Robert J. Marks
Monday Micro Softy 48: Why Is Freddy Pushing His Car Around?
And, despite being a heavy smoker, he doesn't get winded…
Verify, Then Trust: the Human Fixes That Make LLMs Work
Here are some examples of fixes that programmers and other workers have applied over time to large language model (LLM) bloopers
Micro Softy 47: Baseball: Is This an “Intentional” Error? Why?
This is an incident that merits a Micro Softy; it has happened more than once in major league baseball
Monday Micro Softy 46: Three Loving Brothers in New York State
Why did Mario, who was just trying to economize on Uber trips, end up visiting Luigi five times as often as he visited Bob?
Monday Micro Softy 45: Can Tony Beat the Fast-Food Curfew?
An early curfew on fast food service motivated a boy to exercise more vigorously. But how fast was he pedaling?
Micro Softy 44: Pete’s Pill Problem
Pete, alone on a desert island, accidentally scattered the pills he must take in the correct order. He has only a few numbers to work with to reconstruct his instructions
Micro Softy 43: The Bookkeeper’s Trick
How could division by 9 explain what happens when numbers in a sum are inadvertently transposed?
Monday Micro Softy 42: Bacteria Multiply by Dividing
But our puzzlers must solve this math question without doing either. And no calculators allowed.
Monday Micro Softy 41: King David’s Sons’ Puzzling Inheritance
Solomon must figure out how to divide an oddly shaped piece of land equally among his brothers and himself
Monday Micro Softy 40: The Fate of a False Prophet
He wasn't actually fired for being a false prophet but for something that his prophecy unintentionally revealed
Is AI Truly Creative? Here Is the Ultimate Test
People use the term “creative” in different ways. We need to define it rigorously and use a test based on that agreed definition
Monday Micro Softy 39: Astounding Sports History
A player you've never heard of played for three major league sports
Monday Micro Softy 38: A Pitcher’s Lament
How can Lefty Wright be the winning pitcher in an exciting game without throwing a single pitch?
Monday Micro Softy 37: A Unique Baseball Game
Something was missing from the game played on June 30, 1997, that occured in every MLB game for decades before
Monday Micro Softy 36: A Glass Half Empty? Half Full? Too Big?
The professors on a research expedition must make sure that each glass of rationed water is exactly half fullHere’s our thirst-quenching Micro Softy for this week. Three professors were on a trip through the Sahara Desert. They had an NSF grant to study the sleep patterns of the Saharan Grasshopper (Heteracris littoralis). They brought exactly enough drinking water with them to last for four days. To stay hydrated, each was allowed a half glass of water every hour during each sixteen-hour workday. The professors shared the water glass shown in the picture. To make sure the water lasted the entire four days, the professors made sure each portion of water filled the glass exactly halfway. There were no markings on the glass. How can they do this? We’ll give an answer next Monday right here on MindMatters.ai. Solution Read More ›
Monday Micro Softy 35: A House With a View
A billionaire, used to getting what he wants, demands a house where all the walls' windows offer a view in the same direction
Micro Softy 34: Two Poles and a Wire
Given the measurements, how far apart must the poles be to make sure the power line does not touch the ground?
Dr. Walter L. Bradley (1943–2025)
Distinguished engineer, professor, original thinker, selfless friend, true and faithful servantIt is with deep reverence I learned of the passing of my hero, Dr. Walter L. Bradley. Walter was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University and Distinguished Fellow at the Discovery Institute. A man of extraordinary intellect, boundless compassion, and unwavering faith, he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of scholars, scientists, students, Christians and seekers. Dr. Bradley’s academic career was nothing short of remarkable. He served as Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Texas A&M University and later as a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University. In an academic landscape where the title of “Professor” marks the pinnacle for many, Walter soared beyond. He was recognized for his nationally celebrated scholarship, his Read More ›
