tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1162111810883503507..comments2024-03-28T04:40:27.172-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Cephalopod known for its shell / WED 5-11-11 / Popular online lectures about ideas worth spreading / Old-time crooner Julius / Alvy's love interestRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72447962815209079722011-06-16T01:50:04.382-04:002011-06-16T01:50:04.382-04:00Syndicated even-later solver here. I'm on the ...Syndicated even-later solver here. I'm on the West Coast (San Diego) and I was busy all day attending the last day of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) conference here.<br /><br />So, as might be expected, I enjoyed the theme. I think "cochlea locale" was a sacrifice for the sake of symmetry, because it's not the INNER EAR as such that exhibits the Fibonacci spiral, but the cochlea itself. That was the one thing that kept me from seeing the theme until later. Otherwise, SUNFLOWER, ARTICHOKE, and NAUTILUS were right on target.<br /><br />If you English Majors can have your FRA LIPPO LIPPIs (admittedly one of the most perfect examples of crosswordese I've ever seen), then I think we math and science nerds are entitled to a little love now and again. ;-)Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77694651233678557422011-06-15T18:51:45.117-04:002011-06-15T18:51:45.117-04:00Syndi-late solver.
I'd send lots of MWAHs out...Syndi-late solver.<br /><br />I'd send lots of MWAHs out for sour cream, but all I get are one spit bubble after another. Probably have to go to Africa for the correct phoneme, although it seems to be prevalent in Dog Trainese also.<br /><br />PHI! PHI! PHI! on all those who would dis math nerdism merely because they can't "do" math. I can't either, but I respect the bloody hell out of those original Greeks and Egyptians who observed the remarkable incidence of the golden ratio in nature and then discovered a way to convert what they found into mathematical symbolism. For a little relevence, I think PHI is what they use for the graduated income tax also.<br /><br />captcha: "PROtE":<br /> the bit of PROsE on a court proceedings record indicating that the prosecutor was once again able to PROvE the defendant PROnE to PRObE a PROnE PROLE at every opportunityNotalwaysrightBillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80612425748479439812011-06-15T17:28:07.895-04:002011-06-15T17:28:07.895-04:00Wanted the circled letters to spell "golden s...Wanted the circled letters to spell "golden shower" instead of "golden spiral" because that's what it felt like the puzzle was doing to me during the solve. Lots of things I just did not know but ultimately gettable from the crosses, so fair enough. Never heard of Ted so finished with TEaTALKS which seemed peerfectly reasonable given the times and ESTa seemed legit enough to convince me it was right.<br /><br />Nice to see cheerleader in chief Andrea back to her old self. <br /><br />@Waxy just posted - I see I am in good company with the teatalks.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9242814576574380782011-06-15T17:03:26.882-04:002011-06-15T17:03:26.882-04:00MWAH. Loved this puzzle but then I'm a charter...MWAH. Loved this puzzle but then I'm a charter member of the nerdy math crew. However, count me in the FDR - FAT-IN camp - seemed to make sense at the time. Also, never having heard of TEDTALKS, had TEATALKS and ESTA thinking that maybe some Tea Party types actually had come up with what they considered "ideas worth spreading".Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27855227829770730492011-06-15T16:42:08.200-04:002011-06-15T16:42:08.200-04:00@CY--I just watched that short clip (the link for ...@CY--I just watched that short clip (the link for which) you posted. It is absolutely amazing. Maybe if Rex saw it, he'd appreciate the puzzle (and math in general) more. Anyhow, thanks!Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8980198375270736282011-06-15T16:18:30.151-04:002011-06-15T16:18:30.151-04:00Greetings from syndi-land. I enjoyed the puzzle, ...Greetings from syndi-land. I enjoyed the puzzle, except for the same Natick as @pizzatheorem. <br /><br />@retired_chemist--loved the truth table. Does that alone make me a nerd?<br /><br />Did not like "Mwah" as clued, but would have loved it if it have been clued as @william e emba used it--"MWAH hah hah!"<br /><br />TED Talks are addictive, in a mainly good way. Like this blog, I suppose.<br /><br />@cody.riggs--the author is C.P. Snow, and it was called <i> The Two Cultures </i>Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90051719207478832172011-06-15T13:17:51.063-04:002011-06-15T13:17:51.063-04:00I guess that I am a Dork and not a Nerd, cuz I tot...I guess that I am a Dork and not a Nerd, cuz I totally hated MWAH...even more than I hate RandomRomanNumerals. <br /><br />Being the Dork that I am, I would have made NOOGIE the word of the day.<br /><br />I may steam up an ARTICHOKE for lunch...Lurking, Just Behind Younoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9339057117894558692011-06-15T13:00:33.017-04:002011-06-15T13:00:33.017-04:00I thought this was a brilliant theme. It should be...I thought this was a brilliant theme. It should be "sequence," not "series," but where else have you ever seen "Fibonacci" in a crossword puzzle? One of the best ever!Jeffreynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66164935798451018642011-06-15T08:52:40.264-04:002011-06-15T08:52:40.264-04:00Where are the puzzle grid and a few pics? - not s...Where are the puzzle grid and a few pics? - not showing up hereAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88498124507764816362011-05-15T23:38:29.078-04:002011-05-15T23:38:29.078-04:00Oh...and so amazingly coincidentally, a package ar...Oh...and so amazingly coincidentally, a package arrived 2 days ago from a dear friend - "The Golden Ratio" by Mario Livio...anyone here read it?Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66049424094163914802011-05-15T22:54:08.441-04:002011-05-15T22:54:08.441-04:00One need not be a math geek to enjoy this intersec...One need not be a math geek to enjoy this intersection of the elegance of natural beauty with our joy in being able to articulate it through scientific expression!<br />It's like we're some little kids who just got let in on a really cool secret... ;)Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70725911720263308882011-05-13T22:40:47.185-04:002011-05-13T22:40:47.185-04:00@Jonas -
Forgot to add earlier how much better I ...@Jonas - <br />Forgot to add earlier how much better I loved your "Eat your heart out" clue!!Paulanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3118047966543395812011-05-13T12:57:57.481-04:002011-05-13T12:57:57.481-04:00What a well-executed theme!
Also, count me in on...What a well-executed theme! <br /><br />Also, count me in on liking MWAH and sour cream. I'm sure there's a connection, but do we have a large enough sample to achieve statistical significance?Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26319745147557881042011-05-12T11:54:08.578-04:002011-05-12T11:54:08.578-04:00Actually, I don't think the words OAFs speak a...Actually, I don't think the words OAFs speak are any stupider than the syllables they speak. But the context in which these words are spoken, or the phrases made up of these words, are. <br /><br />Why am I so nerdy and anal that that I feel compelled to make this point?!Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09251376991793478372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41482110491016189872011-05-12T09:47:31.197-04:002011-05-12T09:47:31.197-04:00By coincidence, I just saw a pretty, short film th...By coincidence, I just saw a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGeOWYOFoA" rel="nofollow">pretty, short film that relates to this puzzle's theme</a>.CYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00788234848150484233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81417946972260319682011-05-11T23:32:44.646-04:002011-05-11T23:32:44.646-04:00...of course I was thinking of C.P.Snow's &quo......of course I was thinking of C.P.Snow's "Two Cultures" essay. At least when I thought "White" I was picturing "Snow." :)<br /><br />Anyhow, being someone who is just as interested in the arts as the sciences, it is inconceivable to me to not admire Erdos along with Elgar; Hawking along with Yeats; The Decembrists along with the Decemberists. Just sayin'. Expand your horizons, everyone!<br /><br />Portland, Ore.cody.riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883012611419987246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50635924920685947022011-05-11T23:03:20.905-04:002011-05-11T23:03:20.905-04:00Ok,I love reading this blog, and I've develope...Ok,I love reading this blog, and I've developed quite an affection for our venerable host, whom I've never met. But he Really needs to expand his horizons. As soon as I figured out this puzzle's theme (which I find brilliant) I thought "Rex is going to pooh-pooh this one". <br /><br />I mean Really....the Fibonacci sequence is something every educated person should be familiar with. It is integral to biology. What has happened to the concept of a "Renaissance Man" these days? I'm trying to recall the essay from about 100 years ago, calling on the carpet the "false dichotomy" of science vs. the humanities..."Two Worlds" it was...arrgh can't remember the author's name...White? I did a Google search and all I get is video game palaver...<br /><br />The thing Rex should have complained about was that Awful "Mwah" in the SE, Not the theme.<br /><br />And ALL the theme answers Do demonstrate the fibonacci sequence, so criticism of theme consistency is unfounded. Mario Livio wrote an excellent book, "Phi" about this concept. It is totally accessible, even to you non "math" people.<br /><br />Rex, Please stop dissing puzzles with "scientific" themes. It's like criticizing Shakespeare: it says more about your narrow-mindedness than, well, Shakespeare. The golden ratio is a beautiful concept and shouldn't be dismissed offhand.<br /><br />There were things to criticize in this puzzle. The thematic execution was Not one of them.<br /><br />By the way, I've found every one of the puzzles constructed by Michael Sharp to be excellent in all respects.<br /><br />Portland, Ore.cody.riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883012611419987246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84412377474358122862011-05-11T22:34:03.465-04:002011-05-11T22:34:03.465-04:00P.S. LaRosa is a perfect example of what I learn f...P.S. LaRosa is a perfect example of what I learn from this blog! Never saw, heard or read of the guy, but there was a serious discussion of his experience on this site, and I remembered.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26269941810723708052011-05-11T22:34:03.466-04:002011-05-11T22:34:03.466-04:00@mac: Your friend is thinking of meh.@mac: Your friend is thinking of <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=meh" rel="nofollow">meh</a>.CYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00788234848150484233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85303492310716727362011-05-11T22:10:59.730-04:002011-05-11T22:10:59.730-04:00I enjoyed this puzzle, even though I'm not mat...I enjoyed this puzzle, even though I'm not mathy either. Happy to learn all the little details of this theme, could never have figured it out myself.<br /><br />This afternoon I picked up and checked out two large artichokes. No similarity to the nautilus or any shape mentioned today. Circles. I also know that from carefully cutting the barby tips off the leaves. You go from row to row, nothing continuous about it. <br /><br />Mwah is excellent, probably my favorite word in the puzzle, but I do have a friend who says it when she means to say: "not great, soso".machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60371475338245378842011-05-11T21:45:15.768-04:002011-05-11T21:45:15.768-04:00@Gilipollas - I guess I round it first, so they ge...@Gilipollas - I guess I round it first, so they get a little more. But, I admit I can do a 20% to the mil in my head. Or you could round it up, take 10%, double it, then subtract the difference between 18 and 20 - (now it's getting too complicated! Mathy people do all of these, and, I admit, can be very annoying. I also told my students that as soon as they passed the GED, they could forget about it as I forgot about how to pass the Red Cross swimming test.<br />As long as you aren't the check out at any store I go to, I won't be your Life Saver.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60144755378980673912011-05-11T21:37:20.505-04:002011-05-11T21:37:20.505-04:00NDE:
I tried to find a free link earlier and fail...NDE:<br /><br />I tried to find a free link earlier and failed. I tried now again and failed again, but this time confirmed that "Implicit Proof" was for sale at a--you said exorbitant--<b>remarkable</b> price: $34. Why, that's the 9th FIBONACCI number, and the grid is 21x13, and 21+13=34. Springer is obviously doing everyone a <i>favor</i>. (Come on, think like Ramanujan, not like Hardy.)<br /><br />Rather lamely, the free "abstract" consists of all the clues, and the answer is also available for free as an "abstract".<br /><br />Kevin Wald (whom we saw in the NYT with that ultraweird 9/9/10 puzzle where the shapes of the black squares were part of the clues) has a large collection of his highly bizarre puzzles on his webpage. But not this one, nor his other <i>Intelligencer</i> puzzle (the ∞x13 cryptic). (The journal can be searched for "crossword" on its on-line search. The smaller puzzles are entirely free, as they fit inside the abstract.)william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70664949955675514762011-05-11T20:44:25.296-04:002011-05-11T20:44:25.296-04:00While doing this puzzle I had the following though...While doing this puzzle I had the following thoughts:<br /><br />(1) I really think is a clever, wonderful puzzle.<br /><br />(2) People uninterested in math might not think this a clever, wonderful puzzle.<br /><br />(3) Rex is uninterested in math.<br /><br />(4) Rex is not going to think this is a clever, wonderful puzzle.michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15815330202518357822011-05-11T19:49:49.405-04:002011-05-11T19:49:49.405-04:00Tobias Duncan:
That was incredible.
I had never ...Tobias Duncan:<br />That was incredible. <br />I had never heard of the TED site before. Thanks for converting me!GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32668674422441229262011-05-11T19:48:04.894-04:002011-05-11T19:48:04.894-04:00I was delighted both by the theme and by much of t...I was delighted both by the theme and by much of the incidental fill (and even happened to know one of the happily few bits of pap-culture detritus because one of our students recently mentioned another song by this 61A:SARA singer as a rare example of 11/4 time in popular song — though to my ears it's just a few 3/4 bars interspersed in an otherwise familiar 4/4). I don't even mind "series" instead of "sequence" in 33A. And FWIW Fibonacci's original bunny puzzle works just as well with the "partial sums" of the series 1+1+2+3+5+8+13+...<br /><br />Thanks to Wm.Emba for the link to "Implicit Proof", which I'd not seen before. (Googling "implicit proof" and "kevin wald" takes you to URL's from which you might download the puzzle and solution without paying an exorbitant fee.) Yes, that puzzle wouldn't fly in the NYTimes... I think I also saw a more recent Fibonacci-themed puzzle in the Intelligencer(?) that was 9 by 15 with "golden rectangle" as one entry, but I cannot locate it now — any idea?<br /><br />NDENoam D. Elkiesnoreply@blogger.com