Hard Knox with Amanda Knox Old School: The Aha Moment (AJ Jacobs)
Oct 31, 2025
A.J. Jacobs, a nonfiction author known for his immersive experiments, dives into the fascinating world of puzzles. He explores how puzzles spark creativity and discusses his adventurous journey through various puzzle communities, including the MIT Mystery Hunt. Jacobs highlights the historical impact of puzzle crazes, the art and strategy behind jigsaw puzzles, and the importance of puzzles in problem-solving and empathy. He also teases a hidden puzzle in his book, inviting listeners to engage with the puzzling mysteries of life.
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Lifelong Puzzle Passion Turns Into A Book
- A.J. Jacobs has long loved puzzles and treated them as his solace growing up.
- He finally used COVID as a chance to dive deep and write a book about that lifelong passion.
The Aha Moment Drives Innovation
- Jacobs links the puzzle 'aha' moment to human creativity and innovation.
- He argues that the same pleasure that fuels puzzle solving also sparks inventions like the wheel and vaccines.
Kryptos Inspires Decades of Obsession
- Jacobs visited the CIA to learn about the unsolved sculpture cipher 'Kryptos' which still resists full decoding.
- He admired the decades-long dedication of thousands attempting to crack it and compared it to his kids giving up quickly on hard problems.
