After getting a new alarm clock for our master bedroom, I determined that the clock is entirely too bright. It kept me awake for most of the night, as every minute it changed the time and burned a new pattern in to my retinas. As I laid there, unable to sleep, I started thinking “Is this it? Is this the brightest time I am going to see? Can it get any worse?”
This week’s puzzle of the week comes in two parts. The first part is straightforward – what times, as presented on the clock’s LED face, are the brightest and the dimmest? Assume that each segment gives off the same amount of sleep-depriving light, and that the clock represents civilian-time (and not 24-hour time.) The second part of this week’s puzzle is a little more challenging – what 90 minute periods (i.e., from 2:04 to 3:33, etc.) represent the clock’s dimmest and brightest periods? That is, when do I have the best shot at shuteye, and when should I not even try?
Please note that the email to which you should send your entries has changed. To be considered for a chance at this week’s $50 ThinkGeek gift certificate, please send your entry to GeekDad Central, now at contact.geekdad@gmail.com. Good luck, and please wish me luck on my quest for REM.
