Jeffrey T. Jones
Increase Your Brain Power (based on his puzzles in The Times) - Examples
Q1. Which animal provides the link between: John Updike, Richard Adams, and Chas and Dave?
Q2. What number is next in the series below, and what is the connection of the sequence with bees: 1, 7, 19, 37, 61, 91, . . . ?
Q3. As observed from the roadside, which part of a car is moving the fastest?
Q4. The value of pi may be determined using random numbers. True or false?
Where applicable, diagrams are included for clarity of explanation (e.g. Qs 2-4). Question 4 also includes computer programming for you to try out at home. Chapters:
· General Knowledge
· Words & Language
· Science
· Music, Literature, & the Arts
· International
· Sports & Games
· Logic
· Geometry
· Appendices
Jeff Jones was born and brought up in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. From there, he went to Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, where he graduated in chemistry. His postgraduate year was at the University College of Wales, Cardiff, where he gained his certification for teaching, PGCE. Before turning to writing, he had an eleven-year successful career as a teacher, followed by a similar period in IT for national and international insurance companies, telecommunications, hospitality and the oil industry.
His current projects include the following:
µ development of an educational website for ‘A’ Level Chemistry students, with a view to expanding to other subjects
µ a novel, provisionally entitled The Carbon Halo, set in the not-too-distant future, addressing issues that we find important today: globalization, terrorism, transport, science & technology, climate change, celebrity, social chaos
µ a popular science book about objects, particles and forces, from multiverses, through atomic structure, to superstring theory
µ Advanced Puzzles, Volume 2: work is already underway, with the aim for it to be available by Christmas 2008
You may contact the author by email at advpuzzles@hotmail.co.uk
Sample Questions (published in The Times):
1. Which Cambridgeshire hospital, famous for heart transplant surgery, sounds as though it is of little value?
2. What is the connection between a big garment, a type of spreadsheet, and the number forty?
3. What is the connection between the following? land snail – 4, 1; human – 0, 2; starfish – 0, 5; ant – 2, 6; spider – 0, 8; horseshoe crab – 0, 10; butterfly – 2, 10
4. Rather than being considered as opposites, in which field have the terms WIMP and MACHO been postulated to explain the same phenomenon?
5. How does the following list relate to 1967? 1 None; 2 Light; 3 Third; 4 Home
6. What is the connection in the following list? Denmark, Sweden, UK, 0; Australia, France, 1; Canada, Cyprus, 2; Belgium, 3; Switzerland, 4; South Africa, 11.
7. In a sporting context, taking the sequence - X, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Y - where would you find that X is not 1, and Y is not 8?
8. What is the connection between the number 10, a 10p coin, and the lower value coins?
9. Which four common sports use, what approximate to, prolate ellipsoids?
