Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

Robert J. Marks

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Stunning photo of a baseball player catching a baseball ball with a baseball glove

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

The solution to last week’s Micro Softy turns on the difference it makes that one train leaves two minutes after than the other.

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grand central

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?

A hint for solving Micro Softy 45: Average speed is independent of the distance to the store.

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A futuristic fast food joint stands tall, its walls of gleaming metal and glass illuminated by a dazzling

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?

To solve Micro Softy 44, recall that Tony doesn’t need to take the individual pills each day, only the prescribed amount of each.

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Tiny tropical island with hut and palms surrounded sea blue water, generative AI.

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

For Micro Softy 43, the bookkeeper’s trick consists in applying the fact that when two adjacent digits are switched, the difference is always divisible by 9.

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Microscopic View of Bacteria Cells with Flagella on Organic Surface

Monday Micro Softy 42: Bacteria Multiply by Dividing

But our puzzlers must solve this math question without doing either. And no calculators allowed.

A hint for solving Micro Softy 41: Dividing an unusually shaped piece of land among four sons rather than three is easier if you think in terms of fractals.

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colorful geometric paper squares background

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

In Micro Softy 40, the critical question is not whether the watchman’s prophecy comes true or not; it’s how he came to learn the information anyway.

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secutity searching under vehicle with mirror car bomb inspection

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

The solution to Micro Softy 39 lies in considering an alternative possible meaning of a word commonly used in sports.

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a-mesmerizing-illustration-of-mathematics-featuring-a-vibran-1278627221-stockpack-adobestock
A mesmerizing illustration of mathematics featuring a vibrant swirling vortex of numbers symbols and geometric shapes in shades of electric blue crimson and gold set against a rich dark gray backgroun

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

AI does not, at present, originate the kind of deep insight required to solve a open mathematical problem.

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Fans celebrating the success of their favorite sports team on the stands of the professional stadium while it's snowing

Monday Micro Softy 39: Astounding Sports History

A player you've never heard of played for three major league sports

A hint for the solution to Pitcher’s Lament (38): When Lefty took the mound, he noticed the runner on third base had a big lead.

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Baseball players in action on the stadium.

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?

Micro Softy 37 is easier to guess if you think about what the two teams have in common that might change the opening ceremonies somewhat…

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Closeup of Baseball Glove and Baseball on turf

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

The answer to Micro Softy 36 lies in considering the problem from a number of angles…

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Desert Locust on Sand Dune with Green Vegetation in Arid Environment

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 full

Here’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 ›

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Montana

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

The solution to Monday Micro Softy 34 is quite simple if we pay attention to the exact measurements of the poles and the wires.

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elegant white calla lily flowers on right side black empty paper on dark background. Funeral condolence, card sympathy floral concept

Dr. Walter L. Bradley (1943–2025)

Distinguished engineer, professor, original thinker, selfless friend, true and faithful servant

It 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 ›

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Customer data analytics solutions in retail using AI, machine learning, and big data to understand consumer behavior, personalize shopping experiences, and optimize product offerings and pricing

Preemptive Pardon in “Big Beautiful Bill” Protects Big AI

But is Big AI the new “military-industrial complex”?

Common sense says AI companies need to be responsible for their product — just as if it was created directly and disseminated by a human.

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Mathematics lesson differential and integral calculus Chalkboard.

Monday Micro Softy 32: Elementary Calculus is Inconsistent!

This is a fascinating puzzle — one that usually stumps even my best graduate students

The solution to Micro Softy 31 is to work back from the end of the alphabet. You will soon notice a term you can easily solve.

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operaciones-matematicas-escritas-a-mano-con-una-tiza-en-la-p-478224078-stockpack-adobestock
Operaciones matemáticas escritas a mano con una tiza en la pizarra

Monday Micro Softy 31: Elementary Algebra

How much can an equation be simplified?

In last week’s puzzle, the car was handling like a cement mixer because something was wrong with the tires. The solution lies in finding out what that is.

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