ice Age glaciers and is the shallowest of all the Great Lakes.

8. Discovered in 1999, this body of water is the coldest lake in the world. Its waters have been hidden from view for millions of years.

9. This body of water is the largest lake in the United States west of the Mississippi River.  A remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville, this lake is 3 to 5 times saltier than the oceans.

10. A major economic and environmental disaster, this Central Asia body of water has lost 75% of its volume over the last 20 years. This would be the equivalent of draining both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

A. Lake Baikal

B. Lake Erie

C. Lake Michigan

D. Great Salt Lake

E. Aral Sea

F. Rikki Lake

G. Dead Sea

H. Lake Superior

I. Lake Titicaca

J. Lake Vostok

K. Crater Lake

L. Lake Wobegon

Answers

Muddled Manufacturing

©2006 by Jim Szirony

Goldberg Devices makes widgets. Depending on the model, each widget incorporates a different number of doodads and gizmos. Due to a sudden demand for widgets, Mr. Goldberg asked both the supplier of gizmos and the supplier of gadgets to ship the stock they had on hand. Two brightly colored boxes arrived the next day. One box contained gizmos; the other held gadgets. Neither box stated how many parts were inside. At different times, four employees were told to get parts from the two boxes. The employees were asked to keep careful track of the amount of parts removed from each box. 

At the end of the day, the four employees reported to Mr. Goldberg. This is what they had to say: 

1. Erno stated, "I immediately followed Betty, and took exactly 2/3 of the remaining items from the red box. I also took precisely 3/8 of the remaining gizmos."

2. Ron proclaimed, "I'm not sure what color they were, but I unsealed both boxes and took exactly 20% of the contents of each."

3. Rube said, "I was the last to arrive and I took the final four doodads from its box. There were 20 gizmos remaining, but I only needed 8 of them."

4. Patsy reported, "I arrived just after Ron. I took exactly half of the contents of the red box and 2/3 of the contents of the blue box."

Using the information presented above, help Mr. Goldberg determine the original number of gizmos or gadgets present in each box. To do this he must find the color of the shipping box, the order each employee obtained parts, and how many of each part the employee took.

Answers

Perplexing Word Plexus 

©2006 by Jim Szirony
 
Each seemingly random group of letters presented below consists of a pair of interlocked words. The letters of each word are in their correct order, but are intermingled with one other. Each word pair is of equal length.  For example, T R M U O N S E Y T consists of the words TRUST and MONEY (T R m U o n S e y T). 

Unlink the letters to discover the words hidden in plain sight.

5 LETTER WORDS

1.  P A P E P N L N E Y
2.  H O B U E L S O W E
3.  C P H O I L A L R L
4.  C J O R O K N E Y S
5.  E W E E R I I R D E

6 LETTER WORDS

6.   L P U A Z W Y Z E L R E
7.   G R E A E Y L S L E Y R
8.   N O B T U R I G F L E Y
9.   A H A M R O A E S B S A
10. J G H A E G U T T A O R

7 LETTER WORDS

11. U S S A U M U A R L A L I Y
12. A Z Y C R M Y U L I R G C Y

Answers

A Spring Stickler

©2006 by Jim Szirony

Spring has finally arrived. By carefully following instruction, you will chase away the winter
doldrums and discover an April sign of the longer days and warmer weather ahead.

1. Write the words "CABIN FEVER" with no spaces between the words.

2. Insert the letter  "G"   to the right of each vowel.

3. Inset the letter  "A"   between any adjacent consonants.

4. Change the 12th letter from the right and the 16th letter from the left to the letter  "C".

5. Move the fourth consonant from the right to the 10th position from the left and insert an  "L"   in its original place.

6. Change the 6th vowel from both the left and right to the letter  "I".

7. Move the third consonant from the left to the 8th position from the right and insert a  "T"   in its original place.

8. Move the fifth vowel from the right to the 13th position from the right and then change the 8th consonant from the left to the 19th letter of the alphabet.

9. Move the 9th consonant from the left to the right of the third vowel from the left, leaving the letter  "H"   in its place.  Also change the fourth  "G"   from the right to the 13th letter of the alphabet.

10. Move the 9th letter from the right to the left of the 14th consonant from the right, leaving the letter  "T"   in its place.  Change the 18th letter of the alphabet to the 23rd letter from the end of the alphabet.

11. Remove the 7th vowel from the right and change the 15th consonant from the left to the 25th letter of the alphabet.

12. Remove all the  "B's"   and  "C's"   then reverse the order of all letters.

Answers

Sci-Q

©2006 by Jim Szirony

We live in a highly complex technological world. Intricate electronic devices that were once in the realm of science fiction now fill our homes. Our daily lives involve greater contact with increasingly sophisticated equipment. Citizens are now asked to vote on issues concerning controversial scientific and medical developments. Only a public that is scientifically and technically aware can make informed choices on such important matters.

With this in mind, let's test your Science IQ. Match each of the following scientific terms with the definition that best describes it.  

1. Agar
2. Catalyst
3. Cavitation
4. Centrifugal force
5. Centripetal force
6. Entropy
7. Inertia
8. Leaching
9. Torque
10. Viscosity

A.  The property of matter by which, unless acted upon by an external force, an object at rest will remain at rest and an object in motion will continue in motion at a constant velocity and in a straight path.

B.  The outward push exerted by an object moving in a circular path around another object. For example, the energy supplied by the earth's rotation causing a flattening of the Polar Regions and a bulge at the equator.

C.  A gelatinous substance derived from red algae used as a culture medium for bacteria growth. It is also used as a thickener in ice cream.

D.  The numerical measure of the ability of a force to twist or rotate an object. It is equal to the force multiplied by the perpendicular distance from the point of rotation. For example, the force needed to push open a door will vary depending on how far from the hinges you push.

E.  The generation and collapse of low-pressure bubbles in liquids subjected to a mechanical force (such as a rotating boat propeller).

F.  The measurement of the energy unavailable to do mechanical work in a closed thermodynamic system (that is, one that receives no external energy input); the tendency toward maximum randomness.

G.  The characteristic or measurement of a fluid's resistance to flow when subjected to an applied force (such as a pump). A fluid's internal friction.

H.  The inward energy applied to an object to keep it moving in a circular path around another object. For example, the force supplied by earth's gravity to maintain satellites in orbit.

I.  This substance augments the rate of a chemical reaction, while itself undergoing no permanent transformation.

J.  The dissolving and removal of substances, such as salt and nutrients, from soil through the movement and action of water. 

Answers

Finding Felines

©2006 by Jim Szirony

Although dogs are considered man's best friend, cats are the world's most popular pet. It is estimated that they outnumber pet dogs by over 15 million worldwide. Cats have established habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Compared with dogs, cats have only recently been domesticated--some 6,000 to 8,000 years ago. Because of this and cats particular suitability for the jobs of pest and garbage control, there was neither time nor need to modify the morphology (physical structure) of cats through selective breeding. This means there are relatively few domestic cat breeds. While there are 150 different breeds of dog, the Cat Fanciers' Association recognizes only 39 pedigree breeds of domestic cat. Twelve felines from the CFA list of recognized breeds have gone into hiding. Each is of a different breed. 

Solve the following anagrams to find the crafty creatures. For help you can consult the CFA list of breeds at: www.cfainc.org/breeds.html  The numbers in parenthesis after each anagram denote the number of words in each cat breed's name.

1) I Sesame (1)
2) Baseline (1)
3) Macabre Libation (2)
4) Canine Moo (2)
5) Gruff Mania (1)
6) Krishna Ragout (2)
7) Sugar Pain (1)
8) Waterfront Goes Inca (3)
9) Gamy Petunia (2)
10) School Rhino Portrait (2)
11) Circular Name (2)
12) Bias Any Sin (1)

Answers

Power Puzzler

(c)2006 by Jim Szirony

Madison Manufacturing requires 4,000 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity each month to operate its facilities. To receive tax incentives for the use of eco-friendly power sources, Madison Manufacturing must meet certain energy-source criteria. They are:  Power must come from three different power distribution companies.

Only 20% to 30% power is to come from fossil fuels (coal, gas or oil).
Only 20% to 30% power is to be nuclear.
40% to 60% power is to be hydroelectric.

Management has chosen three power companies as electric suppliers. Two of the companies sell power only in blocks of 100 kWh. One sells only in blocks of 1000 kWh.  Each charges a different rate per kilowatt-hour, and each distributes a different percentage of power from at least two of the three required source catagories. Below is a summary of each company.

Company  Block Size % Fossil % Nuclear % Hydro Cost per kWh
Tesla Power 100 10 0 90 $0.15
GeoCon 100 20 80 0 $0.10
GreenRiver 1000 30 20 50 $0.20


As an employee of Madison Manufacturing, you have been assigned to analyze the above data and determine how many blocks of power must be purchased each month to meet the tax incentives. Your recommendation must be for exactly 4,000 kWh and provide the greatest savings to your company. For a greater challenge find all three possible solutions. 

Answers 

Top

Municipal Monikers

(c)2006 by Jim Szirony

Each summer, the Vagabond family travels by motor home to visit different municipalities in the United States. This year's trip included stops in 15 different cities in 15 different states. The Vagabond children, Wendell and Wanda, discovered that each city they visited had a different nickname. They challenge you to match each city in their travel itinerary with the nickname by which that city is known.

1.  Akron, Ohio
2.  Battle Creek, Michigan
3.  Beaver, Oklahoma
4.  Boston, Massachusetts
5.  Chicago, Illinois
6.  Nashville, Tennessee
7.  New Orleans, Louisiana
8.  New York, New York
9.  Ormond Beach, Florida
10. Reno, Nevada
11. Rigby, Idaho
12. St. Louis, Missouri
13. Scranton, Pennsylvania
14. Seattle, Washington
15. Steamboat Springs, Colorado 		A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
E. 
F. 
G.
H.
I. 
J. 
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.		 Beantown
The Big Easy
Biggest Little City in the World
The Birthplace of Speed
Birthplace of Television
Cereal City
Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World
The Electric City
Emerald City
Empire City
The Gateway City
Music City
Rubber City
Ski-Town, USA
Windy City

Answers

League Leaders

(c)2006 by Jim Szirony

At the end of the season, the sportswriters who cover the Wannabee Baseball League present awards to their choice of the league's best infielder, best starting pitcher, best relief pitcher and best outfielder. Each of this year's recipients (including Ted) looks forward to a tryout with a major league team. Using this information and the clues presented below, find the full name (one surname is Morris), nickname (one is "Swami") and playing position of the four talented players.

1. The four players are Mr. Lopez, the outfielder, Hank and the one known as "Junk."
2. Hank is not known as "Boom", he does not play shortstop and his surname is not Jackson.
3. Mel is a starting pitcher.
4. Roberto, who is not Mr. Jackson, does not play in the outfield and is not known as "Eephus" or "Boom."
5. Mr. Oland does not play an infield

9 image

Answers

Americana

(c)2006 by Jim Szirony

In 1790, the United States Congress voted to establish a permanent home for the federal government. On July 16, 1790, the District of Columbia was founded upon 100 square miles of territory donated by the states of Virginia and Maryland. The original concept of a federal capital envisioned the seat of government as a federal domain, not a populated city. This domain was officially named Washington on Sept. 9, 1791. The urban growth of the City of Washington began with the influx of thousands of people following the Civil War.  Become a capital tour guide. See how many of the following questions regarding the City of Washington and the District of Columbia you can answer correctly.

1. The original name of Washington D.C. was:  

A. Columbus
B. Washingtonople
C. Federal City
D. Potomac
E. Freedonia

2. The boundaries of the District of Columbia and that of the City of Washington D.C. are congruent.

A. True
B. False

3.  Many foreign embassies are located in Washington, D.C.; they number about:

A. 3.14159
B. 50
C. 100
D. 175
E. 500

4. In which presidential election year were citizens of the District of Columbia first eligible to participate?

A. 1864
B. 1948
C. 1964
D. 2000

E. They are still not eligible to vote.  5 The citizens of the District of Columbia are officially represented in the federal government by:

A. One Senator and one House Representative
B. They have no official representation
C. A member of the President's Cabinet
D. An Ombudsman
E. A delegate to Congress

6.  "Celebrate and Discover" has been replaced on District of Columbia license plates; they now bear the motto:

A. Don't Tread On Me
B. Taxation Without Representation
C. Capital City
D. Stand And Deliver
E. www.dc.gov

7.  Located in Washington D.C. is the Master Clock for the United States -- the Standard of Time for our country.  Which of the following organizations has, as part of its mission, maintaining the Master Clock and providing a source of precise time information for Global Positioning Systems and the Department of Defense?

A. The U.S. Naval Observatory
B. Bureau of Standards
C. National Academy of Sciences
D. The Pentagon
E. Starfleet Command

8.  Of the nine presidents listed below, three do not have memorials in our nation's capital.  Which is the correct group?

A. Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson
B. Ulysses S. Grant, George Washington, Robert A. Taft
C. Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan and Andrew Jackson

9.  See if you can place the following popular D.C. locales in order of least to most visited annually. 

A. Smithsonian Natural History Museum
B. Union Station
C. White House
D. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
E. National Zoo

10. The Smithsonian Institution consists of 16 museums and

A. The National Gallery of Art. 
B. The National Zoo
C. The United States Botanic Garden
D. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
E. National Center for the Preservation of Gurning

Answers

Linked Locution II

(c)2006 by Jim Szirony

Find the missing mystery word that links to the clue words given below. The linked word is commonly used in conjunction with each of the clue words. For example, if the clue words are: Cut, Art, Ceiling, Eye and Block; the word Glass would link to each clue word giving us Cut Glass, Art Glass, Glass Ceiling, Glass Eye and Block Glass.

1. Angel, Day, Shoe, Artificial, Fence
2. Up, Box, Diving, Ratio, Shift
3. Candy, Bottom, Slide, Hard, Star
4. Baiting, Carpet, Seeing, Code, Herring
5. Reckoning, Head, Serious, Grateful, Living
6. Cross, Daily, Blind, Meaning, Clutch
7. College, League, Drum, Overhaul, Sergeant
8. Dumb, Cow, Closing, Bottom, Boy
9. Boston, Cold, Decency, Market, Sense
10. Forum, Wide, French, Circuit, Sesame
11. Paper, Nothing, Restaurant, Passing, Free
12. Sick, Monkey, Open, Salt, Inland


Answers

Cryptolists

(c)2006 by Jim Szirony

A CryptoList is a group of related words encrypted by a simple letter substitution code. Each category has its own individual code. To solve a CryptoList, look for words with unique letter arrangements, or double letter combinations; also look for common two or three letter words. The most common letters in the English language, in order of frequency, are: E, T, A, O, I, N, S and R

Holiday MoviesWinter Activities


VUZCIZFDKXUW
XMS VEFJXUW
MDZVV-MZNUJDO VEXXUW
JZIZWWFUXUW
VUZCGZIXQXUW
XMS PXVBXUW
MNDQXUW
BZMESO
XMS VFXQXUW
VQSKKXUW
FUL XFY PIWQZF VXUOY ZFIWVXRGV
G ZFIWVXRGV VXUIT
XFY VGQXG ZOGJVY
FUOWSGT WQQ
VZIUUPYS
WX'V G LUQSYIAJO OWAY
G ZFGIOWY DIULQ ZFIWVXRGV
FURY GOUQY
LY'IY QU GQPYOV
QGXWUQGO OGRBUUQ'V ZFIWVXRGV EGZGXWUQ

Noted Ski ResortsHanukkah Traditions


VTXMZS HYZTM
SDRBODXR OBZ ABTXPWDTB
YZADODXR HSZUUDXRU
MYZDMZS RTVZU
QKOTOK STOWZU
KQZXDXR RDNOU
YZAZDFDXR RZSO
UPNRTXDIT
ABZZUZ HSDXOEZU
MDUQSTIDXR ABTXPWDTB DX CDXMKC
SVYQQ, VESNPZV GVYVIV
WHKVPELVQ, FVRYN
VWXNY, GLELPVIL
ZRFSNPERYN, LPNKLY
WHY CVEENT, RIVML
LSNP KVZERYSHPK, ZNYYNWWNN
BVGAWLY MLEN, JTLFRYK
WYLJWMLN, JNWZ CRPKRYRV
EVAN XEVGRI, YNJ TLPA
FLHYZ WMVWZV, GVERQLPYRV

Answers

Visual Puns

(c)2007 by Jim Szirony

Visual puns are words and symbols that, based on their arrangement or position, represent another
word or phrase. For example, if the entry reads: Esgg Segg Gegs Gseg, the answer would be "scrambled
eggs." See how many of the following entries you can correctly decipher.
 
1. He   ar    t        ed     Pressure
7.  Working
2. Gesbnlsis8.  Deficit Deficit Deficit Deficit
3. P   er       s    on   al            it      y9. N I G H T
4. Dollars Dolars olars oars oas as a 
         rr
10.  Atis
         ee
5. Boom Boom Boom Boom  
       Putting
11.  I ___r
6. Gallop Schedule  
      _    ACT
12.         up

Answers

CreatureQuest

(c)2007 by Jim Szirony

Someone left a door open at the Kareless County Zoo. Ten groups of animals have escaped. Each type of animals has gathered with its own kind somewhere on the zoo grounds. Help the zoo director restore order. Hidden within the Word Search puzzle below are the names of the ten types of animals and the ten social units that they have formed.

Below the puzzle is the list of animals and social units that you must locate. For added difficulty, hide either or both of the lists. As a final challenge, see if you can match the animals with their associated grouping.

Q T R O O P E I O R S D
S H O R L S Y E K N O M
K G E S N E K C I H C H
E I O V U N O U S S A V
N L T D A L G P R R P S
N F D T O N G E A H D Q
E A S N E M A S O R U I
L M Y P I N S R I A D E
T I E I E K S B I R I S
T G C O V E Y L O P L E
A S E R S E P V S K T U
C A O S O L E A P M P N

AnimalsGathering
Birds
Cattle
Chickens
Dogs
Horses
Kittens
Leopards
Monkeys
Penguins
Quail 		Colony
Covey
Drove
Flight
Harass
Kennel
Kindle
Leap
Peep
Troop

Answers

Allusion Confusion  

(c)2007 by Jim Szirony

An allusion is a powerful literary tool by which a short reference to a person, place, event or another writing is used to convey deeper meaning. The description of a person as "Scrooge-like" would be an allusion. This allusion immediately brings to mind all the characteristics of the heartless miser of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The allusion also carries the deeper meaning that even one such as Scrooge is not beyond redemption.

Hack Wordsmith, an aspiring author, has collected a number of literary allusions and their meanings for his new book. Hack is throwing down the gauntlet and dares you to match the allusion with its meaning. Don't have feet of clay, pull out all the stops and see if you are up to the challenge.

1. Achilles' heelA. Sudden, but brief, success.
2. Catch-22B. Impending disaster.
3. Crossing the RubiconC. Success at too great a cost.
4. Cut the Gordian knotD. The illusion of having options.
5. Dark horseE. A seemingly insignificant but ultimately fatal vulnerability.
6. Flash in the panF. Over-embellishing. Trying to improve what is perfect.
7. Gilding the lilyG. Making an irrevocable decision. Going past the point of no return.
8. Hobson's choiceH. A diversion, a misleading clue.
9. Play possumI. A little-known candidate that receives unexpected support.
10.Pyrrhic victoryJ. A predicament with mutually exclusive options. A no win situation.
11.Red herringK. Present a false persona. To feign ignorance.
12.Sword of DamoclesL. To solve a complex problem in an unexpected manner.
 
Answers

Allele Assignment

2007 by Jim Szirony

Dr. Philips has assigned six of his students to present oral reports on milestones in genetic research. Each student has chosen to discuss a significant genetic breakthrough and the scientist (or research team) responsible. One child chose the team of James Watson and Francis Crick. The students have been selected to present their reports in random order.

Using this information and the clues below, try and determine the order each student presented their report, the researcher
they chose and the significant achievement of that scientist.

Note:  The Genetic milestones are printed in italics. The girls are Jenny, Natalie and Suzy; the boys are Adam, Daniel and Nick.

1. The six students are, in no particular order: Natalie, the second presenter (whose report was not about the
research of Gregor Mendel), the one who reported on Barbara McClintock's work, Nick (whose presentation did not concern Erwin Chargaff), a girl's account of the discovery that traits are carried by discrete units called genes, and a boy's report of the 1880 discovery of what would come to be known as chromosomes.

2. Adam's report is on transposable or jumping genes. The Gregor Mendel presentation was not fifth, nor did Suzy present it.

3. Lap-Chee Tsui's achievement (which was not presented by Suzy) was neither the third nor the last report of the day. The research of Lap-Chee Tsui and Gregor Mendel concerned neither helical DNA nor jumping genes.

4. Nick was first presenter. He did not discuss the discovery that DNA is composed of a complimentary pair
chemical structure.

5. A girl (who was not Jenny) reported on the completion of a gene map for cystic fibrosis. Her presentation was immediately before Daniel's report on the research of Walther Fleming, and sometime after both thedescription of Erwin Chargaff's studies and Adam's presentation.

6. Suzy (who did not discuss the discovery of genes) spoke immediately before Jenny who spoke sometime before Natalie.



Answers

Conquest Quiz

2007 by Jim Szirony

Our present history has been shaped by the struggles of the past. Great battles have not only determined territorial boundaries but social, political, religious and economic destinies as well. The recent movie 300 depicts such a battle.

In 480 B.C. the Persians, commanded by Xerxes the Great, son of King Darius, were preparing to attack the city of Athens. The Greek army led by King Leonidas was to defend the mountain pass of Thermopylae. A Greek traitor, however, told Xerxes about an alternate way into the city. Leonidas now had to withdraw his army, leaving only a small force of 300 Spartans to cover their escape.

Let us now turn to other historic battles. Presented below are the names and descriptions of eight historical conflicts. Test your battle readiness and see if you can match each battle with its appropriate description. For an added challenge try to arrange them in proper chronological order.

1. Antietam5. Marathon
2. The Armada6. Stalingrad
3. Cannae7. Vienna
4. Hastings8. Waterloo


A. Despite being abandoned by the Spartans, (Sparta was the dominant military city-state of ancient Greece), the vastly outnumbered Greek forces defeated the Persian army of King Darius. This battle assured the genesis of Western civilization and clearly defined the line between Eastern and Western culture.

B. After crossing the Alps with the intent of fomenting revolt against the Romans, the Carthaginians commanded by Hannibal faced the largest Roman army of its time--16 legions comprising nearly 90,000 men. This conflict was Hannibal's last great victory, and one of the costliest battles in history. In this one-day battle the Romans lost 50,000 men. Hannibal's dream of an uprising went unfulfilled, and eventually Hannibal returned to Africa.

C. This one-day battle was the last time England was conquered and it also marks the emergence of Britain as a world power. The death of King Edward III (Edward the Confessor) created a power vacuum. Harold Hardrate, king of Norway, was crowned as his successor, but William, Duke of Normandy also laid claim to the throne. William's successful invasion of England resulted in the death of Harold, and marked the beginning of the English feudal system.

D. King Philip II of Spain, with the backing of Pope Pius V, attempted to overturn the rule of Queen Elizabeth I of England and return Britain to Catholicism. Raising the largest naval fleet of its time, King Philip planned to escort the Duke of Parma's Army of Flanders in an invasion across the English Channel. Poor planning, such as having no means of resupplying the Armada, combined with bad weather, fickle winds and effective use of fireships by the British doomed the Armada

E. The culmination of a two-month siege, this battle ended the dominance of the Ottoman Empire over SE Europe. The army of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha was poised to overrun this capital city of the Hapsburg Monarchy.  Rather than storm the city, the Vizier waited for surrender. This gave time for Jan III Sobieski, king of Poland, to lead a Christian coalition relief army and overwhelm the Ottoman forces. The Grand Vizier was executed for his defeat.

F. This battle brought an end to 23 years of conflict. Napoleon Bonaparte returned from exile to regain power in France. A European coalition of nations declared him an outlaw and began to assemble a large army commanded by the British Duke of Wellington. Napoleon had to attack first, lest his army be overwhelmed. Despite having fewer troops, Napoleon nearly won the battle, but deep mud limited his mobility and superior numbers prevailed. The name of this battle has become synonymous with disaster.

G. Although it was fought to a draw, this battle was the bloodiest single day in American history. Confederate forces under the command of General Robert E. Lee were invading Maryland. Union troops led by Major General George McClellan were able to stop Lee's advance, causing Lee to withdraw back to Virginia. President Lincoln considered it enough of a victory to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. At the end of the battle 23,000 Americans were killed or wounded, more than nine times the total of D-Day 1944.

H. Considered the pivotal battle of World War II, this winter campaign was the bloodiest battle in human history, with over 1.5 million casualties. German armies were advancing toward the Caucasus, an oil-rich region in southwest Russia, when Adolph Hitler diverted them to attack this city, an important rail and waterway hub. After bombing the city to ruins, German forces found it to be an impenetrable maze. The Axis forces were never able to make up their loss of men and materiel.

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Ratio Rama

2007 by Jim Szirony

People have always been interested in comparing and rating objects and events. Valid comparisons,
however, cannot be made without a proper framework. Mathematic ratios provide this framework.

A ratio is a comparison of the magnitudes of two or more things. Ratios are usually written as fractions. Alternatively, a colon punctuation mark ( : ) can be used to separate the numerator and denominator.

Percentages are just ratios expressed as decimal fractions. One well-known ratio is p (pi), the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is approximately equal to 3.14159.

Rate is a ratio where a change in magnitude of one thing is considered against a standard or measurement. An example would be a highway speed of 35 miles per hour. Proportions are equations with ratios on both sides (such as: 2/3 = 4/6); the proportion represents the equality of the ratios.


Test your ability to understand and manipulate ratios by solving the following problems.

1. Which is smaller seven-sixteenths of 72, or 23% of 150?

2. Joe knows that he, and the 16 other boys in his class, represent 47% of the total number of students. How many students are there in all?

3. Slick Sam's Used Car Lot is offering specials on selected cars priced at $8,800. On cash sales only, the purchaser can choose an immediate $525 cash rebate on the car, or he can elect to receive a 6% discount off the purchase price instead. Which of the deals is better, and what is the percentage savings of the better deal?

4. Anne mixes lawn seed for a local distributor. The most popular seed blend is a mix of four parts bluegrass with three parts fescue. Today, Anne has been instructed to fill eight orders for this blend as shown in the chart below. See if you can determine the proper amounts to complete each order. Round to the nearest hundredth.

Lbs. Bluegrass1 4 101225
Lbs. Fescue1 3 7
Lbs. Mix7 14


5. Pete intends to walk across Bobcat Mesa. Crossing entails a 2-mile uphill walk followed by a level 5-mile plateau and then a 2-mile descent. Pete knows he can walk level ground at a rate of precisely 3 mph. Downhill, he can achieve a steady 5 mph; uphill only 1.5 mph. Determine how long it will take Pete to cross Bobcat Mesa.

6. In a survey of 2,500 people, it was found that 32% of those questioned preferred the new Pearl-Paste toothpaste. Of those who liked the toothpaste, 56% of them were women. How many women liked the toothpaste? Assuming the smaller sample is representative of the larger sample, how many women took part in the survey?

7. The passengers aboard a cruise ship are about to disembark for a shopping spree on the tiny island of Caveat Emptor. First they must covert their U.S. dollars to island currency. Each Caveat Emptor pound (CEP) is worth .622 of a U.S. dollar (USD).

Complete the following currency exchange transaction chart.

CEP100
USD1002505007500


8. Lisa noticed that a 45-foot flagpole near the C. M. Burns Building cast a shadow that measured exactly 12 feet in length, while the Burns Building itself cast a shadow of 40 feet. How tall is the C. M. Burns Building?

Answer

Origin Oracle 

2007 by Jim Szirony
 
By looking through a dictionary, one might get the impression that the study of words is an exact science. Language, however, is more like a living organism. New words are born; other words lose their usefulness and die off. Even common words may not remain static, but can develop new meanings. Consider the word "cute"; its original meaning was bow-legged!

Etymology is that part of language science concerned with the origin of words and their evolution to current usage. Some words like "pizzazz" and "grungy" seem to have come from nowhere. Other word origins can be traced precisely, such as "Lyme disease" being named after the Connecticut town where the first illness occurred. Then there are words and phrases that require the detecting skills of a Nero Wolfe to divine. "Mother Goose" has actually been traced back to a Mrs. Elizabeth Goose (1665-1757) of Boston.

Below are a list of words (or phrases) and their current definitions. Become the Origin Oracle and select the correct origin from among the choices presented.

1. Hat trick: A player's act of achieving three scores, either consecutively or in one game.

A. From the Roman custom of presenting a laurel wreath as a tribute.
B. Accomplishing a magical feat like a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat.
C. From the cricket custom of passing the hat after a bowler scores three wickets.

2. Slapstick: A type of comedy featuring pratfalls and absurd violence. The Roadrunner cartoons feature slapstick comedy.

A. From a device, consisting of two hinged pieces of wood; used by clowns to produce a loud slapping noise.
B. From the Yiddish word "shtick:" a bit of clowning.
C. From the Three Stooges proclivity towards slapping one another.

3. Quark: Any member of the smallest group of subatomic particles. They are one of the building blocks of protons and neutrons.

A. From a nonsense word found in James Joyce's 1939 novel Finnegans Wake.
B. Named after a character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
C. From the quartz crystal in which they were discovered.

4. Rigmarole: A confusing, complicated and frustrating procedure.

A. From the term for fouling in a ship's rigging.
B. Accomplishing a magical feat like a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat.
C. From a medieval game of randomly read poetry verses.

5. Grandfather clock: A tall, floor standing pendulum clock.

A. From the clock being as tall as grandfather.
B. From the 1876 song My Grandfather's Clock.
C. Because the clock looks like "grandfather's coffin."

6. Red tape: Excessive bureaucratic procedure marked by complexity and unnecessary delay.

A. Refers to the uniforms of British officers in colonial times: red coats with a thin sash.
B. Official documents have traditionally been bound with red ribbon.
C. From the complicated command structure of the Red Army.

7. Bigwig: An important person.

A. From France's Louis XIV practice of wearing long wigs.
B. From Dolly Parton's practice of wearing large wigs.
C. From senior members of the pre-Civil War Whig party.

8. Superman: A man with exceptional strength, abilities or powers.

A. From comic book creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
B. From Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw in his play Man and Superman.
C. From the Jewish legend of the Golem.

Answers

Triple Threat Sudoku

© 2007 by Jim Szirony

The Triple Threat Sudoku consists of three interlocked Sudoku grids sharing a 3x3 box with its
neighbor. Each Sudoku column, each row and each 3x3 box must be filled with the digits 1 through 9 in any order. The 3x3
boxes that are shared between Sudokus are filled in identically for each individual puzzle.

sudoku 20
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