The four towns are situated at the corners of a square, with each town connected to its opposite corner by the shortest possible road. The O-loop and U-route have been ruled out as unnecessary and too lengthy. So, how do you connect all four towns using the smallest total length of road? Can you work it out without needing complex maths?
Instead of relying on complicated calculations, try a more intuitive approach. One way to solve this puzzle is by creating a model using soap bubbles. Imagine a plastic sandwich where two pieces of transparent material are used as 'bread' and four short dowels represent the towns. Place the model in soapy water and observe how bubbles form around the dowels.
The answer, surprisingly, resembles a simple geometrical shape that appears in our everyday world. While this puzzle may seem deceptively simple at first glance, its solution is actually quite elegant. You don't need to be a mathematician to solve it; an intuitive understanding of shapes and spatial relationships can help you get started.
As part of the UK's new maths discovery centre, MathsWorld London offers interactive exhibits that explore various mathematical concepts through engaging activities. One exhibit in particular caught our attention - a gigantic soap bubble machine. The venue is filled with dozens of hands-on puzzles, including an elliptical pool table and a Morse code machine.
MathsWorld London is now open for visitors, located at 6 Burrell St, London, SE1 0UN. If you're interested in maths-based attractions beyond London, there's also MathsCity Leeds, its sister project with a giant bubble machine available since 2021.
If you have any great puzzles to share or suggestions for future puzzles, feel free to reach out via email.
Instead of relying on complicated calculations, try a more intuitive approach. One way to solve this puzzle is by creating a model using soap bubbles. Imagine a plastic sandwich where two pieces of transparent material are used as 'bread' and four short dowels represent the towns. Place the model in soapy water and observe how bubbles form around the dowels.
The answer, surprisingly, resembles a simple geometrical shape that appears in our everyday world. While this puzzle may seem deceptively simple at first glance, its solution is actually quite elegant. You don't need to be a mathematician to solve it; an intuitive understanding of shapes and spatial relationships can help you get started.
As part of the UK's new maths discovery centre, MathsWorld London offers interactive exhibits that explore various mathematical concepts through engaging activities. One exhibit in particular caught our attention - a gigantic soap bubble machine. The venue is filled with dozens of hands-on puzzles, including an elliptical pool table and a Morse code machine.
MathsWorld London is now open for visitors, located at 6 Burrell St, London, SE1 0UN. If you're interested in maths-based attractions beyond London, there's also MathsCity Leeds, its sister project with a giant bubble machine available since 2021.
If you have any great puzzles to share or suggestions for future puzzles, feel free to reach out via email.
it's so simple yet genius! i can imagine playing around with that setup and seeing how the bubbles interact with the dowels... anyone else tried something like this before? 
maybe they could have a "bubble challenge" at MathsWorld London where visitors can try solving it themselves and see who comes up with the shortest path 
I'm totally blown away by this genius soap bubble solution 
It's like the puzzle was meant to be solved with creativity and not just maths skills. 
! Who knew learning about shapes and spatial relationships could be so cool 
? I'm totally going to check out this centre in London ASAP! 
u mean, i guess its good that they're making it interactive and stuff tho
. So this thing about connecting the towns with roads... I mean, isn't that like a maze game or something? Do you think they have those in MathsWorld London? 
And what's up with soap bubbles? I love playing with them as a kid, never thought they'd be used for math problems 
. I'm gonna have to check out this centre and see if I can solve the puzzle thingy... but first, can someone explain to me how to use FaceTime on my new phone 
. And can someone please explain how I'm supposed to find the puzzle answers without having to search the entire forum? It's just not intuitive at all...
What's interesting is how this puzzle can be approached from an intuitive perspective, highlighting the importance of hands-on learning and creative problem-solving 
. And btw, has anyone else tried the giant bubble machine at MathsCity Leeds? 
It's like my grandma used to say, 'you can't learn by sitting in class all day, sometimes you gotta get your hands dirty' 
. Plus, it's a great way to make maths more fun and accessible, which is exactly what MathsWorld London is trying to do. I'm actually kinda tempted to visit this place with my friends and give those puzzles a try 
. i used to hate math in school, but now i actually find it kinda fun 
lol, i wish they had a giant bubble machine in new york or chicago too 
. And those soap bubble things are just a gimmick, who really wants to spend hours playing around with bubbles when they should be learning actual math concepts? The fact that it's in a centre dedicated to maths is just lazy, can't they come up with something more innovative than relying on gimmicks and kids' games?
A square with 4 corners = 8 roads 
MathsWorld London is open! 