Solution to Stata Center

The answers to the puzzles in the round are:

	Puzzle	Answer
A	DNA	AMINO ACIDS
B	Connections	WIRE
C	The Emperor's New Kitchen	PIZZA
D	PClueRS	BLADE
E	Bounce House	MIRROR
F	Escape From Life	FLYER
G	Not A Crossword	BED
H	Extensive	COMPUTER
I	Slitheɹlᴉuʞs	NET
J	Treasure Maps	TEXTILE
K	Bracketeering	STRATA
L	Radical Rebuses	SKIN
M	Careful What You Wish For	CARDBOARD
N	In C	DOUGH

First, we can fill in the letters in the grid from the labelled feeder answers. For example, the top-left cell (H6) is a T because the sixth letter of COMPUTER is T.

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The main diagonal spells TECH X-WORD ON BACK, which suggests looking at this week's crossword in The Tech. We might notice that the theme of the crossword is the Stata Center, which is appropriate.

If we read the first letters of each of the across clues, we produce the message THESE CLUES AND THE DOWN ONES DO NOT HELP YOU, so we can assume that the clues themselves are not relevant. The completed crossword grid is below:

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Like our original grid, the crossword is 15 x 15, and the phrase on the diagonal suggests that we should tape it to the back of our grid. When we do that and read the letters that are opposite black cells on the crossword (the cyan cells in the grid below) we get the message CHANGE FEEDERS AND PAPER ALIKE TO GET LOST LETTER.

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When we solve a puzzle, some number of blanks appear on the meta page to the right of the answer. The above message suggests that we should change each feeder answer somehow to produce a new word that matches the enumeration given by the blanks.

Eventually we realize that we can “fold” each answer to produce a new object. For example we can fold a COMPUTER to get a LAPTOP and fold a PIZZA to get a CALZONE.

	Answer	“Folded” Answer
A	AMINO ACIDS	PROTEIN
B	WIRE	PAPER CLIP
C	PIZZA	CALZONE
D	BLADE	PENKNIFE
E	MIRROR	COMPACT
F	FLYER	BROCHURE
G	BED	FUTON
H	COMPUTER	LAPTOP
I	NET	POLYHEDRON
J	TEXTILE	PLEATS
K	STRATA	ANTICLINE
L	SKIN	WRINKLE
M	CARDBOARD	PACKAGE
N	DOUGH	CROISSANT

The message suggested that we should change the paper “alike.” By folding the paper along vertical lines, with the crossword pasted on the back, we can align the letters to produce the folded versions of our answers, missing a single letter. Each word requires a different fold offset and some are folded from the right and some from the left.

	Answer	“Folded” Answer	Letter
A	AMINO ACIDS	PROTE[I]N	I
B	WIRE	PAPE[R]CLIP	R
C	PIZZA	CALZ[O]NE	O
D	BLADE	PENK[N]IFE	N
E	MIRROR	C[O]MPACT	O
F	FLYER	BROCH[U]RE	U
G	BED	FU[T]ON	T
H	COMPUTER	LAP[T]OP	T
I	NET	POLY[H]EDRON	H
J	TEXTILE	PL[E]ATS	E
K	STRATA	ANT[I]CLINE	I
L	SKIN	WRI[N]KLE	N
M	CARDBOARD	PAC[K]AGE	K
N	DOUGH	CROI[S]SANT	S

Reading the missing letters in the original order of the feeders spells the answer IRON OUT THE INKS. To fix Stata we have to use an iron to draw out the ink from the scribbles!