The night before the big Death Race across the Wastelands, something terrible happened. Your uncle, the brilliant inventor Slate Kanoli, was kidnapped by the No-Side gang. They left you with a tough choice: race his amazing car, the Coil Runner, against them. If you win, they’ll give your uncle back. If you lose, you’ll lose the Coil Runner and all of his other inventions.
The race begins, and you quickly realize you’re falling behind. Your only hope is a secret shortcut your uncle mentioned—the Flux Ravine gambit. Luckily, the Coil Runner has emergency turbo thrusters. But there’s a catch: your uncle loved to tinker with things, and the thrusters have some problems. They might not start, the reactor could leak, or the oxygen might run out—any of which could end your race for good.
Before he was taken, Uncle Slate figured out that each problem was caused by a chain reaction starting in the thrusters. He knew that one thruster could cause two different problems, and two thrusters could each cause the same problem, but no problem was caused by two thrusters working together. Unfortunately, he didn’t figure out which thruster caused which problem. All you have are his notes from test runs:
You need to use as many thrusters as possible to make the jump, without causing any of the three major failures. Which thrusters should you use?
The key is to understand that just because one thing causes another, the reverse isn’t always true. For example, if you turn off the Coil Runner’s engine with a panic switch, the engine stops. But if the engine is off, it doesn’t mean the panic switch was used—it could be out of fuel or turned off normally. However, if the engine is running, the panic switch wasn’t used.
Let’s start by looking at the last two notes, which give direct clues about the failures. The Gravitometer spins in both cases, but the outcomes are different. This means the spinning Gravitometer isn’t the cause of any specific failure. If it were, the same thing would happen each time.
So, we can conclude that a glowing Fuel gauge makes the reactor leak, while a rattling Helium tank causes the Ignition to malfunction and depletes the Oxygen levels. Once we know which two problems to avoid, we can make a table and use logic to see which thrusters trigger them. Since the Helium tank is fine during the first test run when thrusters B and C are active, we can assume neither makes it rattle. From the third run, we know that D and E don’t either. That leaves thruster A, which was indeed used in the second and fourth test runs where the Helium tank rattled.
Now, what causes the glowing Fuel gauge? From the fourth test run, we know it can’t be thrusters A, D, or E. So is the culprit B, C, or each of them separately? The answer can be found in the second and third test runs: the Fuel tank glowed in both, but B was activated in one, and C in the other. That means the B and C thrusters each independently make the Fuel tank glow. It looks like the A, B, and C thrusters are off limits. Fortunately, the other two are just enough to clear the jump.
You zoom into first place, and the gang reluctantly gives your uncle back. He thanks you a lot and decides to celebrate your win with a cup of tea from his newest invention…
Review the notes from Uncle Slate’s test runs. Create a table to track which thrusters cause which problems. Use this table to determine which thrusters can be safely used without causing major failures. This will help you understand how to solve the riddle logically.
Imagine you are a detective trying to solve the mystery of the thrusters. Write a short story or script where you interview the thrusters as if they were characters, asking them about their roles in causing the problems. This will help you think creatively about problem-solving.
Create a board game based on the Death Race scenario. Design the game to include challenges related to the thruster problems and the solutions. This will help you understand the sequence of events and the logic needed to win the race.
Form small groups and discuss different strategies to solve the riddle. Debate which thrusters should be used and why. This will encourage you to articulate your reasoning and consider different perspectives.
Draw a comic strip that illustrates the story of the Death Race and the process of solving the thruster riddle. Use visuals to show the cause-and-effect relationships between the thrusters and the problems. This will help you visualize the problem-solving process.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
The night before the Death Race across the Wastelands is set to begin, your uncle, the great inventor Slate Kanoli, was kidnapped by the No-Side gang. The only way to get him back is to race his Coil Runner against the gang yourself. Win, and they’ll return your uncle. Lose, and you’ll forfeit the Coil Runner and all his other creations.
As the grueling race gets underway, you find yourself falling further behind. Your only chance is to take a shortcut your uncle told you about—the Flux Ravine gambit. Fortunately, the Coil Runner comes equipped with emergency turbo thrusters. Unfortunately, your uncle was a notorious tinkerer, and the system still had some issues to resolve, such as the ignition malfunctioning, the reactor leaking, or the oxygen levels depleting—any of which could end your racing career immediately.
Before his kidnapping, Uncle Slate determined that each of these critical failures was the result of a chain reaction originating in the thrusters. He was also certain that while one factor could trigger two different effects, and two factors could each independently lead to the same effect, no effect is caused by two factors in conjunction. However, Uncle Slate never pinpointed which thruster was responsible for which error. All you have are the notes from his test runs:
1. When thrusters B and C are on, the Fuel gauge glows.
2. When thrusters A, B, and D are on, the Fuel gauge glows and the Helium tank rattles.
3. When thrusters C, D, and E are on, the Fuel gauge glows and the Gravitometer spins.
4. When thrusters A, D, and E are on, the Gravitometer spins and the Helium tank rattles.
5. Shortly after the Helium tank rattles and the Gravitometer spins, the Ignition malfunctions and the Oxygen levels deplete.
6. Shortly after the Fuel gauge glows and the Gravitometer spins, the Reactor leaks.
You need to use as many thrusters as possible to give yourself the best chance at clearing the gap, without triggering any of the three catastrophic failures. Which thrusters should you activate?
The most important thing to remember here is that even if we know that one thing causes another, the converse is not necessarily true. For example, this panic switch shuts off the Coil Runner’s engine. But the engine being off doesn’t necessarily mean the panic switch was engaged—the Coil Runner could be out of fuel, damaged, or turned off normally. We can, however, conclude that if the engine is running, the panic switch hasn’t been engaged.
With that in mind, one way we can start is to work backwards from the three defects that could knock you out of the race. Let’s look at Slate’s last two notes, since they give direct information about those. The Gravitometer spins in both cases, but the results are different. That means the spinning Gravitometer can’t be the cause of any particular malfunction. If it were, the same thing would happen each time.
So we can conclude that a glowing Fuel gauge makes the reactor leak, while a rattling Helium tank causes the Ignition to malfunction and depletes the Oxygen levels. Once we know which two errors we need to avoid, we can make a table and use the logic of cause and effect to see which thrusters trigger them. Since the Helium tank is fine during the first test run when thrusters B and C are active, we can assume neither makes it rattle. From the third run, we know that D and E don’t either. That leaves thruster A, which was indeed used in the second and fourth test runs where the Helium tank rattled.
Now, what causes the glowing Fuel gauge? From the fourth test run, we know it can’t be thrusters A, D, or E. So is the culprit B, C, or each of them separately? The answer can be found in the second and third test runs: the Fuel tank glowed in both, but B was activated in one, and C in the other. That means the B and C thrusters each independently make the Fuel tank glow. It looks like the A, B, and C thrusters are off limits. Fortunately, the other two are just enough to clear the jump.
You rocket into first place, and the gang begrudgingly hands over your uncle. He thanks you profusely and decides to celebrate your victory with a cup of tea from his latest contraption…
—
This version removes any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content while retaining the essence of the story.
Race – A competition to see who or what can achieve something the fastest – In the science fair, the students had a race to see whose model car could travel the fastest using only solar power.
Thrusters – Devices used to propel a spacecraft or other vehicle by expelling gas or liquid – The engineers tested the thrusters to ensure the spacecraft could maneuver correctly in space.
Fuel – A material that is burned or consumed to produce energy – The rocket needed a special type of fuel to reach the outer atmosphere.
Gauge – An instrument for measuring or testing – The scientist used a gauge to measure the pressure inside the sealed container.
Oxygen – A gas that is essential for most forms of life on Earth – The astronauts carried tanks of oxygen to breathe while they were on the moon.
Problems – Situations that are difficult to deal with or solve – The team encountered several problems with the experiment, but they used critical thinking to find solutions.
Gravity – The force that attracts a body toward the center of the Earth, or toward any other physical body having mass – Gravity is the reason why objects fall to the ground when dropped.
Logic – A way of thinking that uses reason and is based on facts – Using logic, the students were able to deduce the correct answer to the physics problem.
Invention – A new device, method, or process developed from study and experimentation – The invention of the telescope allowed scientists to explore the universe in greater detail.
Shortcut – A quicker or more direct route or method to achieve something – The teacher showed the class a shortcut for solving complex equations more efficiently.
