A mathematician from Harvard University named Michael Simkin has (basically) solved the n queens problem, a chess puzzle that’s some 150 years old. The mathematical challenge was created by chess composer Max Bezzel in 1848 and essentially asks “How many queens can you place on a chess board so that none are attacking each other?” Using complex linear algebra, the puzzle has been solved for …
Faith Ringgold’s 1996 work “The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” depicts eight iconic Black American women (Madam CJ Walker, Sojourner Truth, Ida Wells, Fannie Lou Hamer, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Mary McLeod Bethune and Ella Baker) as well as Vincent van Gogh and a fictional character named Willia Marie Simone (a frequent heroine of Ringgold’s quilt works, and perhaps her alter-ego). This piece honors and …
A puzzle version of Frank Stella’s stunning 1970 painting “Firuzabad” echoes the colorful, geometric abstract piece. With two overlapping circles—which, in the puzzle, are specially contoured for the smoothest curves—the jigsaw boasts an unusual shape. Inside the circles, opposing and complimentary concentric and diagonal lines converge in a mesmerizing pattern. Made with 90% recycled paper, the puzzle is printed with non-toxic ink.
