Bill Anderson
University of Windsor
How can we make the U.S.-Canadian border work better?
The field of enigmatology is so rare that in the past 40 years there has been precisely one working enigmatologist.
That person is Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle and NPR’s puzzlemaster. Shortz invented and received a degree in enigmatology when he was studying at Indiana State in 1974. In the puzzling community, Shortz is a superstar – he travels the world, officiating international puzzle competitions, seeking new challenges, and enjoying an almost absurd level of celebrity.
It’s natural that others would want to follow in his footsteps.
Enter Stacy Costa, a University of Toronto semiotics undergraduate, and the world’s second enigmatologist. Stacy creates puzzles for media and corporate clients, and will be teaching a course starting in Fall 2014 for the University of Toronto’s Continuing Ed department about puzzles and the brain. She took time out from this busy schedule to design the Virtual Scavenger Hunt.
We were lucky to find someone skilled in the art and science of puzzle making. It’s no simple thing to devise a puzzle that’s challenging enough to be interesting, but also sufficiently accessible that anyone can play.
The game Stacy created for Research Matters is elegant, tricky, and satisfying to solve. First, there are the daily clues, the daily answers and the daily prizes. A pleasant diversion for anyone with a few minutes to spare. But all of these clues lock together – each day a tiny bit more of the grand prize solution is revealed.
Stacy did what any good communicator does – she turned an idea into a story. There’s a narrative that builds over the course of the contest culminating in the big reveal (and of course the awarding of prizes).
Stacy embodies the values of Research Matters – her research combines the big-picture ambition that is unique to university research, yet her subject area is one that infiltrates the breakfasts, commutes and lazy Sundays for millions of people around the world.
On a more personal note: Stacy came to us via Marcel Danesi, a U of T prof who also creates and studies puzzles. Marcel and Stacy often collaborate on puzzles for the Toronto Star and other publications. They are both passionate about their work, and threw themselves full-tilt into the creation of the Virtual Scavenger Hunt. We are grateful to both of them as much for their enthusiasm as for their expertise.
Want to see what enigmatology is all about? Visit the Virtual Scavenger Hunt page and sign up now – you won’t regret it, and you just might win.
Tagged: Arts & Culture, Health & Wellbeing, Technology, Annoucements, Blog, Stories
Imagine for a moment you are a business owner competing with a firm in Ohio to sell your product to a customer in Michigan. You may be able to match ...
Roughly 40 per cent of Internet users decide whether a website is trustworthy based on its visual appeal. But if you are blind, how do you choose which websites to trust?
Assess young children's practical use of language to get what they need or share their interests. This type of language is significant because it is linked to the ability to ...
Every heartbeat contains insights. Every breath is a packet of information. Our bodies emit a steady stream of data about our health and development.
A less painful, more accurate method for detecting cancer. It is hard to think of a more meritorious goal for a researcher.
Winnie Ye studies devices that use photons – particles of light – rather than electrons to communicate and process information. Photonics is revolutionizing a wide range of technologies.
Aaron Berg uses satellite data and hydrology models to help us better understand issues with water availability, whether it be a matter of too much or too little.
Ravi Selvaganapathy is working to develop sensors that could be used to monitor lakes, rivers, and streams as well as municipal water supply networks. Using an interface similar to Google’...
Most people think of Canada’s Arctic region as a bastion of pristine environmental purity, not the home of a booming mining industry. The work of Celine Guéguen, a ...
“My work may result in changes to regulation that governs financial markets and to the behavior of market participants,” says Andriy Shkilko. “Ultimately, better markets lead to better investment outcomes.”
Like many young boys, Ali Emadi loved playing with cars. He would line them up and make them zoom around the room for hours. But Emadi wasn’t just playing ...
Most governments have recognized the need to shift to sustainable energy production and storage. And yet, there still isn’t a clear, defined way to move forward. “Energy is the ...
They can pull objects faster than a speeding bullet, levitate a train, or reveal a brain tumour. They’re integral to computer hard drives, smart phones, and LCD screens, as ...
An upsurge in "wearable technology" measn that people may soon be buying clothing and accessories as much for processing power as for style.
Where did we come from? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? “Curiosity about the world is part of what makes us human,” says Ray Jayawardhana, who ...
Many psychics claim to be able to read people’s minds, but neuroscientist Jody Culham can really do it – with a little help from a machine. The Western University professor ...
What if you woke up one morning to discover that an advanced polymer production facility – a plant capable of producing the raw materials for everything from car parts to packing ...
It is the most complex organ, controlling our every move. It is fundamental to who we are, and how we think, behave, and react. We all have one, yet we ...
Putting your best foot forward – it's really a balancing act. Just ask Stephen Perry, a Wilfrid Laurier University kinesiologist who’s researching how our feet impact our ability to balance. ...
“I thought I would go into an area like nuclear physics,” says Raquel Murray, Master of Modelling and Computational Science, class of 2012. Instead she researches the physics of how blood ...
Karen Hinzer is a researcher, not a superhero. She doesn’t have infrared vision. She does, however, have a vision about infrared radiation. And ultraviolet. And other parts of the ...
Seven-year-old Felix loves music. Since he was a toddler he’s been jamming with his father on guitar, and learning the words to Bob Dylan, Raffi, and K’naan. A ...
A snow-covered road. Heavy traffic. Beyond your line of sight, a driver brakes suddenly at an icy stretch. You can’t see the brake lights, but your car receives real-time ...
When you think about it, it makes sense that automobile plants might have some relationship to bumper crops. At least, it makes sense when Trent University biomaterials researcher Suresh Narine ...
So-called “participatory culture” went from neologism to the new normal so quickly, it makes your head spin. Social media, mobile devices, and an increasing array of digital tools have made ...
Because Alzheimer’s has genetic causes, it makes many people feel helpless, prey to whatever cruel destiny is preordained in their DNA. Bennett’s research, though, demonstrates that people have ...
Graydon Raymer makes people breathe heavy and gets hearts beating faster. It’s all in the name of research that could one day save a life or help an elite ...
Yvonne Robertson | April 24, 2017
How smart are your clothes? And how can their ... read more »
Sharon Oosthoek | March 6, 2017
Every second Thursday, we will be featuring an Ontario ... read more »
Jeremy Depow | February 10, 2017
Digitalization is happening at a furious pace influencing almost every ... read more »
Yvonne Robertson | December 28, 2016
For Research Matters, 2016 was filled with cool research news and ... read more »
Yvonne Robertson | December 16, 2016
It is a bright time for Ontario’s space researchers. ... read more »
Yvonne Robertson | December 9, 2016
Not such a long time ago, in a galaxy not ... read more »
Stay up-to-date on your Ontario university research events, announcements and more by signing up.
Leave Comments