TED Talk Tuesday #189 – Can you solve the virus riddle?

Watching TED Talks is a popular pastime at CN&CO. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. It’s also a way that the CN&CO team play their part on spreading ideas and helping to make the world a better place. This week’s talk is posted by Kurt Solomon. Here’s why he chose it:

I decided to mix things up a bit for this week’s TED Talk Tuesday and chose a TED- Ed riddle by Lisa winer.

I have always loved riddles, as it really gets the brain working in overdrive. The different conclusions you come up with and just when you think you have got it, you are pleasantly surprised by a different answer. This specific riddle is focused around a virus – go figure.

“Your research team has found a prehistoric virus preserved in the permafrost and isolated it for study. After a late-night working, you’re just closing up the lab when a sudden earthquake hits and breaks all the sample vials. Will you be able to destroy the virus before the vents open and unleash a deadly airborne plague?“

See if you can solve the riddle before it gives you the answer, dont forget to pause the video when it prompts you to do so. Post in the comment section if managed to crack it or not. Good luck!