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Guerrilla Puzzling: A Model For Research, Marc Zimmer

Chemistry Faculty Publications

There are two main settings for puzzle solving in higher education: graduate programs, with professors and both graduate and postdoctoral students; and predominantly undergraduate institutions, with professors and students. Research programs at large universities are well-oiled puzzle-solving machines. Graduate students there work long, hard hours in the laboratory, under the supervision of postdocs and professors. Students at predominantly undergraduate institutions, on the other hand, can rarely devote more than 10 hours a week to research during the academic year, what with course work; extracurricular activities, like sports; jobs; and other commitments. In this article, the author describes "guerrilla puzzling," a …