It seems technology is not making us smarter. A New Zealand study observed child volunteers over two decades and found TV viewing has a ‘dumbing down’ effect on children.

Once the kids get stuck to moving pictures, parents or caregivers find it difficult to get children focus on still pictures or printed material. It also robs their attention and ability to read.

Another study in the US found use of calculating devices were having an adverse effect on children’s ‘number abilities.’ So, is there a way out? Fortunately, there is a simple one ? limiting exposure to these gadgets. However, it is easier said than done. The New Zealand study found that it is extremely difficult to alter children’s TV viewing habits. Can’t TV programmes change?

PUZZLE 1: Using the digits 1 to 9 in ascending order and no more than three standard arithmetic signs (not all different), find an expression that equals 100. An example that uses six standard arithmetic (not all different) signs is shown below:

1+(2X3)-4+(56/7)+89=100

PUZZLE 2: Jen gave birth to her daughter Caroline on the first of January in a year following a leap year. Starting in February, on the first of the month throughout that year, she made note of the day of the week. She noticed that the monthly anniversary of her daughter’s birth fell on a Friday three times that year. On what day of the week was Caroline born?

PUZZLE 3: Find the largest number of pieces into which a standard chessboard may be divided so that none of the pieces are identical. Each piece must be composed of squares. Pieces may differ in size, shape or colour (that is, white or black).

Solutions on August 1

CORRECT ENTRIES

July 4

Ravi Raja, Cal-20; Chanchal Kumar Roychowdhury, Chandannagore; Vishal Lama, Siliguri; Subrato Ranjan, KITS-Bhubaneswar; Sarmistha Guha Thakurta; Sayantan Mondal; Swagata Sur; Shayak Bhattacharjee; Tanmoy Sanyal, South Point School; Dhiraj Bharati; Washim Raza; Manikankana Pal, Bangalore; Gautam Sinha; Arnab Kr Sadhukhan, CMCC-JU; Bikram Pratim Bhuyan, Guwahati; Vinay Pagaria, Lake Town; Adhikarla Ravi, BIT-Mesra; Abhishek Ray; Subhash Sinha, Jameshedpur; U.K. Sinha, Bhagalpur; Aruna Sengupta.

CORRECT ENTRIES

June 27

Subhranil Dey, Jamshedpur; A.K. Mali, Cal-29; Saikat Das, Bandel; Rudrajit Patra; Sonamukhi; Kallol Sen, Allahabad; Subhadip Chatterjee, Naktala; Samir Kumar Ghosh, Shantiniketan; Arun Bakshi, Dhanbad; Abhik Sen; Jyotirmoy Datta, Jadavpur; Prasanta Ghosh; Sushil Roy.

Please send your entries to knowhow@abpmail.com within 10 days.

PUZZLE CRACKED

W e are carrying solutions by Chanchal Kumar Roychowdhury, a veteran Brainstormer.

Solution 1: There are three solutions to the problem. The number of little Chewseys are: 11, 12 or 13.

All the conditions of the problem will satisfy if ? anyone chews all three objects; three members chew only cabbage and carrots; two chew only carrots and cauliflower; one chews only cabbage and cauliflower; two chew only cabbage; two chew only cauliflower; none chew only carrot. The total 1+3+2+1+2+2 =11. There are, however, two other sets of options.

Solution 2: 3,121 biscuits. Let the least number of biscuits be X and number of biscuits eaten by the first, second, third, fourth and fifth friend respectively A, B, C, D& E. Then X=5A+1; 4A=5B+1; 4B=5C+1; 4C=5D+1 and 4D=5E+1.