The Sage - A SiamMandalay Magazine Issue 03

A SiamMandalay Magazine

Issue 03 January-February 2016

A HISTORY OF

DEXTERITY & MAZE PUZZLES VANISHING OR GEOMETRIC PUZZLES SPOTLIGHT

TANGRAM PUZZLES

Special

10 BRAIN BOOSTING SUPER FOODS

Editor Firstly, everyone at SiamMandalay would like to say a huge thank you for your support of us in our inaugural edition of The Sage.

We are all excited about this journey and although it may be a winding road, we are working hard to provide all puzzles fans (yes that’s you) a quarterly print or download with the very latest on all things puzzles.

We have created The Sage Magazine with the premise of spreading our love of puzzles as far as we can and allowing you, the reader, to share and participate. In pursuit of this, we invite and encourage all of you to become active with your own input; articles, images, ideas, feedback or suggestions.

SiamMandalay believe in a policy of sharing knowledge and experiences, we hope that you’ll join us on this journey and share yours.

Thank you,

The SiamMandalay Team

Contents 3 A History of Dexterity & Maze Puzzles 4 10 Brain Boosting Super Foods 6 Vanishing or Geometric Puzzles 10 Spotlight: Tangram Puzzles

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All contents and images on this magazine are protected by copyright. © 2016 Siam Mandalay Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

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of y r o t s i AH

aze exterity & M D uzzles P

by Sean Allan

Dexterity puzzles are a classic form of brain teaser game – originally known as palm puzzles they are a variety of puzzle that requires careful hand-eye coordination, and the diligent maneuvering, usually of a ball around a maze to complete.

Typically labyrinth puzzles were designed to be small as to fit in the hands of children, they were in essence pocket puzzles.

By the mid-20th century their design had changed, there were now whole table tops dedicated to an array of versions of labyrinth puzzles. Some versions of the game included suspended maze surfaces that rotate on two axes, each of which is controlled by a knob.

Maze and labyrinth puzzles are an iconic design that appeals to all ages across every spectrum of puzzle skill levels. Virtually everyone has had or played with some version of a dexterity puzzle at some point you probably got one in a Christmas cracker.

Maze puzzles have been a staple game design throughout human history due to their ease of manufacture, endless fun and enchanting labyrinths.

Defined by their confusing intricate network of winding pathways, dexterity puzzles defines puzzles which have maze and labyrinth designs. Termed due to their emphasis on steady hands; dexterity puzzles are unique as they rely on perseverance and patience as opposed to critical thought and logical moves which are typical in puzzles. This is a bonus too as there is no trick to the puzzle, once the puzzle has been solved it can used again and again.

Dexterity puzzles, have an intrinsic link to human nature dating back millennia people have carved labyrinths and mazes into temples and town halls. Nearly 4000 years ago the ancient Egyptians were creating and designing labyrinths and mazes, using them as traps to protect their Pharaohs from assassination; or tomb robbing bandits.

Fast forward 5000 years to medieval Europe and mazes and labyrinths were still popular, especially large activity mazes formed in country gardens and public parks. The style of walk

through mazes were common in Belgium and by the 16th century had crossed the English. To this day most popular maze hedge in the world located at Hampton Court still receives 1000s of visitors every single month.

Although mazes and labyrinths in construction date back to an ancient past, their mechanical puzzle descendants are also rather ancient: Maze puzzles are thought of as the world’s oldest mechanical puzzles - dating back over 2500 years. James Dalgety, a puzzle aficionado, believed that the “Pick Me Up” dexterity puzzle design is from an artifact found in the Indus Valley of Mohenjo-Daro, one of the world’s first civilized communities.

There have been numerous other relics found though history that seem to represent, primitive forms of dexterity puzzles.

From a commercial stand point the very first dexterity puzzle was 'The Pig’s Clover' which was first produced in 1889 by Charles Martin Crandall, a famous toy maker and inventor. When the Pig's Clover first went to market there was a frenzy among buyers - a fad which had a renaissance in the 1930'.

Although susceptible to fads, dexterity puzzles have been pretty much evergreen since their conception. SiamMandalay have their very own version of the 'Pig's Clover' Dexterity puzzle mazes tend to involve the proper positioning, manipulation or/and segregation of small balls, avoiding holes and obstacles to an exit from the puzzle or towards the body or pen. Although the balls and other materials have evolved from clay, to lead to steel and even mercury; the technique and style remains consistent.

Dexterity puzzles come in a variety of styles both elaborate and simple, primitive early creations and were made on everything from printed cardstock to embossed tin. Some rare and vintage dexterity puzzles have become highly collectible in recent years, with antique versions selling for hundreds of dollars.

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THE SUPER FOODS YOU NEED TO ADD TO YOUR DIET

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Brain Boosting Super Foods

The humble super-food in everyone’s salad. Tomatoes contain a key ingredient called lycopene which can help to fight cell damage - the same cell damage that is found in Alzheimer’s disease. Freshly picked tomatoes are packed full or nutrients, including lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, A, E and B.

Avocados are nutritional gems, and are almost as good for your brains as blueberries. They are rich sources of a special monounsaturated fat that your body can easily burn for energy - no more beer belly. They are abundant in other rich, healthy fats, that can help you absorb nutrients more efficiently in other foods which contributes to healthy blood flow. Healthy blood flow; healthy brain.

Avocados provide close to 20 essential health boosting nutrients, including potassium, vitamin E, B and folic acid.

Keep your tomatoes freshly picked, and store them in glass - this way they stay fresh and you store all the wholesome goodness.

The most beneficial parts of the avocado are the one closest to the peel which consist of a deep green flesh.

Avocados can help to reduce excess cholesterol, reduce inflammation and protects the liver.

Tomatoes

Avocados

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By Sean Allan

Eat sma body

SiamMandalay likes to promote healthy minds for everyone. It's why we're in the business of selling puzzles. We also like to promote healthy living - a healthy diet and healthy life choices.

An article by the Daily Mail recently twigged our ears, showing us the real benefits of some authentic superfoods, that can easily be fed into your diet plan.

After our interest was tweaked, we did our research and found there is a small collection of super foods which have been shown to improve general brain health, while others can at least prevent or slow down the effects of certain brain diseases.

Its important to tailor your diet appropriately and make sure that you get the necessary nutrients as part of your balanced diet. By incorporating a few targeted foods groups – you can reap benefits with special vitamins which have been proven to help assist in the replenishing and defending of your cognitive skills.

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Broccoli

Nuts

Broccoli is a source of two critical nutrients that can help improve brain function. Firstly there is vitamin K which helps strengthen cognitive abilities, while choline has been shown to improve memory.

Going nuts for brain health? We sure are. A large study from none other than Harvard University found that eating nuts had a correlation with brain health and living longer. However, from a brain health perspective, not all nuts are created equal.

People who eat plenty of broccoli have been shown to perform better on memory tests. This super-food, also contains folic acid, which can help ward away from Alzheimer’s and depression.

Walnuts are the top banana when it comes to brain health. They have a high concentration of DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids. They have been shown to help the brains of infant children. One study even shows that mother who get enough DHA have smarter children.

Not just an old wives tale! We now know that a substantial part of our brain is made up from omega-3 fats, making these fats vital for healthy brain function. In fact 60% of the fats in the brain are omega-3 with DHA, the same type of Omega-3 fat that is found in fish.

Berries, blueberries, blackcurrants and goji berries are full of concentrated disease fighting nutrients. They have also been seen to boost short term memory and mental agility.

Omega -3 fats are essential for healthy brain development both in the womb and in early childhood. About 75% of brain cells are in place before birth and the other 25% age of 1 year.

As we get older, damaged cells accumulate in the brain, which can lead to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. That’s where these special little berries come in. They contain polyphenols, which give berries their deep-red or blue hue - this special ingredient helps to activate a process which “clean up” damaged cells.

Most of advantages of eating fish are contained to during the pregnancy and the opening years of developments, however research has indicated that brain related conditions can be prevented or treated by taking in omega-3 fats – Alzheimer’s disease, depression, ADHD and dyslexia are among those.

A timely inclusion if ever there was one.

With Halloween just around the corner – pumpkins are a perfect choice.

Pumpkins are chock-a-block with antioxidants and fiber to ensure your body is running smoothly; and plant based fatty acids which help improve brain function.

Berries

Fish

Pumpkin

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art; think smart. Energize your y and energize your mind.

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Sage

Dark Chocolate

Freshly Brewed Tea

In a study of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, participants were given sage extract or a placebo for 3 months.

Who says that food can’t work wonders for brain efficiency and be delicious?

Two to three cups a day of freshly brewed tea – hot or iced – contains a modest amount of caffeine which, when used judiciously can help boost brain power, by enhancing memory, focus and mood.

Those given the sage extract showed an improvement in cognition as well as less agitation. Sage has also been shown to improve mental clarity.

Studies on elderly people have shown that cocoa can improve the verbal fluency and cognitive functions, while eating a daily portion of dark chocolate has been found to improve blood flow to the brain.

So next time you don’t have to feel so guilty about your chocolate bar, your brain will thank you.

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Vanishing Geometric OR

Puzzles

By Sean Allan

A vanishing puzzle is a cleverly concocted illustration, which has been cut up into a number of rectangles and has objects within it. When you rearrange the pieces of the illustration, a number of the objects are added or subtracted in an optical illusion.

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A geometric erosion puzzle is more of a trick as opposed to an illusion – when re-arranged it modifies either the design or the area of the pieces. This of course is mere an illusion and is achieved by clever design work and mathematical know-how.

Vanishing puzzles Vanishing puzzles were exceptionally popular in the early 19th century and had existed for around 5 centuries prior.

The first known instance of a vanishing puzzle, is featured in the book – Libro d'Architettura Primo by Sebastiano Serlio dated around 1530, however the first mathematical solution of a vanishing puzzle was found in a book titled: Rational Recreations – dated around 1782.

Vanishing puzzles have been around for over 5 centuries and they still continue to confound and amaze puzzle fans everywhere. This style of paradoxical puzzle involves rearranging parts of a drawing, so that, once completed, a portion or element of the drawing disappears or appears. The puzzle is really a simple mathematical trick using a carefully applied cut however some of the outcomes are highly complex and varied.

This style of optical illusion was applied by early counterfeiting experts – who would cut up 9 notes and end up with enough pieces from which they could make a tenth.

There are a handful of puzzle inventors who specialized in this variety of puzzle which was popular throughout the 19th century. The most famous was Sam Lloyd, who was probably inspired by Tangram puzzles he used in his youth – he created a fantastic array of optical illusions and puzzles.

Sam Lloyd, an American puzzle creator, and the premier puzzlist of the 19th century, created a series of vanishing puzzles, which are now regarded as classics. A savant of many

crafts – regarded as one of the finest chess players of his era, and a creative writer for one P. T. Barnum.

Among his peers he’s been called everything from “Old reprobate” to “America’s greatest puzzler, but obviously a hustler.”

Sam Lloyd in honesty was a somewhat fabled character, the lethal combination of undoubted genius, huckster, smooth talker and celebrity.

He created perhaps the most famous geometrical puzzle – Get Off the Earth which reportedly sold over 10 million copies just during his lifetime. The game itself is pretty far from politically correct by today’s standard, but the basic premise is rotate and move the inner disk so that men disappear and reappear – the puzzles itself was patented and Copyrighted 1896 by Sam Loyd. And has spawned many modern incarnations most notably Bushwacky and Teddy and the Lions.

La Mysterieuse, represents a classic vanishing puzzle, this particular design was was copyrighted by 19th century magician Theodore L. DeLand, Jr. This principle was later replicated and applied to many other games on similar themes like Vanishing Leprechauns – designed by a MS Pat Lyons in 1968 or “The Magic Egg Puzzle” designed in 1880. In these styles of vanishing puzzles there is a sheet of paper with a design can that is dissected into 3 – you can move the piece around to show, 15 or 14 leprechauns, eggs or cards depending on the puzzles designs. You'll see many here.

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The illusions themselves depicts arrangements made of similar shapes, in slightly different configurations. The illusions arises when the combination is moved, spaces appear, even though it fills the same area…

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Geo-metric Erosion Puzzles These types of puzzles or illusions comprise of a set area that has been dissected into a number of shapes – when you move the dissected pieces around the area appears to change. Conventional wisdom would indicate that this is impossible and the area should remain exactly the same – of course it is all an illusion, usually made up from lines not being exactly straight or angles that change.

Other variations of this is the Azulejos (which is more of a trick rather than an illusion and requires the swapping of pieces) and the Winston Freer tile puzzle.

Missing Square Puzzle or The Disappearing Rabbit, is an optical illusion used in mathematics to teach student that they should not reason with figures.

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The illusions themselves depicts arrangements made of similar shapes, in slightly different configurations. The illusions arises when the combination is moved, spaces appear, even though it fills the same area….

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Spotlight

The

Tangram uzzles P

tangram – translated from its native Chinese where it is literally called the "Seven Boards of Skill".

A true classic if ever there was one - and the starting point for many puzzler. The Tangram is debatably the most famous puzzle of all time. Consisting of 7 flat shapes called ‘tans’ they form together to make a square where no parts overlap.

By Sean Allan

Tangram puzzles – although one of the most popular puzzles and pervasive ever made, its true origins remain obscure: without the exact date of invention, era or even location. Although we are unsure of the definitive history, its modern carnation dates back to ancient Chinese mathematicians.

Although the precise date is not known, It seems probable that Tangrams were formed in China during the Song or Tang Dynasty, although details beyond that are somewhat clouded, experts often venture to estimate the initial date at around the 3rd century.

What is amazing, is that there is no record of Tangrams until the 18th century this fact would lend itself to the idea that the game was considered for women and children only, and therefore not worthy of note in Chinese texts. Puzzle expert, Jerry Slocum, has surmised that Tangrams were probably formulated from the basis of Pythagorean Theorem, Chinese mathematicians would use Tangrams in formulating early equations.

Indeed, the Tangram puzzle – translated from Chinese is literally called the Seven Boards of Skill. A true classic if ever there was one. The Tangram is debatably the most famous puzzle of all time.

Consisting of 7 flat shapes called ‘tans’ they form together to make a square where no parts overlap.

It’s astounding considering its popularity today that the first recorded note of Tangrams is in western civilization at around 1820.

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One of the beauties of the Tangram is that they are so simple and yet provide a variety of complex solutions – it is estimated that more than 1 billion possible conclusions and over 10 million complete shapes are possible. In the 19th Century alone there were over 6500 different Tangram problems presented and the number is ever-growing.

From the Tangram there are only thirteen convex Tangram configurations – these are legitimate solutions where a line segment can be drawn between any two points on the configuration's edge always pass through the configuration's interior.

The tans themselves are based on basic geometric principles – each tan can be divided into several component triangles, each one a right isosceles triangle with a hypotenuse equal to √2 units and two side that measure 1 unit.

For example, the small triangles in the set are composed of two base triangles lined up side-by-side. The square is made up of two base triangles joined at the hypotenuse, and so on.

Tangram pu puzzles uzz have become the most popular dissection puzzle – they w were frequently used as early psychological tests.

A Chinese pssychologist termed the Tangram “The Earliest Psychological Test in the World.” – Albeit one made for ente ertainment rather analysis.

T There are numerous interesting stories about the Tangram and their history. We detail one in a T prrevious article: “The History of Tangrams” about the ma aster craftsman who had shattered a glass pane destined fo or the King. Although this story is glamourous the truth is probably more modest: a particularly interesting tale is of The Tanka people - a river nomad tribe who were great traders of opiium. The western sailors they traded with opium to play with th he puzzle when they visited their Tanka girlfriends.

Other believe that the beginning of Tangrams is rooted in Yanjitu furniture. This type of furniture is a carefully concocted table of 6 rectangular and 1 triangular tables. This triangular piece allowed the tables to be maneuvered into a square table, which later became wooden blocks for playing.

Whatever the source the Tangrams remain a favorite puzzle the world over. A real classic.

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You can never be over dressed, or over educated.

- Oscar Wilde -

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