A puzzle to tickle the brain

Hello Children,

Hope you are making full use of the holidays. Mr Brainy (waving to you on the right) was just thinking of a matchstick puzzle that a family friend used - to entertain him many years ago. He is opening this puzzle to all in 3G06 and Ms Goh will give a prize to anyone who can come up with the solution on Monday, 8 September 2008. If you are not allowed access to matchsticks, you can always use toothpicks, satay sticks or ice cream sticks (clean ones, of course!) to replace.

This is what you have to do: -

1) Use 8 sticks to form the shape of the fish on your left (in the picture provided below).
2) You may move only 2 sticks to form the fish on the right (in the picture below).

Have Fun!

Optical Illusion

Keep in mind that this is a static image. It is not animated in any way. However, as your vision moves back and forth, the middle area will seem to move towards the centre (contracting) and the outer edges will seem to be move away (expanding) from the centre. Also worth noting - if you fixate on a point in the centre and not move your eyes this anomalous motion will stop.

Sea Sickness
(Update: the web seems to have named this"The Purple Nurple Optical Illusion")
Walter Anthony(c)2007

WONDERS OF MATH - Fractals

This is a Fractal


The word FRACTAL was invented by Benoit Mandelbrot.
Fractals are interesting because as you zoom in closer, the pattern is just as beautiful and complex as when you start.

Besides beauty, fractals offer mathematical explanations about nature. If you look, you can see fractal patterns in landscapes, plants and more.


Fractals offer artists a way to create imaginary landscapes on the computer. Many movie backgrounds are created using fractal graphics.