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About 30 years ago I remember playing with this puzzle. It was a device that was mainly a cylinder about 6 inches in diameter and perhaps 3 inches tall. The base was black plastic, and there were multiple plastic wafer discs stacked on each other to make up the height of the cylinder. There were 8 black plastic "levers" sticking out of the top. These could be slid toward the center or the edge of the cylinder, if the slots cut into the various wafers allowed. Moving the pins also caused one or more of the wafers to rotate.

The idea was to move all the black levers from the center to the edge, or vice versa. I now know the solution was basically binary counting (although at that time I simply discovered the pattern) - each of the levers represented a bit, and the value as a whole could only increment or decrement by one (only two levers could really be moved at any one time, and one was always the LSB).

Can someone provide me with information about this puzzle? I'm particularly interested in the shape of the wafer discs, but a product name would at least get me started.

Steve
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  • It sounds like a very interesting take on: https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/36302/does-this-metal-puzzle-have-a-solution-baguenaudier/ – LeppyR64 May 15 '19 at 17:14

1 Answers1

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Is it Magnif's Brain puzzle?

Magnif's Brain puzzle

And video (thanks to AK19!)

Kate Gregory
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Carley
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    Yes I think it is the one the OP asked. Here is a you tube link, you may attach it with your answer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6V1UlEzdD8 – 19aksh May 15 '19 at 06:01
  • Handsome design and intriguing challenge, but also handsome design! Oh, and intriguing challenge too! And high quality, although the product description says "It's A Value Pack Of 100 Assorted Preformed Coin Wrappers To Organize Your Money". It's a puzzle in itself! – Mohirl May 15 '19 at 09:31
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    Yep, that's it! The version I used looked a lot more like the one in the video @Ak19 posted, but that is still slightly different. I don't remember those black "wings" coming out the side of the cylinder. – Steve May 16 '19 at 02:27
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    Ah, it did have the wings ... I just never remember them being out! Anyway, thanks for finding this for me :) – Steve May 16 '19 at 02:32