Puzzle 006

[tapshoetomove]

[Written.]

Here's a puzzle for all of you to try and solve:

From high in the sky, a pair of aliens observes humans using a bizarre object. Perplexed, one alien turns to the other and says:

"How strange. The Earthling is opening a hole in a sheet of paper and marking it with a line to show the other Earthlings where the hole is. I've never seen anything like it!"

What could these alien visitors be talking about?

[Dictated.]

[There's a sigh heard from the journal.]

You know I'd really like to go exploring outside the castle for once. Maybe when it warms up a bit more...

Comments

[magicalwright]

Oh, wow, that's a hard riddle! That's going to take some thought!

And you could wish a really warm coat or something!

[psych0p0mps]

speaking as an alien myself
i can safely say ive never seen anything like that either 0_0

[tapshoetomove]

Take as much time as you need.

Uhm, maybe I could wish for a team of sled dogs too?

[tapshoetomove]

...You're an alien?

[psych0p0mps]

from a human perspective yes
although from my perspective you guys are all the aliens :p

Dictated forever

[whichwayyoulean]

...Given what I've learned about Earth already it's probably something weird.

Re: Dictated forever

[tapshoetomove]

It's actually quite common. But I guess it'd be more common to use it for school then anything else. I don't see adults really use them too much.

Unless you're an alien, then you probably haven't seen one at all.

...

You're not an alien, are you?

[whichwayyoulean]

...Like some kind of ma- [wait] is it something to do with a drafting compass?

Well, I'm not from Earth, so I guess it depends on what you constitute as an 'alien'.

[tapshoetomove]

Mhm, it's a compass!

I think not being from Earth counts as being an alien. Then again, if I were in your world I suppose I'd be the alien. ...Come to think of it, we're probably all aliens here, being kidnapped to a magical castle and all. Gosh, I'm getting dizzy thinking about it.

So where are you from, if you're not from Earth?

[tapshoetomove]

Hehe, I guess you're right. Although since this is a magical kidnapping castle, then maybe we're all aliens.

[whichwayyoulean]

Go me. What do I win?

There's some poetry in there, somewhere.

It doesn't have a name, it's just...the world?

[psych0p0mps]

this is a good point
out of curiosity what is the implement the humans were using in the riddle
or
actually just give me a hint
i kind of want to see if i can solve this now

[tapshoetomove]

If I had any picarats I would give you some for solving it.

Just "the world" but not Earth, huh?

[magicalwright]

Yeah! ... Although, knowing the castle you'd probably end up with a team of vicious sled bears or something...

[whichwayyoulean]

What's a picrat?

Nope. Just the world.

[deductiongeek]

A compass. [Conan sounds bored by the answer. But at least it hadn't been a terrible pun like the professor's riddles.]

[squartatore]

Are the alien definitions of "hole" and "paper" the same as Earthlings'?

[tapshoetomove]

Yep, it's the same!

[tapshoetomove]

Correct! Gosh, you solved that awfully quick. Would you like another one?

[tapshoetomove]

S-sled bears?! C-can't I just have sled bunnies? Or something that won't try to eat me?

[tapshoetomove]

A hint? Okay, I can give you a hint. Hmm...

It's a tool that can measure distance.

[tapshoetomove]

It's kind of like a point system. The more picarats a puzzle is, the harder it is to solve.

I heard you get prizes the more picarats you collect.

[magicalwright]

Bunnies aren't necessarily friendly! They could be super angry and might not want to pull a sled!

[tapshoetomove]

I doubt they'd resort to eating you when they're angry though.

[magicalwright]

If there was enough of them, they might! Pretty sure there's a horror film about that somewhere!

[deductiongeek]

Sure! Do you have any harder ones?

[whichwayyoulean]

Huh. I thought it was some kind of rodent.

What? Like a big cuddly toy? Or maybe a fish in a bag?

[psych0p0mps]

hmm well rulers can do that
but it doesnt explain the hole or the line
if it was a hole in the ground then yeah it makes sense to mark it but it specifically says its paper
hmmmmmmm

[squartatore]

Some sort of map, then. [SHOT IN THE DARK.]

[truestsciences]

wwhy wwould the aliens care in the first place
humans are kinda borin an not wworth the attention

[tapshoetomove]

Not quite, but it has to do with a map!

[tapshoetomove]

Well maybe it's their job. You know, to observe humans. If it was something I've never seen before, I'd be a little curious about it.

[tapshoetomove]

I don't know. I guess I've never earned enough myself.

A cuddly toy would be nice though.

[squartatore]

A map... [things Sayaka knows with regard to maps: next to none] Does this have to do with those cardinality whatsits.

[whichwayyoulean]

It'd at least make you feel like all your hard work and skill wasn't wasted.

[truestsciences]

humans are so dull theres not anythin about them wworth carin about
besides if they wwere curious enough and stupid enough to now knoww what the humans are usin wwhy dont they just
yknoww
ask
if they have the power to observve another planet then communicatin shouldnt be much of a stretch

[tapshoetomove]

Oh, it's not wasted at all! It's a real accomplishment to solve a really hard puzzle.

...But getting a reward every now and then is still nice.

[tapshoetomove]

A horror film about...angry, rabid bunnies?

[whichwayyoulean]

Maybe you should petition for candy dispensers at the end of really hard puzzles.

[tapshoetomove]

It's not a ruler.

[He'll wait and let her talk it out though. He knows all to well the importance of talking aloud to figure out a difficult puzzle.]

[tapshoetomove]

...That's actually a fantastic idea.

[tapshoetomove]

Cardinality whatsits? Uhm, not quite. Remember, the aliens are trying to figure out what the human is doing to the paper.

[tapshoetomove]

Because then there wouldn't be much of a puzzle if the aliens just asked.

[tapshoetomove]

Of course! How about this one?

"In front of you are several long fuses. You know they burn for exactly one hour after you light them at one end. The entire fuse does not necessarily burn at a constant speed. For example, it might take five minutes to burn through half the fuse and fifty-five minutes to burn the other half.

With your lighter and using these fuses, how can you measure exactly three-quarters of an hour of time?"

[whichwayyoulean]

I know. It's what I do.

[deductiongeek]

That's easy! Fold one fuse and put another fuse next to it, light all three ends. When the fuse with both ends lit goes out, immediately light the other end of the lit fuse and lite a new fuse. When the second fuse goes out you will have three-quarters of an hour left burning on the third fuse.

[truestsciences]

wwho cares
theyd get their question answwered right quick

[squartatore]

So the paper here is a map?

[psych0p0mps]

...
is the line straight