How to Make a Thermometer go Green

Normal sudoku rules apply. The lines with bulbs can be one of two things (or possibly both): Thermometers - Digits along a thermometer must increase from bulb to tip. German Whispers - Digits in cells directly connected by a green line must differ by at least 5. If the line is a German Whisper the digit placed in the bulb must be odd.

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Hi! We're Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe, two of the UK's most enthusiastic puzzle solvers. We have both represented the UK at the World Sudoku Championships and the World Puzzle Championships. We're also "cryptic crossword" aficionados. Mark is the twelve-time winner of The Times championship and Simon is the former record holder for most consecutive correct solutions to The Listener crossword. We hope we can help your puzzle solving while also introducing you to some of the world's best puzzles.

Thank you for watching!
Simon and Mark
▶ Contents ◀
0:00 Theme Music & News around the channel
3:50 Rules of today’s puzzle
4:55 Start Of Solve - Let's Get Cracking!

[palfly]

Thanks so much for solving my puzzle, glad you enjoyed, and hope everyone else solving it does too!

It's been a great journey into the puzzle world for me and I'd like to encourage everyone who reads this to try setting a puzzle, no matter if it's sudoku or a different kind of puzzle, maybe just a little 6x6. It's just so amazing seeing people enjoy the logic you crafted into your puzzle (or often just stumbled into).

And, of course, apologies for making you find those pesky pairs at the end :p

[emilywilliams]

It certainly does not matter to me how long your videos are, Mark. I appreciate that there is a new one every single day from you (and another one from Simon) - such riches you provide! This was an interesting puzzle and I really enjoyed the video and watching you work through the break-in. Thanks, as always.

[longwaytotipperary]

I like the mixture of puzzle lengths and level of difficulty. Sometimes I watch to learn sudoku techniques, sometimes to see how to tackle impossible puzzles, and sometimes because you are both just fun people!! 😁

[RichSmith]

I find it fascinating that Mark often spots quadruples, quintuples, and even higher groupings of digits, before spotting simpler pairs and triples. It must relate to how he's so good at spotting naked singles. He has a mind that somehow copes with large sets of digits almost easier than smaller sets.

He will often see a quadruple, and miss that it contains a triple, like in the previous video. There were several pair available towards the end of this solve that didn't interest him. But he's always looking for groups that may become quadruples or quintuples. He finds the only place an 8 goes in box 9 by spotting a quad in box 9, rather than spotting 8 is only pencil marked in one cell. It just feels so different to the way I approach solves. But most of the time, it seems to work for him, and he's a far better solver than I am.

[JMoat]

Palfly Kampling! I just realise I know that name from a feature in Arglin Kamplings recent Polybridge 2 Staircase video. Smart people working on smart puzzles!

[enigma-mixed]

I prefer the longer videos so good luck keeping everybody happy 😊

[Coyotek]

19:32 ... I'm a big fan of 'either-or' sudokus like this

Nice puzzle!

[SKay]

I much prefer the long video rather than the short one to be honest. It helps me pass the time when doing mundane house chores.

[srwapo]

25:52, A LOT of thinking to figure out the break in, but was able to flow pretty nicely from line to line after that.

[chrisclark]

Do you remember those old work here's one. 'Review Learn &
My time I've Reviewed your solve, I think I've Learned and obviously, I can only !?
Rubbish Initiative at work but now has actual meaning.
I've had great fun. Brilliant stuff as always guys, please keep up the great work.

[Censeo]

Very clever ruleset in that them round thingies were either bulbs or what circles normally refer to in variant sudoku.

[benjaminrealy]

27:33. Very enjoyable puzzle. Deducting which lines were thermos and which were the 5 differences was easier than expected. My big break in was realizing in box 5 thatv5 couldn't be on either thermo or renvan in that box which then told me what the line in box 4 was.

[steve]

Mark didn't reset the timer. By my calculation, his solve time (from "let's get cracking" to final digit) was 23:10.

14:39 for me, of course not pausing to explain stuff.

That was a really enjoyable puzzle, and one of my favorite first digits ever - loved that logic especially.

[simonwstrong]

A very nice and concise solve - clearly not at home to Mr Numpty today ! +1 vote for these shorter videos.

[psiphiorg]

I enjoyed the puzzle, palfly! My time was 29:15 today, and I was solver #454.

[LeaAddams]

32:49 - I spent the entire thing waiting for something to clash and to find out I'd made a right Verkorksen of it from the start, and then I'd somehow got it right?

[davidblake]

You only took 24 minutes to solve it, Mark! I think your timer was running before you started the video. Great puzzle and interesting solve by your good self. Thanks.

[sampathkumar-ejxl]

Mark anyone watching the channel knows you are fast. The person commenting on many recent lengthy videos possibly meant that such complex puzzles should be not taken up as regularly as is happening now since the average solvers dont stand a chance of catching up with all the puzzles and the hunt. Again you have to make the decision based on the goals of the channel.

[drbutler]

When you looked at your clock and it said it was around 20 minutes, it was around 13 minutes. You must have forgotten to Restart the puzzle. Great solve!

[nick]

23:00
what a fun and approachable puzzle to play with