Contest: Use Your Brain, Win a Puzzle
Update 2:
Congratulations, Brandon, for being the first person to solve all 8 levels!
This contest is now over but you can still attempt to solve the puzzles for the next week. In a week the puzzle pages will be removed from MDA. I will remove the passwords from each puzzle page now so you can jump from one puzzle to the next at your will. Thanks to everyone for participating. Read on for answers to some of the more troubling puzzles.
SPOILER ALERTS!
Level 5 Conundrum:
You had to think outside the box for this one. It required that you look around MDA for clues. At the bottom right hand corner of each page on MDA there is a section that reads “Or maybe you’d like to browse posts about:” Below that is a pull-down text box. In that box there is a list of all MDA categories along with the number of posts in each category. The string of characters given on Level 5 are associated with a string of categories that contain that number of posts. The next one in the list is the category “PLAY” and is the solution to Level 5.
Level 6 Confusion:
You may notice that Level 6 did not have a link to “Proceed to Level 7″. The URL for Level 6 had the word “answer” in it. To move on to Level 7 you had to substitute the answer to the Level 6 puzzle for the word “answer” in the URL. The answer also acted as the password to Level 7.
Level 7 Explained:
It’s all about finding the pattern in a bunch of noise. One and only one letter is found in each row – the letter “R”. The letter “R” isn’t significant in itself, but its placement in the grid is. The first “R” is in column 8. As is the second and third. Continue in this manner and you will have a string of numeric digits: 8887746259. Does this number mean anything to you? “888″ numbers are toll free numbers. 888-774-6259 is the toll free number to my office. Call the number and you’re given the password to Level 8. Only 2 people solved this Level and made the connection, and only after Hint 4 was dropped.
Update:
Since the launch of this contest yesterday I’ve received numerous reports of tears shed and teeth gnashed. The consensus seems to be that Levels 1-3 were a little challenging, but mostly fun. That Levels 4-6 were difficult, but doable. And that Level 7… well, Level 7 has proved infinitely frustrating and impossible to crack. (Hence the weeping and grinding.) A small group of front-runners went so far as to create a chat room last night to share their observations. Not a single person has broken the code, so I’ve added two hints to Level 7 and will add a new hint every hour on the half until someone has either won this contest (solved Level 
or I’ve all but explained how to solve it. Thanks for playing, everyone!
The Prize:
This one is just too cool. A fitting prize for today’s brain challenge, it’s called an Isis Puzzle. ThinkGeek, the folks behind the miracle fruit and homo sapiens kitchen tool prizes of yore are now offering up this beautiful, elegant, difficult, titanium, hand-made puzzle sphere to the winner of today’s contest. As a decorative piece, it can smarten up even the pulpiest of bookshelves. As a brain teaser, it will dazzle the minds of everyone in your Sunday afternoon Mensa papercraft parties. But this little ball is also a gateway to adventures most grand. Solving the Isis unlocks a code which leads to more puzzles, keys, and eventually real world treasure. A puzzler’s Everest. Learn a little bit more at Isis Adventures.
The Contest:
Time to Use Your Brain. I’ve devised a series of riddles and puzzles to be solved for today’s contest. The first riddle is below. Generally puzzles become more difficult as you move from one level to the next. The first person to correctly answer the FINAL riddle (Level Eight) in the comments section of this post will win the Isis puzzle. There will be no random drawing, no judging. This one is a test of skill and speed. The first one to finish wins. Answers to the puzzles act as passwords for subsequent puzzles. For example, the answer to the following riddle is the password for the Level 2 puzzle, the answer to the Level 2 puzzle is the password for the Level 3 puzzle, and so on. When entering a password, use all caps and no punctuation or spaces (i.e. if the answer is “Mark Sisson,” enter MARKSISSON into the password field). Anyone leaving an answer to a riddle other than the final riddle in the comments section will be disqualified (the final riddle will be obvious if you reach it). Please refrain from leaving hints in the comments section as well. Last, remember to think outside the box.
Begin now.
Level 1
What can run but never walk
Has a mouth but can never talk
What has a head but never weeps
And has a bed but never sleeps
Proceed to Level 2 This contest is now closed. Stay tuned for future Puzzle Contests.
Subscribe to the Mark’s Daily Apple Newsletter and Get Challenge Updates All Month Long
Posted By: Mark Sisson
I fail… I suck at these puzzles! I need to start intellectually challenge myself!
Whoops, I didn’t mean to post the answer, sorry if anyone saw it.
How annoying. The answer is ADMIN CENSORED but that doesn’t work! Unless you are using the wrong answer, which would just be embarrassing.
ALL CAPS LIKE “MARKSISSON”
Love the idea, HATE level 2…..I had to quit because I was grunting..loudly, In my office!
if I had a spear I would have thrown it thru my computer trying to do level 2
Level 2 is evil…That’s way too many numbers for a Thursday afternoon!
I want to think I’ve solved level 2 but it won’t accept the answer. You do have to type in the entire string of the top three rows, right?
I solved puzzle #2 and checked my work, but it won’t accept my answer. I guesss i can’t move on to puzzle #3. Anyone else having a problem with this or is it just me?!
I believe I’m having the same problem!
It definitely works, keep at it!
completed the grid but my numbers don’t seem to work for level3…
so that would be a “yes, having the same problem”
Same problem here on the password for level 3
ok the password to level 3 isn’t working. I’ve triple checked and I have all the numbers
same problem! and I’m dying to see the other puzzles! (I don’t care if I win, but I am a puzzle freak.)
got thru finally… stuck on 3 now!!
i CANT EVEN GET INTO LEVEL 2….
same thing is happening to me. there seems to be a glitch on the level 3 password (unless we aren’t supposed to be listing the first 18 digits of the solution…)
well I guess I was the latecomer to that problem
Same problem getting to level 3. I have the answer but it’s not letting me through
Also having trouble getting into level 3…
started working…after 5th try and complaint. Maybe it’s just easy to mess up when typing a string of 18 numbers.
got into level 3…have your capslock on when typing the number solution in.
Strange – that worked on the numeric keys above the alpha keys, but not on the number pad
Level 3 PW should be working. Make sure the string of 18 numeric digits are typed in sequentially. Anyone with success?
I GOT IT
Got to level 3 but I’ll never make it to level 4!!
The answer is definitely 42. I win \o/
When Level two whips your tale, and wont let you go on….I wonder what level 8 is
level 3 works.. i cant figure out lvl 4:)
i’m on level 3…let me know if I can stop the maddness!
working for me… level 4, different story.
Bah, I found out about this 40 minutes after it started….now if only I could beat level 5..
Anyone with luck on Level 3 yet?
Beat 3, beat 4, working on 5 now. Curse everyone with a head start
I’m working on 5 now also. INSANE.
I’m on Level 5 now too.
Beat lvl 3
beat 3! but unfortunately I have to get back to work.
Good luck, and may the best Grok win!
Luckily my 12 year old got home and is now working away on it. I got to level 11 or something, he’s taken it on to 19.
How on earth did he get past 19?!
Nevermind…
Aw man, level 2 is like sudoku gone wild!
Can’t get past 2 because I can’t see images on my work computer.
My work blocks the game in level 3. Booo….
I know! gah! Down with the man.
Anyone beat level 5 yet?
nope. it is tricky without additional info, so far just running into dead ends!
Currently stuck on 5…
I join you there…
I take that back, 5 is done
Level 4 is making me cry. I’m dyslexic.
… no…
nope… stuck on 4
same here
Lol, this is keeping me from eating..
my brain hurts!
Level 4 is making me want to cry.