Friday night brain teaser

Lt. Manlove · 10 Feb 2006 at 19:29

Think possibly this has been posted before, but it's still fun. The game is at:

http://www.borrett.id.au/computing/petals-j.htm

I recommend Internet Explorer just so you can hear the music, you'll most likely be working out the answer for a couple of hours, it took me about 30 hours but it can take you a couple of minutes if you are clever enough!

Read what happened when Bill Gates was introduced to Petals Around the Rose in June 1977. How he tackled this brain teaser is an interesting insight into the man at the helm of Microsoft.

If you find the solution to the puzzle, don't tell anyone!

Have fun

edit:

Spoilers in this thread, if you really want to appreiciate this puzzle, you may be tempted not to read on (up to post 27 safe)

lordedmond · 10 Feb 2006 at 19:48

that a good one

must have been lucky figured it in about 5 mins

Lt. Manlove · 10 Feb 2006 at 19:52

41 views and 1 reply, either we have 40 people stuck on this or nobodys interested :confused:

lordedmond · 10 Feb 2006 at 19:54

i do think you see the solution early on or not at all

Doughnutty · 10 Feb 2006 at 19:55

I like that, glad I worked it out quickly tho, I can imagine it could get very frustrating.

Lt. Manlove · 10 Feb 2006 at 19:58

I was thinking waaaaaaaaay too in to it when I did it

but congrats for you two im impressed

Dave · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:01

Worked it out very quickly, the name gave it away to me.

I remember my cousin trying ages ago and not getting it after days. She still hasn't figured it out!

Lt. Manlove · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:06

I can't believe so many of you are working it out! I must be a right thicko

unclelonghair · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:16

Took me about 5 minutes but finally got it - reading the Bill Gates story seemed to point me in the right direction.

willd58 · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:23

man i cant get it :/

R4z0r · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:26

Got it in about 35 mins but usually I'm useless at this kind of thing!!

Lt. Manlove · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:28

willd58 said:
man i cant get it :/

Hooray! The first person to get stuck

This is where the fun begins... but it is totally satisfying when you work it out, unlike the people who got it in 5 minutes

carvegio · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:32

The puzzle took me a few mins to do, but boy did I over complicate it.

I look at the first few rolls couldn't figure it out, wrote out the first few guesses and looked for a pattern, after a minute or two of not being able to see one stopped this approach. Sat and thought for a second what is going on then it hit me, along with a big smile on my face --- so easy!

Haircut · 10 Feb 2006 at 20:34

I've seen that before and it took me about 10 minutes to figure it out.
When I sent it round the guys at the office I think I stopped all work for that afternoon though

I'd forgotten what the answer was there when I went to the page, but it came back to me as soon as I rolled the dice!

Sanchez · 10 Feb 2006 at 21:14

I got it on my first go.

Complete guess though and I've still not figured it out yet

Lt. Manlove · 10 Feb 2006 at 21:22

Sanchez said:
I got it on my first go.

Complete guess though and I've still not figured it out yet

On that specific website, you have to get it right 10 times in a row!

FC1983 · 10 Feb 2006 at 21:30

I've got it, it wasn't easy and the numbers put me off. (if that says too much i'll edit)

Zuma · 10 Feb 2006 at 21:45

it took about 10 mins.
would have been quicker if i'd scrolled the window down to where it said the result

MasterMike · 10 Feb 2006 at 21:47

I was introduced to this last year, it took me about 2 days of on-off working to get it. Very clever little game.

Lt. Manlove said:
I was thinking waaaaaaaaay too in to it when I did it

That's the point - if you're mathematically minded you're likely to have trouble with it!

D.P. · 10 Feb 2006 at 21:54

Got it in less than 2 minutes.
Started off looking at some complex number equations and then went D'oh!