TED-Ed: Daniel Finkel: Can you solve the unstoppable blob riddle?

A hideous blob threatens the planet, growing rapidly and unstoppable by conventional means. However, it has a vulnerability: when it sleeps, it forms a triangle. By cutting the blob into acute triangles, it can be rendered inert. The challenge is to make these cuts efficiently before the blob wakes up. The solution involves cutting the blob into a pentagon and then into five acute triangles, saving the planet.

What happens to the blob when it is divided into an acute and an obtuse triangle?

• Both triangles become inert.

• The acute triangle becomes inert, and the obtuse triangle continues to grow.

• Both triangles continue to grow.

• The obtuse triangle becomes inert, and the acute triangle continues to grow.

What is the main challenge when trying to cut the blob into acute triangles?

• The blob heals too quickly.

• The cuts create obtuse and right angles.

• The blob changes shape constantly.

• The blob is too large to cut.

How many cuts are allowed to make the blob inert?

• 5 cuts

• 6 cuts

• 7 cuts

• 8 cuts

What shape is used as inspiration to solve the blob problem?

• Square

• Pizza

• Circle

• Octagon

What shape does the blob need to be transformed into before making the final cuts?

• Octagon

• Heptagon

• Pentagon

• Hexagon