Puzzle Me This: Why Are Puzzles More Popular Than Ever?

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 14 January 2022

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

As the world around us has become more chaotic, puzzles have provided a moment of respite. The 9 x 9 grid of a Sudoku, the verticals and horizontals of a crossword, the comforting circle of the New York Times’ Spelling Bee all offer solvers a beginning and an end; they are places where problems have solutions. We talk to puzzle constructors, puzzle solvers, and puzzle lovers about why puzzles of all kinds – from jigsaws to anagrams to Wordle – have been such a joy lately. And we’ll have a special puzzle for you to solve, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Forum comes from Rancho LaPuerta, a health resort with 85 years of wellness experience,
0:05.9	providing summer vacations centered on well-being. Special rates on three-and-four-night- August
0:11.1	vacations include sunrise hikes, water classes, yoga, and spa therapies, all set in a backdrop of a dreamy summer sky.
0:19.6	A six-acre organic garden provides fresh fruits and
0:22.7	vegetables daily. Learn more at Ranchoer Tuerta.com. Support for forum comes from Broadway
0:28.3	S.F, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story. From three-time Tony-winning
0:35.1	composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:40.3	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an
0:46.0	unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion.
1:01.8	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orphium Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
1:06.1	Tickets on sale now at Broadway, sF.com.
1:08.7	From KQED.
1:23.4	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
1:24.4	Okay, get ready.
1:27.3	This episode of this program you're listening to right now could be one of the most fun of the entire year.
1:30.3	This is the puzzle show. We've got the editor of many of your beloved Spelling Bee puzzles. We've got a crossword puzzle maker and even a woman who directed the legendary MIT mystery hunt.
1:42.0	Why have puzzles like that danged
1:44.3	whirdle been so fun and viral
1:46.4	during the pandemic?
1:47.9	We'll investigate, and we need you.
1:50.3	We've got a puzzle created
1:51.4	just for this show
	...

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