This article was taken from the January issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
Wired could tell you how to solve the Copernisis conundrum, but it won't help: "There are 188 million combinations," says Andrew Reeves, its creator. "I could show you how and you still wouldn't be able to do it. It requires a certain amount of research into the solar system."
The puzzle is based on Nicolaus Copernicus's heliocentric model and is nearly as ambitious. First, you have to work out how its five rotating rings correspond to the orbit of the planets, then open a hidden compartment, solve the equation engraved inside (using information in the accompanying booklet) and use it to work out the correct position of each planet, unlocking a key as a reward. But even that wasn't enough for 48-year-old Reeves. "It's been my dream to provide a tangible puzzle and take it to the internet and back." Enter the key's serial number at copernisis.com to play a time-limited star-map based enigma. Crack it and you can win £250. Copernisis is part of a larger puzzle, third in a planned series of five, with 15,000 registered problem-solvers so far. The final puzzle, due in 2016, will be padlocked: you'll need the keys from the other four to open it and be eligible for the £100,000 reward. Reeves has also scattered coins -- swap them for prizes -- from Egypt to Australia.
Each puzzle offers clues as to their location. "I did this ahead of The Da Vinci Code," he says. Reeves came up with the idea in 2002. "I was looking for a puzzle that I couldn't solve and I decided there wasn't one," he says. "I'm still amazed by the ability of the human race to work out the stuff I do."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
