Two puzzles this week.
First, in what sense is this order of the numbers from 1 to 10 palindromic, (that is, reading the same from left to right as right to left)?
1 4 3 5 10 2 6 9 8 7
Second, if you rotate the number 6 by 180 degrees you get the number 9. What is the largest increase possible by rotating a number by 90 degrees?
As ever, please do NOT post your answers, but feel free to say if you think you have the solutions and how long it took.
Answers on Monday.
This is a wonderful auditory illusion sent to me by Chris Lawrence….. once you think the doll is saying ‘If you are happy and you know it f**k with me’, you cannot hear it any other way…..
However, try playing it to someone without this expectation and post what they hear……
I have seen loads of creepy and ‘ghostly’ pictures in my time, but I thought this one put a real chill up the spine…..
Does it have that effect on you?
Two things today. First, Amazon UK have 50% off both 59 Seconds and Quirkology! If you are interested in buying them, the links on the right will take you straight there.
Second, here are two nice illustrations about size perception. The first is probably the best perspective illusion I have seen….
and the second is a little video that I made yesterday, featuring a classic illusion first created by one of my heroes – Joseph Jastrow….
You can download a template to make your own version of the second illusion here.
Which is your favourite?
Have just produced this little video to promote Paranormality…..
The book can be pre-ordered here.
OK, onto the Friday Puzzle….three rather unusual questions for you this week….
1) According to the Bible, who killed 25% of the world’s population?
2) In one of the books I own the end is in the first half, and the prefix in the second half. The foreword comes after the epilogue, but the index comes before the introduction. What is the book?
3) What is it that elephants make that no other animal can?
As ever, please do NOT post your answers, but feel free to say if you think you have solved them and how long it took. Solutions on Monday.
@MetalMonsterUK sent me this wonderful video. Great idea, beautifully done.
Like it?
First, a quick reminder that the website for my new book, Paranormality, has just launched here and contains a nice little video to put a chill up your spine. The book can be preordered from Amazon at 50% discount here.
Second, James M sent me this lovely picture yesterday……
I am wondering if there is a male/female difference in of it, so feel free to say if you are male or female and what you saw when you first looked at it…..
Jonathan D sent me this lovely rude illusion thing….this is a statue of Queen Victoria in Liverpool….
and this is the same statue from the side…..
I don’t think she would have been amused.
Also, ever struggled to remember the different parts of the brain? Struggle no more….
Has that helped?
First, the big news is that the website for my new book, Paranormality, has just launched here and contains a nice little video to put a chill up your spine. The book can be preordered from Amazon at 50% discount here.
UPDATE: Paranormality now the top selling popular science book on Amazon – thank you all so much!
Second, there is lots happening over the next few days.
- On Saturday I am speaking about the psychology of self-help at the School of Life.
- On Monday I am speaking at the Sheffield Skeptics in the Pub.
-On Tuesday I am talking about jokes at the British Library.
OK, here’s the puzzle.
What is the missing number (oh, and the 7 is not a typo)?
As ever, please do NOT post your answer, but feel free to say if you think you have solved it and how long it took. Solution on Monday.
I am sure that I have posted this before, but it was then removed from YouTube and has only just gone back up. Try to watch this and not feel dizzy….
And if you are a glutton for punishment, try watching this….
Oh, and of course the people in the second video are doing something very dangerous so no copying them.
It is not often that a new and wonderful illusion comes along….. and then, when it does happen, three come along at once. Here are three silencing illusions. Play the following videos while looking at the dot in the centre of the circle. Basically, the various changes are obvious at first, but when the circle of dots rotate, the changes vanish. Here is one using colour….
Then there is one using size….
and shape…
What do you think?
Two videos today. The first is from the amazing @Chris_Cohen and guaranteed to make you laugh….
and this will make you gasp….
Did they have the intended effects?
A nice, elegant, puzzle this week.
I have a few thousand sticks. Each of them is 1 metre long. The other day I decided to break each of the sticks in two, with each of breaks happening at a random position along each stick. What is the average length of the shorter pieces?
As ever, please do NOT post your answers, but feel free to say if you think you have solved the puzzle and how long it took.
The other day, actor and magical genius, @andynyman asked people to recommend a good web designer. However, a few people took it upon themselves to link to terrible, terrible, websites….. here are the top three
1) Oh my God.
3) Nope, this is actually worse.
Which do you hate the most? Any other suggestions?
UPDATE: I think the folks in charge of the second site have pulled it 
UPDATE: At 1pm today (GMT) I will be doing a live webchat about New Year’s Resolutions and the Change4life initiative here.
First, for those of you in or around Edinburgh, tickets are available for the next Edinburgh Secret Society event right now – but do be quick because they usually sell-out in a couple of hours.
Second, for those of you trying to lose weight, here is a short video containing five ‘mind tricks’ that I did for the BBC.
I saw this illusion ages ago and love it…
Any ideas about how it was made?
