More calendar inanity
Aug. 21st, 2005 09:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plonqIt wouldn't bother me if this didn't claim to be the "Mensa" edition of this calendar. Some of the questions are challenging, but others (like this one) drive me up the wall.
The problem:
WORD LADDER
Make your way from SLOW to FAST in only seven steps, changing one letter at a time to make a good English word at each step.
SLOW
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
FAST
The solution:
ANSWER: SLOW, SLAW, FLAW, FLAT, FEAT, FELT, FEST, FAST (There may be other ways.)
My solution: SLOW,SLAW,SLAT,FLAT,FIAT,FIST,FAST -- oops, I blew it and solved it in only 6 steps. Then I took a closer look at the "official" answer and thought, "Wait a minute..."
FEAT
FELT <--- wtf?
FEST
They inserted a random, unneeded word to bring it back up to 7 steps. No point in just changing the A to an S because that would solve it in only 6 steps, and we want to solve it in only 7 steps. I guess that's what seperates a dummy like me from these Mensa people; the voices in my head that control me demand efficiency, and it goes against my code to do something like that.
The problem:
WORD LADDER
Make your way from SLOW to FAST in only seven steps, changing one letter at a time to make a good English word at each step.
SLOW
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
FAST
The solution:
ANSWER: SLOW, SLAW, FLAW, FLAT, FEAT, FELT, FEST, FAST (There may be other ways.)
My solution: SLOW,SLAW,SLAT,FLAT,FIAT,FIST,FAST -- oops, I blew it and solved it in only 6 steps. Then I took a closer look at the "official" answer and thought, "Wait a minute..."
FEAT
FELT <--- wtf?
FEST
They inserted a random, unneeded word to bring it back up to 7 steps. No point in just changing the A to an S because that would solve it in only 6 steps, and we want to solve it in only 7 steps. I guess that's what seperates a dummy like me from these Mensa people; the voices in my head that control me demand efficiency, and it goes against my code to do something like that.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-21 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 02:27 pm (UTC)I came up with several solutions, but I decided to go with the one that was most amusing.
GENIUS
GENIES
DENIES
DENIED
DENTED
RENTED
RANTED
RANTER
PANTER
PANDER
PADDER
MADDER
MADDEN
MADMEN
MADMAN