TED-Ed: Can you solve the temple riddle? - Dennis E. Shasha

An expedition team reaches the heart of an ancient temple in The Lost City, only to trigger a curse that possesses two of the students. The team must navigate a series of hallways to escape before the temple collapses. The leader, who is not cursed, devises a plan to split the group into trios and a pair to identify the truthful path. By analyzing the reports from each group, they determine the correct path and escape just in time, freeing themselves from the curse.

What event triggered the curse in the ancient temple?

• Touching the sandglass

• Bumping into the altar

• Reading the inscriptions

• Entering the wrong hallway

How many students are suspected to be cursed?

• Three

• One

• Four

• Two

What is the main reason for sending one person alone down a path?

• To save time

• To ensure at least one truthful report

• To confuse the cursed students

• To find hidden treasures

Why is it important to have two trios and one pair in the exploration strategy?

• To ensure at least one group provides a truthful report

• To confuse the cursed students

• To cover more ground quickly

• To make the exploration more exciting

What indicates that the group has successfully identified the correct path?

• All groups return with the same report

• The pair argues while the trios agree

• The sandglass stops flowing

• The temple stops shaking