PF Treasure Hunt - Solve the Clues & Crack the Code!

[chroot]

So how did you know where to find the third clue ?

Ohhh THAT third clue. You said not to look in Nature or Science (the names of two highly-respected scientific journals), but to look in your (journal) instead. So I did.[/color]

- Warren

 

[Gokul43201]

Okay folks, there you have it. The third clue is revealed (as this is getting solved really quickly, and I'm rapidly running out of ideas, I think you are now nearly halfway through ).

To repeat, the Third Clue is :



G : "Go to this quetion !"

U : "Which quetion ?"

G : "This, stupid !"

U : "This ? What's 'This' ?"

G : "Figure it out. AS*TO=THIS"

[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Tenali, you're back in the game. Chroot, you're out.

 

[Moonbear]

I think these are getting harder as we go along!
okay, it's obvious I'm supposed to go to the "Ask a Stupid Quetion" thread, but I have no idea what to do once I get there.

AS*TO=THIS Okay, that's a puzzle to solve, I guess something similar to those puzzles in the Google quiz in this forum, but those were addition and this one is multiplication...much harder if that's what I'm supposed to do.

Bonjour? I suppose something to do with French.

Is there significance to the GUGUG as well, or is that just "Gokul" and "You" with no more significance to it? [/color]

Better go get the plug for my laptop, the battery won't last until the end of this puzzle and I'm too addicted to walk away.

 

[Gokul43201]

No more significance. And this is moot now, but I was trying to get you to think along the lines of "Comment allez vous ?" or "Comment ca va ?" and that would lead you to look at the comments.[/color]

I'm hoping this clue buys me some time. Hope someone doesn't just write up a nifty piece of code to solve it in 5 minutes. I don't have very much more up yet...and only vaguely formed ideas about the remaining clues.

Fortunately, I believe I can stop y'all dead shortly, until I decide I'm ready.

(Duh...what a screw up...hope that wasn't caught by too many folks . I know it was noticed by at least one.)

 

[Moonbear]

Okay, I got some of it (maybe more than some, but I'm not sure if I've missed something):

I knew I had to go to the stupid quetion thread, but had to figure out which question. THIS is the solution to the cryptarithm which gives the number of the post to go to. But, there are many possible solutions. Once figuring out that the thread is not past 2000 replies yet, I knew T was 1. That still left too many possible solutions, so I started looking for clues in Gokul's replies in that threat approximating the time frame when the treasure hunt idea was suggested until now. Mysteriously, he replied to himself in reply #1504 (Now working backward, I could solve the cryptarithm: AS*TO=THIS; 94*16=1504). In reply #1504, wouldn't you know there's some hidden white text. It reads, "Find out more about for 3 to 0 won": ie., find out more about 43201...that's Gokul! So, what are we supposed to find out about you?[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Naw fair ! You were supposed to struggle with the math problem (as I did...it wasn't easy coming up with that )and give me time to maybe make another clue.

Moonbear, you're real close, but not quite there <phew> !

 

[Math Is Hard]

I went to another quetion type thread to look (the "Who is?"thread). Does the answer have something to do with the cartoon character Asterix?

 

[Moonbear]

Naw fair ! You were supposed to struggle with the math problem (as I did...it wasn't easy coming up with that )and give me time to maybe make another clue.

Moonbear, you're real close, but not quite there <phew> !

Sorry, I tried struggling with the math, but there were too many possible answers, so I decided to take a different approach.

Okay, I'm not sure what I'm missing, and I can tell you're not inclined to share lest we solve this too quickly, but I'll grasp at the only straw I can see:

Find out more about 43201...does this refer to the Member Photo thread where the origin of 43201 getting tacked onto your name was discussed? I think it's your zip code, but will go back and check.[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

All I'm going to say now is that if you do figure out the intent of the discovered words, you should not be able to go any further, because of (I hope) a technical detail that I'm using to my advantage.

I could let you try, but you'd simply be banging your heads against a wall.

When I find that someone correctly interprets the message, I'll announce a break, so that you get to rest and I get to make a clue ot two more.

 

[Moonbear]

Slight modification to that answer:
It was in Tribdog's "What's in a Name" thread, that you revealed 43201 is your zip code, but also the largest prime number formed by the digits 01234.[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Moonbear, you're on a wild goose chase. Give it a rest (that's not an order)...you done enough damage already !

 

[Math Is Hard]

so I was on the wrong track?

 

[Moonbear]

All I'm going to say now is that if you do figure out the intent of the discovered words, you should not be able to go any further, because of (I hope) a technical detail that I'm using to my advantage.

I could let you try, but you'd simply be banging your heads against a wall.

When I find that someone correctly interprets the message, I'll announce a break, so that you get to rest and I get to make a clue ot two more.

Well, there is the technical detail that you don't have a journal. That was of course the obvious first place to look with the way the clue started. But that did seem far too obvious, so I thought it was intentional misdirection. I'm trying to figure out how you edited your Stupid Quetion reply when you did...do you have a conspirator?[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Yes, MiH - kinda like that train that Soul Asylum sings about. Hard luck !

 

[Gokul43201]

Moonbear, are you talking to me ? And I don't have a journal ?? I'm sure my journal has public access and that's where I hid clue #3 ! Now, I'm really confused. [/color]

 

[NoTime]

Playing with the spectrum?
->Anything to do with "REMO"[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Moonbear has figured out where to go...check out her posts.

And I've got no co-conspirators, yet.

 

[Moonbear]

Gokul:
yep, I was talking to you. I checked again and don't see a journal for you. :-( There's no way to search the journals either if it's hiding somewhere. I'll try one more time, but don't expect one to suddenly appear :-) [/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Moonbear : How did you read the third clue without getting to my journal ? And it exists alright, else chroot wouldn't have been able to read it. There's just a simple trick involved in getting to it. So simple, you'll wan't to dive out a window, when you figure out how. [/color]

 

[Moonbear]

Gokul:I didn't have to go to your journal to read the third clue. It was posted right here in this thread, in Chroot's reply and yours. Oh, wait, I think I see where to look. Be right back! Okay, found the journal at least!
And this clue: You're very close, but not really there yet...think about how you'd start to greet a Frenchman - that might help

comment allez vous ?
We're back to the Bonjour clue, aren't we?
[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Wow ! I've been thinking all along, that other's have been following the trail.

If not, go back and read the posts carefully.

 

[Moonbear]

If it's any help, I finally just figured out how Chroot found the third clue:
"Look not in Science or Nature, but mine." Science and Nature are journals, so you were telling us to look in your journal. That second clue was harder than you thought![/color]

 

[NoTime]

I was going after the red text thing but

It reads, "Find out more about for 3 to 0 won": ie., find out more about 43201.
"Columbus" its the right day any way [/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Okay folks, Big Announcement (pay attention) : The clues are sequential, or the solving of a given clue may require knowledge obtained from a previous clue.

So make sure you go through previous clues' solutions (and follow the trail) before trying to solve any given clue

 

[Moonbear]

Hmmm, more thinking:
Find out more about For 3 to 0 won. A sports score perhaps? I tried thread #43201, and nothing there...too old for you to have gotten to it with clues. Grr. This clue started out so well, and now I don't know where else to go with it.[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Moonbear, this round goes to you...even if it takes someone else to figure out this last part.

And let me say this one last time : Follow the trail of the clues completely, else you will miss out essential details.

 

[Moonbear]

Moonbear, this round goes to you...even if it takes someone else to figure out this last part.

And let me say this one last time : Follow the trail of the clues completely, else you will miss out essential details.

I've gone back through. Found the one post I missed from Chroot that explained the journal[/color]. I didn't realize that one had white text in it. I'm working on making sure I didn't miss any others.

One more thought:
You keep telling us to hold onto the keywords. We have extremeties and caesar in our collection of keywords now. I'm just not seeing if I need to use those again yet, but I'm holding onto them.[/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

The first keyword (extremities)[/color] has been used - by Tenali, to get me to release the second clue. It's not needed anymore.

His first message (PM) to me was responded to in the negative. He recovered and asked again, this time providing the keyword in his message. That was when I revealed the second clue.

The second keyword may or may not be needed in the future. But if it is, you'll know for sure, at that point, that you have to use it.

PS : And when I ask you to follow the trail of the clues, I mean actually go to the places where the clues are located, and read them for yourselves.

 

[Moonbear]

Hmm...I may have gotten it. Hopefully I've sent a PM to the right member name, and it isn't Gokul![/color]

 

[Gokul43201]

Unless you actually read the previous clues in their original locations (NOT in this thread, starting from clue #3), you won't be able to go further.

Okay, here's clue #4 (it's pretty straightforward if you've been following my repeated rants)

Find out more about for 3 to 0 won[/color]

 

[Moonbear]

So, here's what I have new to add:
Our "new" member for3to0won lists as activities "practising LaTeX" I've PM'd for3to0won and am hoping for a response so we can get to know him better

Oops: spelled that wrong the first time!

And just wanted to add how I found this new fellow has joined us. In Gokul's journal, you have to notice the discussion entry with clue #3 isn't posted by Gokul, but by for3to0won.[/color]

Note, I've edited for a critical mispelling!

 

[Gokul43201]

I'm going to bed now, folks...more clues will be up tomorrow.

Sorry

PS : Don't stop posting, if you've got anything to add.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm going to bed now, folks...more clues will be up tomorrow.

Sorry

Awww. Okay, goodnight. Get your rest so you can come up with more good clues for us!

By the way, I got a PM:
"What ? I'm only be visiting to this sight for the learning up of some fysiks. I not be hunting for any treasures. Please do not to be confusing me ! If you are wanting to be find out more about me, please do read in my profile. It be saying there.

Sorry for disappointing...no treasure today. Patience is virtue ! Good night.

for3to0won"

Getting a PM made it much easier to get to his profile. It was tough catching the character online to view his profile...there's no other way I know of to view a user profile if the user has never posted and is offline. I guess that's the technical detail that was supposed to make this tough, you sneaky devil!
[/color]

Um, one question...did I break the rules? I realized part-way through that you posted Clue #4, which is what I was still trying to track down as part of Clue #3. Sigh. Now I'll take my time-out while drooling over my next chance to play! This is a fantastic treasure hunt!

 

[TenaliRaman]

Whoa! too many things happened before i could even come here :

Wowee Moonbear! Bravo!
Not to forget chroot who got things going very fast it seems!

Now let me see if i can string together something to end this but believe me its no more than a long shot guess ...

::
1st clue : Gokul says he has a technical advantage
Interpretation :
the answer is something that he is bound to know prolly??
*suddenly tenali is hit with random thoughts*
he should know more abt the place he lives and ofcourse he know more abt physics atleast more than me ...

one thing in the original clue which seems to not have been solved is "buried not praised"..

and ofcourse the now infamous for 3 to 0 won?
so i googled 43201 to find out more abt it and it seems to be the zip code of ohio ...

then i googled for ohio's famous ppl and among the inventors i found ..
"Granville T. Woods"
(knows as Ohio's forgotten inventor)

Hmm this is where i am drawing a blank right now ... i'll see if i can make any heads or tails of the whole ordeal ...
[/Color]::

-- AI

 

[Gokul43201]

I'm almost ready to start again, but I'd like to make a few announcements first :

1) Moonbear's now out (Moonbear, I'll give you a last chance to clearly convey your findings to other folks before you retire...please tell them where to look, if that's possible.)

2) Chroot, you're back in...as is Tenali.

3) I'm running out of ideas and time, so I'll say that at this point, the game is nearly done...there's just a little bit left.

3) The next clue will be up in a few minutes - I'll inform you when it's up.

 

[Gokul43201]

Ready...set...GO

PS : Tenali, you're looking too deep, again. (the "buried not praised" hint has been solved and it pertains only to that clue; read carefully[/color])

For those that have been out of the action, I suggest you read Moonbear's posts. I believe she last found clue#4.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm almost ready to start again, but I'd like to make a few announcements first :

1) Moonbear's now out (Moonbear, I'll give you a last chance to clearly convey your findings to other folks before you retire...please tell them where to look, if that's possible.)

2) Chroot, you're back in...as is Tenali.

3) I'm running out of ideas and time, so I'll say that at this point, the game is nearly done...there's just a little bit left.

3) The next clue will be up in a few minutes - I'll inform you when it's up.

Okay, I'll try to summarize my findings all in one place:

First, solving the puzzle:
The third clue was found in Gokul's journal, which took me a long time to find. I didn't do the simple thing of just click on "view my journal" under his name over there on the <---Left, I went to the journal page where it is hiding. Since the clue was posted there, I didn't know I needed to find it myself to move forward. So, the key was to notice we were told to go to this "quetion" not "question". This is a clear reference (at least to me) to the "Ask a Stupid Quetion, Get a Stupid Anser thread", which intentionally mispells question.

"Which quetion?" meant I needed to look for a specific post in that thread. Then, "Figure it out. AS*TO=THIS" "THIS" is the number of the post to go to, so it was necessary to solve the cryptarithm: the letters substitute for numbers and is explained in another brainteaser in this section. The solution was 94*16=1504 (there are other possible solutions, but they are not the RIGHT solution, because they don't take you to a post containing any clues...I reasoned it had to be one of Gokul's posts and relatively recent, so narrowed down possible solutions from there.

When you find the correct post in that thread, #1504, highlight the text and find the hidden message in white (the other clue that I had found the right post was that Gokul replied to himself in a fairly blatant way that sounded a bit suspicious). Hidden in the text is the message, "Find out more about for 3 to 0 won." For a while, I was headed along the wrong path, thinking it referred to Gokul's nickname 43201.

Then, we started getting all those repeated warnings to follow the path of the former clues, so I went back to Gokul's journal and looked more carefully. It was so obvious and I nearly missed it. I actually didn't notice until I went to "discuss" one of the discussion entries (you have to go to the discussion of the first entry to find the clues). When tried to quote it, I noticed the title did not include all the text on the title bar. That's when I realized the discussion entry including clue 3 was written by a different username, "for3to0won." So, I PM'd for3to0won, and asked. I posted the reply I got above. That told me to look inside the user profile for for3to0won for the last part of the puzzle. Once I got a PM from him (I posted it above...just in case it contained any other clues I missed that were necessary to continue), that made it easier, because then I could easily access his user profile by clicking on his name in the PM. Otherwise, you had to catch him online (which I actually did while he was READING my PM...by going to the list of currently active users).

In for3to0won's user profile, his biography says: Practising LaTex. So I think that was the final thing I was supposed to provide. I didn't see anything else suspicious in his user profile, but I'd suggest the other scavenger hunter's keep an eye on it just in case new information appears there![/color]

Okay, did I cover it all?

Happy hunting! I'll take my break now.

 

[Gokul43201]

Thanks for the recap, Moonbear.

Any questions, folks ?

 

[chroot]

I'm getting there.

- Warren

 

[Gokul43201]

I'm getting there.

- Warren

You know the thread you closed last night ? Could you not have waited just a little longer ? It messed up all my plans.

Anyways...if you've found something, post it here before you set about cracking it.

 

[chroot]

for3to0won has posted twice. One post dealt with "practising latex" and contained the transliterated english phrase

"turn back sig and eliminate the repeating key."

I have reversed your new signature (as well as performing a simple histogram on it), and am trying to figure out the repeating key business. It appears to begin with the word 'if' and end with the word 'others,' but I'm still trying to figure out the exact pattern.[/color]

- Warren

p.s. Sorry about closing the thread!

 

[Gokul43201]

Remember the unused key, from before...

 

[Gokul43201]

Okay chroot...you've done enough. You have solved another clue, so I'm shutting you down again.

Moonbear may get back in at 9pm ET and Chroot gets activated again at midnight ET (9pm PT).

 

[Gokul43201]

Chroot, if there's anything you wish to say, short of solving this last clue (yes this one's the final clue), you may say it now, and then hold your peace for another 8 hrs.

 

[chroot]

*bites tongue*

- Warren

 

[chroot]

*stunned*

*bites tongue really really hard*

Bravo, Gokul, Bravo.

- Warren

 

[Gokul43201]

Thanks chroot, I take it you've...

Anyway, put some ice in your mouth - you'll be okay.

 

[Moonbear]

Glad Chroot found that because I saw it earlier and was having a hard time keeping my fingers off the keyboard!

9PM, okay...I guess local time, since we're both on the same local time? I guess I better wrap up what I'm working on in the next three hours so I can jump back into the game! Or maybe since the prize is a membership upgrade, and I don't need one of those, I might just give some other folks a chance and just help out with hints as I find stuff.

Oops, just realized you did specify the time zone. I better get my game cap back on!

 

[Moonbear]

Thanks chroot, I take it you've...

Anyway, put some ice in your mouth - you'll be okay.

Try scotch! It's better at numbing the pain.