A MATTER OF CON SCIENCE

Presented at the 2013 National Puzzlers' League Convention

by Drs. Dart, Tinhorn, and Zebraboy

(aka Darren Rigby, Dave Shukan, and Mark Halpin)

INTRODUCTION

• Introduction to the event

• Punchcard

• Stone (as initially displayed)

• • SOCIAL SCIENCES

    • Cryptogeography (Darren Rigby)

    • Cryptopolitics (Dave Shukan)

    • Cryptohistory / (tiles) (Mark Halpin)

    • Cryptopsychology (Dave Shukan)

    • Cryptomusicology (Mark Halpin)

    • Cryptourbanology (Darren Rigby)

    • Breakthrough Research / (potsherds) (Darren Rigby)

• • LIFE SCIENCES

    • Cryptoecology (Darren Rigby)

    • Cryptocryptozoology (Mark Halpin / Darren Rigby)

    • Cryptoantiophthalmology / (slides) (Mark Halpin / Darren Rigby)

    • Cryptoterraforming (Mark Halpin)

    • Cryptokinesiology (Dave Shukan)

    • Cryptoaphasiology / (pieces) (Darren Rigby)

    • Breakthrough Research (Mark Halpin)

• • PHYSICAL SCIENCES

    • Cryptooceanography (Dave Shukan)

    • Cryptoastronomy (Mark Halpin)

    • Cryptomechanics (Darren Rigby)

    • Cryptoacoustics (Mark Halpin)

    • Cryptospectrology (Mark Halpin / Dave Shukan)

    • Cryptochemistry (Mark Halpin)

    • Cryptoinformatics (Dave Shukan)

    • Breakthrough Research (Dave Shukan)

ENDGAME - BUILDING A THINKING MACHINE

• Solving Breakthrough Research in the Social Sciences gets you this.

• Solving Breakthrough Research in the Life Sciences gets you this.

• Solving Breakthrough Research in the Physical Sciences gets you this.

• Solving all three Breakthroughs also gets you this.

• Some Endgame Hints:

Endgame Hint 1 (highlight to view): The Philosophical Stone is an encrypted word search puzzle, partially decrypted. Like the Breakthrough Research in the individual rounds, it makes use of all the knowledge you've gleaned so far. Look for messages both in the cartouches and in the unused letters.

Endgame Hint 2 (highlight to view): In distributing puzzle answers among gears, make note of their title graphics.

Endgame Hint 3 (highlight to view): When turning gears align so that a letter from the iron gear and a letter from the diamond gear are both in the notches in the wooden gear indicated by arrows, add those letters (cycling …Y, Z, A, B… as needed).

We would very much like to thank the following for their generosity in testing-solving and miscellaneous other support: David Arnott, Ben Bass, John Beck, Trysta Bissett, Ryan Davis, Mike Gardner, Amy Goldstein, John Greg Gomez, Chris Johnson, Mike King, Doug Peterson, Jeff Shearer, Rebecca Shukan, Nathan Squires, Ian Tullis, and Patti Varol

All contents copyright © 2013 Mark Halpin, Darren Rigby, and Dave Shukan