RECOVERY MODE All hints

Page 48Half Charged

Dear Santa

Reality Called In Sick

Find the 5 things that don’t belong in 1956.

TipOpen one step at a time. The answer always asks twice, so nothing gets spoiled by accident.

1NudgeOpen

Cross off the decoys first. These look modern but were fine in 1956: the Slinky (1945), Monopoly (1935), the transistor radio (1954) and the teddy bear (1902).

2CloserOpen

One intruder is the Barbie doll: launched 9 Mar 1959.

Still to find: a puzzle cube, a cassette player, a handheld game and a water gun.

3AnswerAsks twice

This shows the full answer. Sure?

Yes, show me
  • The Barbie doll · 1959
  • The Rubik’s Cube · 1974
  • The Walkman · 1979
  • The Game Boy · 1989
  • The Super Soaker · 1990
★Solved it? The story behind the datesContains the answers

This shows the full answer. Sure?

Yes, show me

Everything in the document on one timeline. Yellow dots arrived too late.

  1. 1902The teddy bearFine
    Named 1902.Source: Theodore Roosevelt Center
  2. 1935MonopolyFine
    On sale 1935.Source: Smithsonian NMAH
  3. 1945The SlinkyFine
    First sold 1945.Source: Smithsonian Magazine
  4. 1954The transistor radioFine
    Launched October 1954.Source: Smithsonian Magazine
  5. 1956 · the document is dated here
  6. 1959The Barbie dollNot yet
    Launched 9 Mar 1959.Source: Britannica
  7. 1974The Rubik’s CubeNot yet
    Invented 1974.Source: Wikipedia
  8. 1979The WalkmanNot yet
    Launched 1 Jul 1979.Source: Nippon.com
  9. 1989The Game BoyNot yet
    Launched 1989.Source: Smithsonian Magazine
  10. 1990The Super SoakerNot yet
    First sold 1990.Source: The Strong National Museum of Play

Every answer is also printed at the back of the book, with its page number.

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