Brainteaser answer

Several people came up with solutions to yesterday's puzzle that only required moving one matchstick, but only one person found the real answer. For reference, the equation was this:

I + XI = X
And the challenge was to work out what the fewest numbers of moves was required to make a valid equation.

delta_mike spotted the obvious solution of moving the second I to the far right, giving I + X = XI (this is the one I tried originally). talismancer came up with a slight variation on this as well.

Bonus marks to omgimsuchadork for the inventive answer of moving the I to create I + XI ≠ X

One guy at work found yet another 1-move solution: I - XI = -X

Of course, this is a trick question and so none of those are correct. ( The answer )

The Secret Life of the National Grid

Bonus second post!

While randomly channel hopping I tripped across The Secret Life of the National Grid on BBC 4, which turned out to be a rather interesting documentary on the social aspects of having electricity. You don't really realise until you step back and look at the whole history of it as to just how large the impact of electricity is on everyday life.