One of the worlds hardest puzzles was solved for only the third time in nearly 90 years
A British comedian solved it in four months during the lockdown. There are 32 million possible combinations in the puzzle which is why it's so difficult
Created in 1934, by Edward Powys Mathers, a pioneer of advanced cryptic crosswords, Cain's Jawbone is one of the most difficult puzzles ever created. It consists of 100 cards, each containing the page of a murder mystery novel, and challenges you to put the cards in the right order and figure out who kills who in the book. It might not sound so tough, but only two people have been able to solve it in the last 86 years. Well, until Finnemore managed to do it, after working on it, on and off, for about four months.
With 32 million possible combinations, finding the correct order of the cards and deciphering the mystery of Cain's Jawbone is quite a feat. Finnemore said that he spread the pieces out on a bed and started researching various references and laws from the early 1900s, which really helped. In fact, the comedian recommends that anyone taking up the puzzle use Google, as it's not something you can solve without the right information. And if tough puzzles are your thing, maybe you should take on the challenge of becoming the first person to decipher Kryptos, the coded sculpture that no one has been able to figure out.
