September 2023 - Quantum Physics

Tap on any hint box to view it.

Location

  1. Cross off the letters that fit the rules.
  2. Put the remaining letters in the same order as the rules are listed: 2, 1, 3, 5, 4.
  3. MEOWS

Lasers

  1. Four diagonal columns already have the correct number of cells filled with laser beams. X out the other cells in those columns as they can't have laser beams in them.
  2. There are only 5 squares left on the northwest side and 5 must have lasers go through them, so every square must have a laser through it, with turns at the end.
  3. The cell in the north end of the grid with the 5 in it can't have the laser going straight through across its NW and SE borders. So that cell must have the laser reflect across its NW/SW borders
  4. Continuing, the only way to satisfy the NE/SW column with 2 cells filled and the NE/SW column above it with 5 cells filled is for the laser to go from the cell with the 5 in it, SW through the cell with the 7 in it, into the cell with the X in it and then turn SE through the cells with the 2 and the + in them.
  5. The SE region of the chamber can now be solved in a similar manner to find the unique path.
  6. Once you have finished the path, use a calculator or calculator app to compute the result, starting at one port, entering numbers and + or X as you go. If using a calculator app, it's safest to push = after every complete number. Then flip the calculator over to read the word for the 8 letter answer, as shown in the example...

Nuclear Decay and Antiparticles

  1. The decaying squares with only 1 arrow pointing to them look like semaphore symbols. Decode the semaphore and enter the letters into the bold square squares.
  2. The decaying squares with 2 arrows pointing to them have overlapping semaphore symbols. Can you separate them? For example, in the top left, the symbol is overlapping semaphores for F and O.
  3. Can you decode all of the overlapping semaphores to spell words with unusual properties?
  4. The word pairs are all for words with multiple opposites! For example, the top pair of words is FAR and OPEN, both of which have CLOSE for an opposite.
  5. The word pairs are: FAR/OPEN->CLOSE, EAT/SLOW->FAST, BAD/SERVICE->GOOD, DARK/HEAVY->LIGHT, IN/SAFE->OUT, and BLUNT/FLAT->SHARP.
  6. Now do "Semaphore math" at the bottom by adding and subtracting semaphore directions to produce the final 4 letters at the bottom.
  7. The final word at the bottom is HARD so the solution is the 4 letter opposite of HARD...

Many Worlds Interpretation

  1. Start with the areas with only 4 grid squares in them. Two worlds must exist in the squares in the far ends. Enter worlds there by circling the letters in those squares and then X out all of the grid squares that border those worlds.
  2. Continue finding worlds in an area with only 3 remaining, unXed squares.
  3. Now there are columns with two worlds in them already. X out all of the remaining grid squares in those columns. etc. etc.
  4. Continue with the same logical process, finding worlds, Xing out squares around those worlds, Xing out squares in rows and columns that have 2 worlds already, etc.
  5. When you get to the bottom right corner, you might get stuck. Not sure where a world might be? Your circled worlds so far might read THE SOLUTION I? ... You'll need an "S" to continue that phrase. Pick a world with an "S" in it. Things will probably all work out if you do that. :)
  6. Once you've found all of the worlds, read the letters from the grid squares with worlds in them. THE SOLUTION IS...

Uncertainty Princip

  1. Hmm. There seem to be a lot of spots where two answers could fit. For example, "opposite of win" is LOSE. Or is it LOSS? Hmm...
  2. Each splotch in the top grid could be one of two letters that would satisfy a clue. Maybe you can pick "the right" one in each case?
  3. Answers, in order, are captain C/Hook, hO/Ype, sN/Pot, J/Out, snorE/T, C/Homely, cherry piT/Es, beaU/St, electR/Ion, losE/S.
  4. Just pick "the right" letter in each to make a 10 letter word. Is it the first letters from the last hint? Or maybe the last letters?

Meta: Electron Microscope

  1. Put the 4 feeder puzzle answers into their slides, using the 4 lengths as a guide for which answer goes where.
  2. Convert the last letter in each to a number, A=1, B=2, C=3 etc., then do the algebra to figure out how much to slide over that slide.
  3. Slide over the slides and read out the letters directly under the microscope to reveal the 4 letter word that is the solution...

Hyper Meta

  1. There are actually 2 answers for each of the feeder puzzles, and then 16 possible answers for the Meta!
  2. The feeder answers are: EGGSHELL/ELIGIBLE (pick which port the laser enters the chamber), SOFT/EASY (pick a four letter opposite of HARD), PERIGEE/GEMENIS (pick an S to read THE SOLUTION IS...) and CONJECTURE/HYPOTHESIS (pick the set of letters that makes a word).
  3. From those 4 answers, the 16 possible Meta answers are: came cams cape caps come coms cope cops tame tams tape taps tome toms tope tops
  4. To find the hyper meta solution, take the 8 extracted letters from the 8 feeder answers and put them in order as shown in the figure. For example, if the laser goes from southwest to northeast, the answer is EGGSHELL and S is extracted. If the laser goes from northeast to southwest, the answer is ELIGIBLE and E is extracted. So, the symbols on the top row of the Hyper Meta decode to SEE...
  5. Continuing in this way, the extracted answer is SEE COMPACT ATOMS

Bonus: Double Slit Experiment

  1. Try to answer the clues and find spots to enter them across in the grid. Is there a pattern to all of the answers?
  2. The answers all have two Is in them, which fit in the clear slits in the grid. Similarly, the center column has overlapping cells where two answers share the same letter in the middle column.
  3. The answers are hilLside/stilLlife, vilLain/whirLwind, fidUciary/minUtia, airMail/triuMvirate, bikInis/civIlian, bieNnial/lioNlike, capitAlist/titAnic, misTrial/spilTmilk
  4. Reading down the middle column, the letters are LLUMINAT. But there are blank squares above and below. What goes in blank squares in this puzzle?
  5. ILLUMINATI