Puzzled? 6 interesting facts about mind-bending games
Crosswords, Sudoku, or even a good old fashioned Rubik's Cube — puzzles are a passion for many people.
The games are a rich part of human culture says puzzle enthusiast and statistics researcher Jonathan Berkowitz.
Over the last century alone they've evolved from newspaper staples to popular mobile apps. In fact, he says they've actually been confusing people for thousands of years.
Berkowitz joined host Sheryl MacKay on CBC's North by Northwest to offer some insight into one of humanity's oldest pastimes. Here's six puzzling facts about mind-bending games:
1. Older than you think
"Some scholars believe that puzzles may be even older than recorded history," said Berkowitz.
One of the earliest surviving manuscripts of human civilization is the Rhind Papyrus — an eighteen foot-long scroll that consists almost entirely of mathematical puzzles.
The scroll was found in ruins in Thebes in Upper Egypt, and dates back nearly 4,000 years.
2. They're the original intelligence tests
"According to legend, the first intelligence test ever devised was a puzzle — and this is the well-known riddle of the Sphinx," he said.
The Sphinx — an entity with the head of a human and the body of a lion — is part of Egyptian, Greek and Syrian culture. And in Greek legend, the sphinx would ravage anyone who could not answer the following riddle:
"What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?"
The heroic Oedipus the King was able to answer the riddle, which was simply: man. The Sphinx committed suicide shortly thereafter.
3. Puzzle-making is old too
"Charlemagne, the founder of the Holy Roman Empire, was actually one of the first puzzle addicts," said Berkowitz.
Charlemagne became the King of Italy in 774. One of his first orders of business: hiring a full-time puzzle-maker.
"He was so obsessed, he hired a well known English scholar and ecclesiastical person Alcuin to create puzzles for him — it was a full-time job."
4. They've been profitable — for a while
According to Berkowitz, The Book of Games was a best-seller in the medieval period, which taught readers how to play chess, dice, and cards.
And in the 1980's alone, over 200 million Rubik's Cubes were sold world-wide.
5. 'Crosswords' an accident
In the late 1800's, puzzles became a cornerstone of newspapers and magazines.
According to Berkowitz, in 1913, New York World editor Arthur Wynne introduced a "word-cross" game into his newspaper.
"About two weeks later, there was a type-setting error, and the puzzles appeared under the title 'crossword,'" he said.
6. Anagrams are everywhere
Did you know that you can rearrange the letters from "Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island" into "Two Canadian provinces: lands I dread!"
Anagrams are everywhere, often with hilarious results. And they can make for great puzzles. Here's one to ponder:
What do the words stew, shout, thorn and seat have in common? Hint: the answer is in the "directions."
Answer: they're all anagrams for directions on a compass.
With files from CBC's North by Northwest
To listen to the full interview, click on the audio labelled: Feeling puzzled? Jonathan Berkowitz talks about the history of word games
