Puzzle 42: The Measure of Survival

Puzzle Walkthrough

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Start with the weight relationships. “Sand weighed exactly 2 oz more than Mina’s vase” forces Mina to 17 oz and Sand to 19 oz. “Stones was the heaviest” fixes Stones at 20 oz. “Mina’s vase was filled before the 19 oz vase but after the Water vase” gives a strict order by time: Water → Mina (17) → Sand (19).

Lock in the fixed time anchors. “The search finished at 3:25 used Sea Glass” puts Sea Glass at 3:25. “Natasha’s vase was completed at 4:10.” “Dante finished immediately after the heaviest vase” means Dante’s time is the slot right after Stones. Since Stones is the heaviest, place it at 4:10 and Dante immediately after at 5:02. That makes Natasha the Stones carrier at 4:10, and Dante the 5:02 finisher — which, from the earlier chain, must be the 19 oz Sand vase (because Sand comes after Mina and after Water).

Place the Water and Shells times. Mina sits at 3:25 (Sea Glass 17), and she must be after Water and before Sand. The only times earlier than 3:25 are 2:12 and 2:48, so Water must be one of those. “Shells finished exactly one place before Water” forces the pair to be 2:12 (Shells) → 2:48 (Water).

Fit Suri and Harper. Suri didn’t finish first or last and weighed less than Harper. With Water at 2:48 and Shells at 2:12, assign Suri to 2:48 (Water). Then Harper naturally takes 2:12 (Shells). Set their weights so Suri < Harper and both < 19 (Harper’s vase weighed less than 19, and she didn’t use Sand or Stones). The only way is Suri at 13 oz and Harper at 14 oz. This also satisfies “the 14 oz vase finished earlier than both Sand and Stones.”

Finally, check the Sea Glass constraints. Sea Glass at 3:25 must weigh more than the 2:48 vase and more than Suri’s; with Sea Glass = 17, 2:48 = 13 and Suri = 13, this is satisfied. All clues are now met with no alternatives.

Answers

Harper finished at 2:12, filled Shells, and her vase weighed 14 oz.
Suri finished at 2:48, filled Water, and her vase weighed 13 oz.
Mina finished at 3:25, filled Sea Glass, and her vase weighed 17 oz.
Natasha finished at 4:10, filled Stones, and her vase weighed 20 oz.
Dante finished at 5:02, filled Sand, and his vase weighed 19 oz.

Natasha is farthest from 16 oz and is eliminated.

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