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By Dan Katz
Answer: KONA

Each of the clues given at the end of the first sixteen equations (with enumeration) resolves to the title of an episode of the podcast Spontaneanation with Paul F. Tompkins. The equations are alphabetized by clue answer.

  • Death Valley
  • Dracula’s Bedroom
  • Gabrielle’s Quinceañera
  • Garden of Eden
  • IKEA in Narnia
  • Knott’s Scary Farm
  • Land Rover
  • Laundromat
  • Margaritaville
  • Paris
  • Parking Garage
  • Savannah, Georgia
  • Science Fair
  • Sport Club
  • Storm Drain
  • Wine Tasting

Each episode has three guest improvisers, many of whom have appeared on multiple episodes. The three guests from each episode are represented by the three “ingredient” letters next to the clue; based on which letters appear with multiple episodes (for example, performer F, who appears in both “Death Valley” and “Dracula’s Bedroom,” must be Colleen Smith), you can determine which performer each letter corresponds to.

  • A Janet Varney
  • B Gary Anthony Williams
  • C Maria Blasucci
  • D Jeremy Carter
  • E Annie Savage
  • F Colleen Smith
  • G Jessica Chaffin
  • H Michael Oosterom
  • I Hal Lublin
  • J Stephanie Courtney
  • K Ryan Gaul
  • L Craig Cackowski
  • M Steve Agee
  • N Drew Massey
  • O Marc Evan Jackson
  • P Tawny Newsome
  • Q Mark McConville
  • R Victor Yerrid
  • S Sarah Burns
  • T Amanda Lund
  • U Matt Gourley
  • V Jean Villepique

In the “compound” at the bottom of the puzzle, each letter-number combination represents the corresponding letter of the performer's last name.

  • VARNEY (2) = A
  • WILLIAMS (7) = M
  • BLASUCCI (4) = S
  • CARTER (4) = T
  • SAVAGE (2) = A
  • SMITH (4) = T
  • CHAFFIN (6) = I
  • OOSTEROM (1) = O
  • LUBLIN (6) = N
  • COURTNEY (5) = T
  • SMITH (5) = H
  • GAUL (2) = A
  • OOSTEROM (4) = T
  • CACKOWSKI (6) = W
  • AGEE (1) = A
  • MASSEY (3) = S
  • JACKSON (4) = K
  • NEWSOME (3) = W
  • MCCONVILLE (7) = I
  • YERRID (2) = E
  • BLASUCCI (3) = A
  • BURNS (4) = N
  • LUND (4) = D
  • CACKOWSKI (4) = K
  • GOURLEY (6) = E
  • VILLEPIQUE (6) = P
  • VARNEY (3) = R

The resulting letters spell AM STATION THAT WAS KWIE AND KEPR; the Washington AM radio station that was previously known as KWIE and then KEPR is now KONA, the answer to this puzzle.