Puzzles Editor Kabir Firaque is the author of the weekly column Problematics. A journalist for three decades, he also writes about science and mathematics.
Articles by Kabir Firaque
Problematics | Games of deduction before Wordle came
As in Wordle, you use test words to deduce a secret word. What's the hidden word in the example below?
Published on Jun 19, 2023 04:14 PM IST
Problematics | The who’s who of dogs and humans in the park
Who owns the pug and who owns the mastiff? How old is the dog whose owner is 86 years old? Try this Einstein puzzle
Published on Jun 12, 2023 02:16 PM IST
WEIRD SCIENCE: Yes, AI can read your mind (a little bit)
For one, it depends on how we train AI to associate a thought with the electrical activity that the thought generates. Two, your consent is everything
Published on Jun 06, 2023 08:07 PM IST
How the periodic table pushed scientific discovery
The periodic table is not just the story of discoveries aided by better technological innovations, it’s also the story of sheer genius
Updated on Jun 05, 2023 09:02 PM IST
Problematics | Catch me if you can, with luck or skill
Probability puzzles sometimes appear more complex than they actually are. This one is deceptively simple.
Published on Jun 05, 2023 03:16 PM IST
Problematics | Vizag to Kolkata, via an equilateral triangle
A point lies inside an equilateral triangle. If you know the distance of the point from each of the three vertices, what is the side of the triangle?
Published on May 29, 2023 04:43 PM IST
The chemistry behind hooch tragedies
The body breaks alcohol down into different compounds. Methanol, used to prepare hooch, gets converted into toxic compounds
Updated on May 24, 2023 12:29 PM IST
Problematics | Go with or against the flow and keep it simple
Here's a puzzle that's not as difficult as it may seem. Can you solve it with calculations on relative velocity? Or is there a simpler way?
Updated on May 22, 2023 02:24 PM IST
WEIRD SCIENCE | Did you know robots can’t use their hands the way humans do?
Bio-engineering is yet to solve for dexterity for robots. Sure, science fiction predicts the future, and they’ll take over the earth some day. Just not yet.
Published on May 20, 2023 02:13 PM IST
Amid Gyanvapi dispute, how carbon dating works, and when it doesn’t
Radiocarbon dating may work on cement if there's organic material inside it. For rock, there are other processes, with limitations
Updated on May 19, 2023 02:10 PM IST
Kabir Firaque, New Delhi
Problematics | A classic remix of old milk in new bottle
What is there more of, milk in the glass of water, or water in the bottle of milk? Try to keep it simple.
Updated on May 15, 2023 04:05 PM IST
Human diversity captured in new reference ‘pangenome’
The human reference genome has just got an upgrade: it is now a “pangenome” to represent more diversity between various individuals and populations.
Updated on May 11, 2023 03:30 PM IST
Kabir Firaque, New Delhi
Problematics | 6 men from 6 cities: who gets the job?
This one belongs to a family that we call Einstein puzzles. I have adapted my 1993 original just a little bit, for 2023 readers.
Updated on May 08, 2023 05:45 PM IST
‘Not a victim’: Rosalind Franklin’s role in solving the mystery of DNA structure
Popular narrative sees her as a scientist whose data was stolen. But she must be remembered as an equal contributor, write researchers revisiting her story
Updated on May 08, 2023 05:06 PM IST
Problematics | How to multiply, and why it works
This week, we try a different multiplication method and a puzzle including substitution and addition. Good luck!
Published on May 01, 2023 01:59 PM IST
How the genomes of 240 mammals evolved, and how it explains disease risk
What has changed in the genomic make-up of various mammals over 100 million years of evolution, and which parts of the genome have been conserved?
Updated on Apr 28, 2023 04:07 PM IST
Problematics | Cat-and-mouse games and betting strategies
A puzzle made from a Russian original, involving cats and mice, and another from betting at a casino, involving wins and losses. Good luck!
Published on Apr 24, 2023 03:34 PM IST
Quantum computing: Where we are now, and how we got there
The National Quantum Mission aims to explore the potential of quantum technology in four domains with a budget of ₹6,000 crore.
Updated on Apr 24, 2023 01:49 PM IST
Time to get familiar with 3 terms: wet bulb, dry bulb and real feel temperature
What is the point of measuring temperatures in different ways, and what is the role of humidity in these? HT explains.
Published on Apr 19, 2023 12:51 PM IST
Problematics | A magic square, but not the kind everyone knows
This week, we have a one-of-its-kind magic square and a math problem. Good luck!
Updated on Apr 17, 2023 04:48 PM IST
The work that earned CR Rao the top honour in statistics, and why it matters
Last week, CR Rao was awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics. The announcement dwells on three concepts. What are they and why are they important?
Updated on Apr 12, 2023 02:25 PM IST
Problematics | Games people play with sets of matches
This week, I bring you two puzzles: One involves a game from the past and the other, a sneak peek into a part of my day. Good luck!
Updated on Apr 10, 2023 06:02 PM IST
1.4 billion, the whole and the parts: A tale told in puzzles, by Kabir Firaque
How many years would it take to count to this tally, at a number per second? How many squares on a chessboard, if each held twice the sum of its predecessor?
Updated on Aug 03, 2023 01:54 PM IST
The physics of an avalanche explained
From slope angle to nature of precipitation, here's what you need to understand
Published on Apr 06, 2023 03:34 PM IST
Problematics | A trick that works, an equation that doesn’t
This week, we bring to you a party trick with a (slightly) lengthy description and a strange equation of 1s and 0s. Good luck!
Published on Apr 03, 2023 12:35 PM IST
Problematics | Swimmers’ meetings and Asimov’s pretty numbers
This week, we have challenging puzzles, one involving speed and distance and the other, a list by Isaac Asimov, giving both our puzzles a touch of unusualness. Good luck!
Published on Mar 27, 2023 02:12 PM IST
Explained: What new data on SARS-CoV-2 says about Covid origin, what it doesn’t
Covid origin: Scientists on Tuesday published arguments in favour of the theory that the virus possibly infected the first humans at Wuhan’s animal market. The scientists make a strong case for their argument but the analysis does not conclusively establish their theory
Updated on Mar 23, 2023 09:33 PM IST
Kabir Firaque, New Delhi
Problematics | A password to puzzles with Jamie Lee Curtis
On December 19, 2022, I invited you to crack my password to the account where I store my puzzles. Since you did, I had to change my password for security reasons — and I used JAMIE LC for inspiration. Here are #Week30's puzzles.
Updated on Mar 20, 2023 01:44 PM IST
Problematics | Rubik’s colours and Pythagorean triples
This week's puzzles include a mischievous child, a Rubik's cube, and the Pythagorean triangle. Good luck!
Published on Mar 15, 2023 10:12 AM IST
Behind room-temp superconductivity
A paper in Nature this week by scientists from the University of Rochester, who claim that they have created a material that achieves superconductivity at room temperature, has been met with a degree of scepticism. That is because the team’s earlier work has been controversial.
Published on Mar 11, 2023 11:45 AM IST