June 25, 2010
Brandon Lloyd
Allan Neuwirth
George Arthur Bloom
Trying numbers
"The Hacker's Challenge" is the first episode of Season 8 and the Cyberchase Summer Challenge.
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
Recurring/Minor Characters[]
- Tour Guide (mentioned)
- T.W. Parallini
- Mary
- Fluff
- Slider
- Jules
- Creech
- Gnomie
- Lumafish
- Sedimentary Sentry
Places[]
Synopsis[]
To prove once and for all that he’s smarter than the CyberSquad, Hacker challenges the kids and their friends to solve a series of puzzles. But this isn’t just fun and games – the fate of cybersite Solaria hangs in the balance. Solve all the puzzles in under three hours, and Solaria is saved… but fail, and the favorite vacation spot will be reformatted into digital garbage!
Plot[]
A reunion with the cybersquad and their friends is interrupted by Hacker, who demonstrates his invention the Reconfiguratron, which can turn anything into cybercode and he threatens to use it on Solaria and turn it into cybercode. He offers them a challenge to solve a set of puzzles in three hours or he will turn Solaria into binary. The Cybersquad accepts and at Solaria, Buzz and Delete give them gizmos that will help them during the challenge and confiscate their skwakpads (teams aren't allowed to talk to other teams during the challenge). Then, the teams set out to solve their puzzles.
Yellow Team's (Jackie, Slider, and Fluff) puzzle involves them going through the forest of Solaria while avoiding the creatures there and to a wall of spiders and 6 holes that form a pyramid. The team has to put the 6 spiders in a hole, and the numbers of the spiders on the holes of each side combined must be 9. Jackie reveals she isn't afraid of cute bugs, and that Slider and Fluff also have a fondness for little animals. Slider takes the first three numbered spiders and puts them in one side. However, 1 + 2 + 3 only adds up to 6, which is less than 9. This means putting the smallest numbers in a row won't work. Slider decides to put the biggest numbers in the corners. 4 + 5 is 9. However, there is a number missing. Fluff says the other sides don't work either because they're too big. 4 + 6 = 10 and 5 + 6 = 11. As a result, they have to mix big and small numbers from each side. They should get one side right and go from there. 2 + 3 = 5 and the middle one has to be 4. 2 + 3 + 4 = 9. The side works. Slider places a 1 beside the 2. 3 + 1 = 4. So the last slot has to be a 5. 3 + 1 + 5 = 9, which makes two sides add up to 9. Slider puts the 6 between the 2 and the 5. However, that side adds up to 13. Jackie suggests switching the 1 and the 5, which Slider does. 2 + 6 + 1 = 9. 3 + 5 + 1 = 9. 2 + 4 + 3 = 9. It worked and they leave for the Reconfiguratron.
Purple Team's (Inez, Jules, and Creech) puzzle involves them entering the Grotto of Sunken Skulls and solving riddles told to them by the stone master. However, they meet Troglobytes on the way. However, they are able to get them to move by asking them politely and they go through. However, they get trapped and find the Sedimentary Sentry and it tells them to solve the puzzle. The number the stone master is thinking of is less than 10. That number is also a multiple of 3, when that number is subtracted by 4, they will get a number that is divisible by 5. Jules writes the clues down. They get only two guesses. They identify the numbers that are less than 10 and multiples of 3. The possible numbers are 3, 6, and 9. Jules guesses 6, which is wrong. This leaves the team with only one more guess. They are only left with 3 and 9. Inez asks about the other clues. Jules says that when the number is subtracted by 4 they will get a number that is divisible by 5. Creech says it's not 3 because 3 - 4 = -1. Jules says it's not 6, because they already said that. This leaves 9 as the only right answer. Inez tests it with a bunch of stones. 9 - 4 = 5 and 5 / 5 = 1. 9 meets all three requirements and they say 9 is the mystery number. 9 is indeed the correct answer and the Sedimentary Sentry lets the kids go.
Green Team's (Matt, T.W., and Digit) puzzle involves them crossing rapids and a whirlpool in a raft to reach a lake of Lumafish, then catching two whose numbers add up to 9 and multiply to 20, so they glow. The kids try 8 and 1, but the Lumafish are not glowing. Matt is confused because 8 and 1 make 9. T.W. says the numbers also have to multiply to 20. 8 * 1 is only 8. They try 7 and 2 which also add up to 9, but they only multiply to 14. The next numbers are 6 and 3, but it's still not 20. Those numbers only multiply to 18. They eventually find the correct numbers, 5 and 4, which add up to 9, and multiply to 20 and they proceed to the Reconfiguratron.
Once the teams rendezvous, Hacker stalls the teams from shutting down the Reconfiguratron by asking them to solve a puzzle and they also have to solve it in four minutes before Solaria becomes a data dump. Buzz and Delete show and tell them about their final puzzle. One gnome is wearing one hat and two boots and Buzz asks them how many gnomes equal a combination of 66 boots and hats. Delete tells them that they have to solve it in one guess and enter the answer before the timer reaches zero or they lose. They start off with one gnome. One gnome is wearing one hat and two boots, that is combination of 3. They try 10 gnomes where 10 gnomes would be wearing 10 hats and 20 boots, with a combination of 30. Still too few from 66. They try 30 gnomes where 30 gnomes are wearing 30 hats and 60 boots, with a combination of 90. Way too much. They then pick a number in the middle. 20. 20 gnomes are wearing 20 hats and 40 boots, with a combination of 60. They're almost there, just a little short. Any additional gnome will add a combination of 3. 21 gnomes are wearing 21 hats and 42 boots, with a combination of 63 and 22 gnomes are wearing 22 hats and 44 boots, with a combination of 66. They get they answer of 22 gnomes and switch off the machine with only eight seconds to spare. Hacker is furious, telling his duncebuckets to restart it. But when they do, they actually turn the machine towards Hacker's ship, turning it into binary and throwing Hacker into the sea and Buzz and Delete are disappointed about it.
Trivia[]
This is the first episode to air in 2010 and the 2010s decade.
- The first three puzzles are associated with the number 9 in some way or another.
- It is unknown how the Grim Wreaker or Motherboard came back after the end of this episode.
Transcript[]
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
External Links[]
PBS KIDS - Cyberchase Videos - The Hacker's Challenge
Gallery[]
