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Ancient civilizations did marvelous things, and built wonderful reminders of their skill and creativity, such as the Great Pyramids. They used their intelligence in many ways, including to entertain themselves. They did not have radio or television, but instead relied on their brains to solve problems and develop creative solutions. From time to time, when we find the regular media is rather dull, or we feel that our minds need a bit of a workout, we will turn to brain twisters and riddles, or crossword puzzles. It is one of the ways that we explore our thought processes, and how we encourage our own creative side. Without riddles and puzzles, our brains become rather dull themselves. All people have a deep need for activities that shape the mind and help us develop new ideas and concepts. Some of the games we play today are based on those that were played in ancient times, with innovations and changes made over the centuries. Sudoku is a game that may well have been played in ancient times, and it has a beautiful simplicity, yet can be wonderfully challenging. And the history of Sudoku is fascinating, too. The word "Sudoku" is another name for "number place". Derived from the Japanese language, "Sudoku" refers to a logic-based placement. A type of puzzle game, in other words. The first Sudoku puzzle was published in 1979, in a US magazine. The puzzle traveled to Japan, where it exploded with popularity. If translated into English phrases, the name "Sudoku" would actually be "the digits must remain single", though the word Sudoku is actually an abbreviation of the original Japanese name. The name has gathered various manners of pronunciation in different countries, but the basic standards of the game have not been altered. The puzzle enhances your mental processes. There are simple basic rules to follow when solving a Sudoku puzzle. Retired architect and freelance puzzle constructor Howard Garns created Sudoku while in his late 70s. Mr. Garns created puzzles for a living, so he knew the tricks to creating a great puzzle. The idea for Sudoku was derived from that of Euler's "Latin Square" puzzle. Howard Garns took the ancient game and altered it by adding a "third dimension". In the Sudoku version, Garns also provided the player with a partially completed grid that required the solver to complete the rest of the blank grids. Only after arriving in Japan did the name "Sudoku" get applied to the game, which Garns had named "Number Place." Later, the name was copyrighted by a Japanese company, though the puzzle itself was launched in Britain and then around the world. For the first few years, players used paper and pencil to play the game, but in 1989, a computerized version was introduced. More recently, a Rubik's Cube style version of Sudoku has been constructed. In the year 1997, the popularity of Sudoku in the media had reached overwhelming heights. A Hong Kong judge named Wayne Gould became so engulfed by the game, he developed his own computerized version of a Sudoku creator. Nationwide, newspapers would print the puzzles and sell out quickly. World media acknowledged Sudoku as the "fastest growing puzzle in the world". By 2005, Sudoku was at the peak of its popularity. Though the puzzle alone is fascinating, the history of Sudoku adds something to the playing of the game as well. Ancient beginnings, modern computer technology, and a cross-cultural acceptance have all led to its current status. Say a thanks to Howard Garns, for bringing hours of puzzle pleasures to our lives.
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Terence Uniacke loves writing for several popular contemporary Internet magazines, on hobby center and ultimate hobby themes. Click here to get your own unique version of this article.
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