
Photo by Joseph Mehling ´69
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During Dartmouth’s first Mechanical Puzzles Day, Geoff Scott ’08 (right) and
George Hart, professor of computer science at Stony Brook University,
examine a geometric sculpture puzzle created by Hart. Held Feb. 20 in Kemeny
Hall, the event included presentations by renowned puzzle designers Stewart
Coffin and Oskar van Deventer, as well as talks on such topics as puzzling
mechanisms, designing puzzles with a computer, and the history of the puzzle.
“It’s great,” said Scott, a mathematics major. “I never imagined that I would
see a roomful of professors analyzing these puzzles, some of which I played
with as a child. I didn’t appreciate the tremendous genius behind puzzles until
today.” The event was organized by Peter Winkler, the Albert Bradley Third
Century Professor in the Sciences; Sergi Elizalde, assistant professor of
mathematics; and Giulio Genovese, a graduate student.
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