What a maddening book this is. Which Way did the Bicycle Go? by Joseph
Konhauser et al (Mathematical Association of America, $24.95, ISBN 0
88385 325 6) is a collection of puzzles selected from 25 years’ worth of
Problems of the Week that confronted and confounded students at Macalester
College in St Paul, Minnesota. They are not easy, so teeth need to be gritted
and impatience reined in. The book’s first surprise is to prove Sherlock Holmes
wrong, with a cry of “Balderdash!”, hence the title. You will need good maths
knowledge, so be warned. If you haven’t, the solutions will be just as taxing as
the problems.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
News
Life
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
News
Humans
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
Features
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
Your menstrual cycle may affect how well vaccines work
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
3
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
4
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
5
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
6
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
7
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
8
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
9
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
10
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
