This Video Introduces the Most Unexpected Answer to a Counting Puzzle
As engineers and general fans of all things science, we always love a good puzzle. From fun trivia to mathematical equations, to magical physics conundrums, if you give us a good puzzle we will try to solve it and have lots of fun doing so.
In this truly unique video, YouTuber 3Blue1Brown brings us what he calls a mind-boggling puzzle. 3Blue1Brown, actually called Grant Sanderson, defines his YouTube channels as "some combination of math and entertainment, depending on your disposition."
He also adds that "the goal is for explanations to be driven by animations and for difficult problems to be made simple with changes in perspective." Now that alone has got our curiosity picked.
This video, in particular, brings into focus several elements such as frictionless collisions, different masses, unexpected patterns, the wonderful number pi and more. And we will give you one more hint.
The puzzle's main element was discovered by the mathematician Gregory Galperin in 1985 and published in 2003. Furthermore, Sanderson calls the problem both the most elegant and the most comically inefficient he has ever seen.
One last thing, we have to be honest: the video only introduces the puzzle but does not solve it. The solution will come in the next issue of the show. But that just makes it more fun. Watch and see if you can solve it yourself before the next edition of the show.