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2004 U.S. Puzzle Championship Winners

Fortran IV writes "The winner of the 2004 Google U.S. Puzzle Championship has been announced. Roger Barkan, last year's runner-up, scored 367 of a possible 432 points by solving 22 of 25 puzzles in just 2-1/2 hours. (It would take me an hour just to copy down all the answers.) This was previously mentioned here. The complete test is still available for the fun of it."

18 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. OMG by Seeker_Omega · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear God, It would take me a week just to figure out which side was up

  2. Google interview process? by Grant29 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wonder if Google takes some of the higher placed winners and offer them jobs? These contestants are probably the brainiacs Google would like to employ.

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    11 Gmail invitations availiable

    1. Re:Google interview process? by Rageon · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It's actually not all that uncommon for a company to do this. I've actually competed in a programming competition sponsored by Digikey (http://www.digikey.com/). When you think about it, the money they spend on crappy prizes a day of showing the geeks around is pretty smart. Basically, they bring the best students at schools from the area, and then figure out who the best amongst them are...and offer them jobs. Pretty smart idea, really.

    2. Re:Google interview process? by ZorbaTHut · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Probably. If you remember the Google Code Jam, I was #1 in the world before the finals (and bombed in the finals, so it goes.) There wasn't any pressure about "you should work for us", but it was quite clear that if anyone was *interested* in working for them, it was a definite possibility.

      AFAIK only two people were interested - me being one of them - and we both now have jobs at Google, although I don't start for another week and a half.

      I'd be surprised if this wasn't a similar deal.

      --
      Breaking Into the Industry - A development log about starting a game studio.
  3. /. Google? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait a minute... did we just slashdot Google?

  4. How ironic by Zorilla · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...a Google cache of a Google site that got slashdotted: Click Here

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    It would be cool if it didn't suck.
  5. Re:Energy by jwcorder · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's not an energy drink. Einstein used to stay awake for days thinking about things. He also would forget to comb his hair or bathe, change clothes that kind of stuff. They get so worked up thinking about a solution to a problem that they enter their own worlds, and forget about everything from tv to all people around them. Crazy....

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    http://jayceecorder.blogspot.com
  6. Server already melting by Rupan · · Score: 5, Informative

    I am trying to get the actual challenge file, but for the moment I have the 180k instructions pdf mirrored here:

    http://www.css-auth.com/google/

    If/When I get the challenge file I will put it up there.

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    Ads? What ads?
  7. Here's a site for all you puzzle fans... by queenofthe1ring · · Score: 5, Interesting
    A great online puzzle site can be found here.

    Warning! can be very addictive, especially since the pieces make a most satisfying click noise when you snap them together. The site logs your completion times for the puzzles and the various types of pieces, so this can help everyone practice for next years contest.

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    ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

    yes, girls read /. too...

  8. Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Slashdotting Google! Is there nothing sacred left? How about slashdotting Slashdot?

  9. Your tax dollars at work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I heard on NPR that the winner was a 'mathematician from Laurel Maryland'. I wonder who he works for??

  10. Different/similar images note differences, etc... by Shanep · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Since I was a child, I could always solve these puzzles within seconds.

    How? I cross my eyes so that the two images form an overlapped image to my perception. So I see three images, but concentrate on the "middle" image. This takes some concentration to retain focus and alignment, to begin with, but it does not take long to master doing it quickly.

    All the differences appear to flash and really jump out in an instant. That's about the best I could describe the effect. The hard part is trying to circle the differences with a pen whilst holding this state, because the pen comes into just one eyes view and causes loss of alignment.

    Anyone else do this?

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    War crimes, torture, lies, illegal spying... Would someone give Bush a blowjob, already, so he can be impeached?
  11. oh yeah... by Rageon · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sorry, I forgot to add this. Nothing says "Hey Ladies", quite like "I've actually competed in a programming competition..."

  12. Re:Different/similar images note differences, etc. by demsthenes · · Score: 5, Funny

    So your saying if I were drunk and had crossed vision, I could easily solve the puzzles faster than any sober man. Maybe thats how he finished these puzzles in 2 1/2 hours, the answeres just jumped out.

  13. Hmm, I know that guy.... by strook · · Score: 5, Informative

    I was roommates with Roger at summer camp way back in the day. His girlfriend would write him encoded letters and he'd figure out how to break the code. Silly me, I thought it was a waste of time....

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    "TV is great! Every New Year's I make a resolution to watch more TV." - Ann Coulter

    1. Re:Hmm, I know that guy.... by Kingpin · · Score: 5, Funny

      Perhaps you can explain to us why the 3rd hit on a google search for "Roger Barkan" is a nomination for worst roommate!?

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      Unable to read configuration file '/bigassraid/htdig//conf/14229.conf'
      Geocrawler error message.
  14. Questions 26, 27 & 28 Extra Credit! by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 4, Funny
    26: Prove how SCO can have any hint of a case against IBM and Linux users. Show your work!

    27: At the current rate that the RIAA is suing file sharers, and given the world birthrate and spread of broadband, how long before they sue you? Negative and imaginary answers not accepted.

    28: The irresistable force (Slashdot users) and the immovable object (Google file servers) are about to clash. Predict the result to five decimal places.

    (After all, we need questions with real world significance, don't we?)

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    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  15. mirror by mahbidness · · Score: 4, Informative
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    "It is a solemn thought: dead, the noblest man's meat is inferior to pork."