Only Connect

[SparkOut]

I shan't spoil the outcome for anyone who hasn't been able to see it yet, but I will applaud the introduction of the word "xyzzy" in a national TV programme

PS @Ali what MIT Hunt team do you play with?

[livecodeali]

Since 2014 I've hunted with team 'Rage' - we're always some sort of pun on the word, this year we were called 'Non-Abelian Rage Theory' as the initial theme was a Physics conference. My first was with Manic Sages in 2012, who actually won it, so I was part of the writing team in 2013.

[SparkOut]

Woo! I think I vaguely remember seeing vertexillology that year, but I could easily be confusing with another one from any other time. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do it, anyway. (Team Unseen - I'm the resident stone frog, as in "as much use as...").

[livecodeali]

Ah cool, that was probably the most successful of the ones we wrote I reckon! Are you part of a small UK based contingent of a mostly American team? Have you ever been there in person? I would love to some day!

Btw, my latest ep is up on YT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl9j2V81y8Y

[SparkOut]

Well, a long time ago a lateral puzzles forum started and has a handful of members across Europe (notably a few Austrians) and one or two worldwide. One of those is married to the Team Unseen captain, and one year thought to invite the rest of the forum to take part. There has been some ebb and flow over time, and we've slowly got a bit more competent at using collaboration tools to make it work.
In 2008 we had a EuroMIT meetup in The Netherlands with some of the Europeans, and a few years ago I went to another near Linz where the Austrian cohort tend to gather for the event. I have been disappointed not to have been able to go since.
One of the Austrians took part on campus in 2019. I too would love to be able to one day.
We're pretty small but we ususlly don't do too badly, despite my stone frogness, but never in danger of finding the coin.
We did storm the first CiSRA hunt in 2012 though, under the name yope.

[SparkOut]

I think there's two British members although we try to introduce some others from different puzzling sites now and then. Actually the other Brit is one I poached from Codex to hunt with us - then Codex won.

[livecodeali]

Heh, me, Katie and Paul have done the CiSRA hunt since around 2011 - I think we came about 13th in 2012! Our team name in the smaller hunts is ManMaths or some variation thereon. We used to have a few more people from the Manchester maths dept doing the Australian hunts around that time, and got a few top tens or thereabouts.

[mwieder]

Hah! xyzzy was the only thing I could think of as well.

[johanamilton]

Go Ali! Never give up!