introductory lecture, act i

Full, PROPER credits available at etherealendways.com.This slideshow is just to tell you who to blame for that puzzle you hated.

Introductory Lecture, Act I

• Starring:– Dan Kurtz as Wesley When– Kristina Kenney as Catherine Chronos– Sound by Ellen Juhlin– Set design by Todd c Hartman and John Bagoye– Costumes by Melissa Wilson– Script by Allen Cohn, Erik Stuart, Trisha Lantznester, et al.

• Fun Fact:– Tiresias’s role was significantly reduced after playtesters

thought it was a “find the differences” puzzle between Act I and III when in reality we just let Sean sleep in.


Core Dump 1

• Concept by Dwight Freund• Manufacturing by the Freund

family• Printout design by Wei-Hwa

Huang• Fun Fact:– The original design was intended

to be the core dump for all three acts, which would give a different message each time


1. Which of these companies is part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average?

A: Johnson & JohnsonK: Berkshire HathawayN: Eastman KodakU: Google


Tachyon Midi-Ether Co-Keypad• Designed by Wei-Hwa Huang• Manufacturing by Wei-Hwa

Huang and a very long weekend session with 8 volunteers

• Fun Fact:– During the playtest, an uncapped

contact cement bottle was left in a plastic bag with the disassembled keys. The fumes melted all the keys, necessitating a re-order of completely different keys as the supplier was out of stock


2. Which country has the 2nd-highest GDP?

J: IndiaN: ChinaO: JapanS: United States


Choose Your Own Adventure• Original Idea by Dwight Freund• Story concept and outline by

Trisha Lantznester• Writing by Trisha Lantznester and

Erik Stuart• Editing and layout by Wei-Hwa

Huang• Artwork by Rigel Stuhlmiller• Fun Fact:

– Longest time between first puzzle prototype and final product


Wormhole

• Written by Eric Lindstrom• Fun Fact:– Original version didn’t

warn solvers of the effects of particles travelling backwards through time


3. In the most recent Summer Olympics, the most medals was won by the host

country. Which country was 2nd?

A: Soviet UnionE: IndiaS: United StatesW: Romania


Calibration (Movie Clips)

• Designed by Erik Stuart and Melissa Wilson• Developed and prototyped by Wei-Hwa Huang• Directed by Allen Cohn• Acted by Dan Kurtz• Filmed by Christian Hoobyar• Sound editing by Ellen Juhlin• Video editing and mastering by Ben Hansen• Fun Fact:– Original prototype used a “Have a Nice Day” icon as a stand-in

for Wesley


4. In the US, which animated TV show has the most aired episodes?

D: South ParkL: The JetsonsT: The FlintsonesW: The Simpsons


Starting the Big Bang

• Directed by Allen Cohn• Acted by Dan Kurtz• Filmed by Todd c Hartman and Christian Hoobyar• Sound editing by Ellen Juhlin• Fun Fact:– There’s an echo at the start of the video to suggest

emptiness… but what’s the echo bouncing off of?


Send Me Back• Puzzle designed by Sean Gugler• Directed by Sean Gugler and Wei-

Hwa Huang• Acted by Dan Kurtz (in one take!)• Filmed by Todd c Hartman and

Christian Hoobyar• Fun Fact:

– Original plan was to have a spatial jigsaw element as well; each segment would be cut into a 2 by 2 grid


5. Who holds the record for most Oscar acting nominations?

E: Meryl StreepR: Katherine HepburnV: Natalie PortmanV: Jack Nicholson


Fabric of Time

• Designed by Doug Banks• Developed by Sean Gugler, Wei-Hwa Huang, and

Doug Banks• Produced by Sean Gugler, Wei-Hwa Huang• Fun Fact:– All the border pieces were cut too short due to

miscommunication


6. What is the best-selling non-Christmas single?

;: ThrillerO: FridayR: Candle in the WindY: We Are the World


Fetch the Letter• Original idea by Sean Gugler• Developed by Sean Gugler and Wei-Hwa Huang• Dwight Freund as Crazy Tracy• Newspaper written by Trisha Lantznester and Wei-Hwa

Huang• Newspaper printed by Dave Shukan• Fun Fact:

– Archeology puzzle was redesigned and data completely redone 5 hours before the game


Journalists: “Intense Secrets”

• Designed and developed by Erik Stuart

• Magazine aging effects by Wei-Hwa Huang

• Fun Fact:– Because of this puzzle,

Catherine gained a middle name: Lucille, after Catherine Lucille Moore


7. Who is the NBA all-time assists leader?

F: John StocktonI: Oscar RobertsonR: Aisha OlajuwonY: Jeremy Lin


Investors: Balance Sheet and Income Statement

• Designed and written by Allen Cohn• Fun Fact:– Skipping Yerevan may result in false messages such as

“INVESTMENT IN PAST”.


8. Who was Rocky Balboa's most recent opponent?

A: Rusty BeltO: Mason DixonS: Tommy GunnT: Ivan Drago


Scientists: Particle Zoo

• Written by David Greenspan• Fun Fact:– Swapped position with Wormhole when we realized that

the “Scientists” puzzle was more time-consuming than the other role puzzles


Government Officials: [REDACTED] Redaction Agency

• Designed, developed, and shredded by Wei-Hwa Huang

• Fun Fact:– Out of all the puzzles in the hunt, the Redaction Agency

instructions page is the only one typeset in a font designed by a Canadian


9. Where is the tallest building in the world?

F: North AmericaK: AntarcticaO: East AsiaR: The Middle East


Science Fair Video• Directed by Allen Cohn• Acted by Dan Kurtz, Alex Cave, and Kristina

Kenney• Camera by Christian Hoobyar• Lighting, Editing, and Visual Effects by Todd

c Hartman• Sound Effects and recording by Ellen Juhlin• Science Fair projects by Ken Chaney• Science Fair presentations by Erik Stuart

and Melissa Wilson• and lots of volunteers did lots of other

stuff• Fun Fact:

– The close-up shots of the science fair projects were actually in Erik’s garage


10. How many females are on the US Supreme Court?

L: Five point fiveN: ThreeO: OneR: Eleven


Cross-Reference Approval Permits

• Designed by Wei-Hwa Huang

• Based on previous work by Robert Abbott

• Enhanced by Eric Stuart• Fun Fact:

– The button is generic enough that you can wear it elsewhere! Just tell people it’s a flux capacitor.


Introductory Lecture: Act II• Kristina Kenney as Catherine Chronos• Dan Kurtz as Wesley When• Alex Cave as Mrs. Buffy When• Sound by Ellen Juhlin• Set design by Todd c Hartman and John Bagoye• Costumes by Melissa Wilson• Set crew:

– Mary Johnson– Shawn Johnson– Crissy Gugler– Lauren O’Rourke


11. How many planets are in our solar system?

A: SevenI: EightP: SixteenR: Nine


Core Dump, Act II

• Designed and produced by David Greenspan

• Printing effects by Sean Gugler and Wei-Hwa Huang

• Fun Fact:– Two-layer acrylic is very

expensive; instead, this is white acrylic with a painted layer


12. Japan is the ___ most populous country in the world.

A: 4th

N: 10th

T: 7th

Y: 15th


Invalid Permits

• Original Design by Allen Cohn• Development and design by Wei-Hwa

Huang • Fun Fact:– Favorite bribe (pictured): “A device to

help fill out forms in triplicate”


Chronomentometers

• Designed, developed, and manufactured by Wei-Hwa Huang

• Inspired by original Trenchwood logo by Ben Hansen

• Fun Fact:– Only 1000 out of a few

millions possible puzzles were chosen for inclusion


13. What is the highest-grossing film of all time (including re-releases)?

E: AvatarO: TitanicT: Star Wars Episode XIV: Legacy of the ChissW: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial


Mix Tape

• Designed and Developed by Erik Stuart

• Tapes mastered by Sean Gugler

• Fun Fact:– “Girls Just Wanna Have

Fun” never hit #1 on the charts


14. What is the last name of the Governor of California?

E: DeukmejianG: SchwarzeneggerT: BrownU: Wilson


Art History• Original concept by Allen Cohn• Designed by Erik Stuart and Justin

Graham• Photoshop work by Todd c Hartman• Audio Tour App “programmed” by

Wei-Hwa Huang• Phones loaned from the Burninators• Fun Fact:

– Original version was muuuuch harder; all the numbers were in the artists’ native language, and everybody got the audio tour at the start of the event


Wesley and Buffy• Directed by Allen Cohn• Camera operated by Christian Hoobar• Lighting and video editing by Todd c Hartman • Sound by Ellen Juhlin• Costumes by Melissa

Wilson• Fun Fact:

– Someone had to pushAlex’s chair in and outto get the “Buffyinterrupts” effect


15. Which batter OFFICIALLY holds the record for most home runs in a single

season?

E: Barry BondsL: Alex RodriguezN: Roger MarisT: Sammy Sosa


Fix the View-O-Scope

• Designed by Sean Gugler• Pointless 3D effects by Wei-

Hwa Huang• Fun Fact:– If you connect the output of

“50/50” to the input of “50/50”, you create a feedback loop that sinks the other output to zero. This is not useful.


16. Who is the author of the best-selling book series of all time?

E: J. K. RowlingO: Stan and Jan BerenstainT: Erle Stanley GardnerU: R. L. Stine


Faculty Christmas Party

• Designed by Dave Shukan• Sound mixed and edited by Ellen Juhlin• Voices by Allen Cohn, Erik Stuart, Elena Melendez,

Melissa Wilson, and Wei-Hwa Huang• Fun Fact:– The identity of the

spectroscopy teacherwas changed at thelast minute


17. What is the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany?

H: West BerlinN: New BerlinN: BerlinY: Bonn


Get the Locker Combo

• Designed by Erik Stuart• Picture Frame by Sean Gugler• Fun Fact:– A lot of luck was

involved in getting a combo lock with that exact combo


18. What is the name of the device that delivers energy to an automobile

engine?

E: fuel injectorF: carburetorR: power supplyS: catalytic vaporizer


Restaurant Coupons

• Original Idea by Allen Cohn

• Enhancements and graphic design by Thomas Snyder

• Fun Fact:– Puzzle was inspired by an

actual Yoshinoya coupon that Wei-Hwa tried to use in Allen’s presence


Yearbook, Part 1

• Original Idea: Eric Lindstrom• Poetry re-writing: Erik Stuart

and Wei-Hwa Huang• Fun Fact:– The poem was written and re-

written at least seven times


19. Who is the highest-ranked chess player in the world?

E: Tokunbo AyanbadejoI: Robert FischerI: Magnus CarlsenO: Garry Kasparov


Chrononaut Rapid Acclimation Protocol

• Basic Idea: Allen Cohn• Implementation and artwork:

Melissa Wilson• Time Traveler pamphlet by

Rigel Stuhmiller, Allen Cohn, and Wei-Hwa Huang

• Dice mutation: Wei-Hwa Huang• Fun Fact:

– One early prototype of this event was a pure-trivia quiz. You can see it in this slideshow!


20. What is the most common baby name in the US?

G: JacobK: MohammedM: ElijahR: Michael


Time Tunnel

• Set design by Todd c Hartman• Sound Effects by Ellen Juhlin• Set supervisor assistance by John Bagoye• Production assistance for set build by Lily Tsai• Set Crew: Mary Johnson, Shawn Johnson, Chrissy

Gugler, Lauren O’Rourku• Fun Fact:– Teams actually screamed during the first weekend


Detention and Dance

• Designed by Erik Stuart and Melissa Wilson

• Alex Cave as Buffy• Fun Fact:– Wei-Hwa spent $10 paying

some shady Korean guy on the Internet to get an actual copy of an 1985 SAT to copy the “look-and-feel” from


21. In physics, how many elementary particles have been experimentally

observed?

A: Twenty-threeH: SixteenS: FourT: Fourteen


T.R.A.S.H.

• Written by Erik Stuart

• Graphic Design by Wei-Hwa Huang

• Fun Fact:– On the test solve,

Wei-Hwa completely ignored hints and solved by drawing a giant grid


22. Who is the Vice President of the United States?

I: Walker BushT: Joseph BidenO: Paul KennedyY: George Bush


Yearbook, Part 2: Presidents

• Designed by Eric Lindstrom• Graphic design by Wei-Hwa

Huang• Fun Fact:– The last draft had much more

cartoony presidential portraits, but the author demanded payment of $150, so we decided to save some money…


23. What is the longest running Broadway show?

,: CatsF: A Chorus LineN: ChicagoY: The Phantom of the Opera


Mystery Meat• Puzzle designed by: Erik Stuart• Ms. Pac-Man machine: Ken

Chaney • Doris the Lunchlady: Trisha

Lantznester• Rewards by Allen Cohn, Melissa

Wilson, and Lisa Launer• Fun Fact:

– The game has a hacked ROM that increases the speed of Ms. Pac-Man


24. Which country or countries joined NATO most recently?

D: SwitzerlandI: SpainJ: Greece and TurkeyS: Albania and Croatia


Apple II Mystic

• Designed by Sean Gugler• Fun Fact:– Some last-minute

Photoshop work was needed to get the faces to show up large enough


25. What is the most famous unsolved problem in mathematics?

D: Moving Sofa ConstantE: The Collatz ConjectureI: The Riemann HypothesisV: Fermat’s Last Theorem


Other General Tasks• For credits that are less puzzle-focused,

check out http://etherealendways.com/

• Housing GC Central, storing all the material: Erik Stuart and Melissa Wilson

• Managing all the volunteers and staff: Allen Cohn

• Keeping puzzle development updated: Sean Gugler

• Theatrical Diplomat: Melissa Wilson• Meddling (and badges): Wei-Hwa

Huang


Original Story Concept (August 2009)

• The hosts would be Doctor When, his beleaguered assistant Rodney, and a airhead super sexy female assistant (who flirts with the mad scientist but he never notices)

• Doctor When’s machine goes haywire and he gets lost in time.

• Rodney enlists the help of the teams to fix the contraption and get Doctor When back.

• Part of the problem is that Doctor When's invention was sabotaged by his long-time nemesis, Prof. Chronus. The players can help defeat Prof. Chronus.


26. What is the maximum speed limit in the United States?

E: 55 mphL: 70 mphR: 100 mphX: 80 mph

introductory lecture, act i

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