full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Daniel Finkel: Can you solve the time travel riddle?

Unscramble the Blue Letters


And there’s one more problem: each individual nodule creates a tamorepl iainttsibly that raises the chances the portal might collapse as you go through it. So the fewer you bring, the better. The portal’s about to close. What’s the minimum number of nodules you need to bring to be certain you’ll create a red or blue triangle and get back to the present?

puase here if you want to firgue it out for yourself! asewnr in: 3 Answer in: 2 Answer in: 1

This question is so rich that an entire branch of mtimcahates known as Ramsey Theory developed from it. Ramsey Theory is home to some famously difficult problems. This one isn’t easy, but it can be handled if you approach it saliscteatymly. Imagine you brought just three nodules.

Open Cloze


And there’s one more problem: each individual nodule creates a ________ ___________ that raises the chances the portal might collapse as you go through it. So the fewer you bring, the better. The portal’s about to close. What’s the minimum number of nodules you need to bring to be certain you’ll create a red or blue triangle and get back to the present?

_____ here if you want to ______ it out for yourself! ______ in: 3 Answer in: 2 Answer in: 1

This question is so rich that an entire branch of ___________ known as Ramsey Theory developed from it. Ramsey Theory is home to some famously difficult problems. This one isn’t easy, but it can be handled if you approach it ______________. Imagine you brought just three nodules.

Solution


  1. figure
  2. temporal
  3. pause
  4. systematically
  5. instability
  6. answer
  7. mathematics

Original Text


And there’s one more problem: each individual nodule creates a temporal instability that raises the chances the portal might collapse as you go through it. So the fewer you bring, the better. The portal’s about to close. What’s the minimum number of nodules you need to bring to be certain you’ll create a red or blue triangle and get back to the present?

Pause here if you want to figure it out for yourself! Answer in: 3 Answer in: 2 Answer in: 1

This question is so rich that an entire branch of mathematics known as Ramsey Theory developed from it. Ramsey Theory is home to some famously difficult problems. This one isn’t easy, but it can be handled if you approach it systematically. Imagine you brought just three nodules.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
blue triangle 5
red triangle 4
ramsey theory 2


Important Words


  1. answer
  2. approach
  3. blue
  4. branch
  5. bring
  6. brought
  7. chances
  8. close
  9. collapse
  10. create
  11. creates
  12. developed
  13. difficult
  14. easy
  15. entire
  16. famously
  17. figure
  18. handled
  19. home
  20. imagine
  21. individual
  22. instability
  23. mathematics
  24. minimum
  25. nodule
  26. nodules
  27. number
  28. pause
  29. portal
  30. present
  31. problems
  32. question
  33. raises
  34. ramsey
  35. red
  36. rich
  37. systematically
  38. temporal
  39. theory
  40. triangle