1 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Odd Lots Podcast. 2 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy Alloway and I'm Joe Wisenthal. Joe, have you 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: ever watched something called Midnight Madness? I cannot say that 4 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: raise the book, Okay, it's uh this movie from I 5 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: think it came out in and it's about this group 6 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: of college students and they go on an all night 7 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: scavenger hunt slash puzzle solving competition and they go all 8 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: around l A having these sort of wacky adventures while 9 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: they compete to win the Ultimate Midnight Madness Prize that 10 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: doesn't ring a bell. It doesn't ring a bell, but 11 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: it sounds amazing because a and eighties movie be a 12 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: scavenger hunt with a bunch of puzzles and sea going 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: around l A, one of my favorite cities. So I 14 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: feel like I have to watch this movie right away. Okay, 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: well I'll give you a little bit of a preview. 16 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: Take a listen to this reb large The Ultimate Game 17 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: that requires sophisticated stratege and rigorous self control rib large dlss. 18 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: I'm totally going to have that Midnight Madness song stuck 19 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: in my head. Now I have to watch that movie. Now, 20 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:30,960 Speaker 1: you totally should okay, But there's a reason why I'm 21 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: bringing it up because on this very special episode of 22 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: the Odd Thoughts podcast, we are going to talk all 23 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: about a variation of Midnight Madness, a very special variation. 24 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: So are people actually doing scavenger hunts around l A? Uh? Yeah, 25 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 1: some people definitely are doing scavenger hunts around l A. 26 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: But they're doing scavenger hunts across other US cities and 27 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: for the first time ever, a scavenger hunt in London. 28 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: So let me just back up for one second. Midnight 29 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: Madness is the scavenger hunt slash puzzle solving competition that 30 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: became a really big thing on Wall Street um just 31 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: after the financial crisis. It was sponsored by a bunch 32 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: of big banks, big financial institutions, and you had a 33 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: lot of those financial institutions putting forth teams of you know, 34 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:27,399 Speaker 1: quants and traders, all competing in the name of charity 35 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: to try to win this Midnight Madness event. Now, for 36 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: many years it was held in New York, and in 37 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: two thousand eighteen, for the first time ever, it was 38 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: held in London. And Joe, I'm really happy to say 39 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: I was able to compete in Midnight Madness and it 40 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: was a very very cool experience. I am already so 41 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: jealous and I haven't heard your description of it. It's 42 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: killing me, all right, So I'm gonna tell you all 43 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: about it. You will feel like you are there. But 44 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: before we do that, have a listen to what Alicia 45 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: Weasel had to say about it. He's the chief information 46 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: officer over at Goldman Sachson. He's also a long time 47 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: participant in Midnight Madness and also one of the first 48 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: organizers of it. So I started I rebooted Midnight Madness 49 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: UM in two thousand and twelve. And the important thing 50 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: to realize is the movie Midnight Madness spawned an entire 51 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: following of puzzle hunts, of which Midnight Madness New York 52 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: was only one, and there were, um there are all 53 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: sorts of things in the Bay Area. Various college campuses 54 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: have them. M I t has a mystery hunt UM. 55 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: So it's the phenomena of puzzle hunt I believe really 56 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: took off with the Midnight Madness movie and in the 57 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: nineties to college students at Columbia, Dan Michaelson and Matt 58 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: labor Witz. Really, Matt label Witz was the prime mover 59 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: along with Dan, they decided to host their own Midnight 60 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: Madness in New York for their friends. They did it 61 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: really on a shoe string budget. It was offered for 62 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: free for their friends. I played all the way through 63 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 1: the rest of the series, and then finally in I 64 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: think it was two thousand and eight, Midnight Madness ten 65 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: was the last of that series of the for free, 66 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: just for fun um Midnight Madness is that Matt and 67 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: Dan orchestrated. I missed it when it went away quite 68 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: a lot. And in two thousand and twelve, there was 69 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: a couple of things happening. I wanted to do something 70 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: different for my fortieth birthday. I was looking for a 71 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: way to fund raise for the nonprofit that I was 72 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:37,679 Speaker 1: involved with, and I was very much missing Midnight Madness 73 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: in this incredible form of creative expression, and uh, I 74 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: just decided to put them all together. So that was 75 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: Alicia talking about how he started the current round of 76 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: Midnight Madness, and I got to say, Joe, you know, 77 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: you think all nights scavenger hunt, but this is a 78 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: scavenger hunt on a whole another level. The amount of 79 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: organization that has gone into these events is absolutely incredible. Yeah, 80 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 1: and I have to imagine giving given the participants banks, 81 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: as you said, traders and quads and the people who 82 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 1: originated it, I'm guessing this is kind of a next 83 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 1: level scavenger hunt in terms of the brain power required 84 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: to succeed. Oh my gosh. Okay, so, first of all, 85 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: there's a lot of physical energy involved because you are 86 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: actually running around, in this case the city of London. 87 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: But yeah, the amount of brain power that's needed to 88 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 1: complete these puzzles is off the charts, I would say. So, 89 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: you know, I mentioned that this was the first time 90 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: it was happening in London. I was part of a 91 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: Goldman Sacks team. We had about I think it was 92 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: ten people in the end, eight girls, three guys, and 93 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: we gathered one Saturday afternoon, around seven pm on Saturday 94 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 1: in the city of London. Uh So we gather after 95 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: all this preparation, and I really have to stress. We 96 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: worked so hard to get ready for this event. Everyone 97 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: on our team bought little scooters that we would be 98 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: able to take around London. I know you love scooters, Joe. 99 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 1: We had backpacks filled with supplies like energy bars, lots 100 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: of Red Bull things that we thought might be useful 101 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: on the evening and finally we all meet up at 102 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: seven pm in the city of London a place called 103 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: Banking Hall and um, we sit down, we meet each 104 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: other for the first time ever. The team, my team 105 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: was called the sec Bombs Joe and you can laugh 106 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: at that if you want. Um, and we sit down 107 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 1: and we listen to this guy get up on stage 108 00:06:43,680 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: and he starts giving a speech. Holy word, we comuniver cure. Wait, 109 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:21,080 Speaker 1: so you had to cure baldness on your scavenger hunt. Yeah, yeah, 110 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: we did. Actually we had to find a cure for baldness. 111 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 1: And basically what it involved is you, Um, you had 112 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: to solve a puzzle that would lead you onto another location, 113 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: and then at that location you'd find another puzzle and 114 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: so on and so forth. And you were basically going 115 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: around London collecting ingredients that would eventually become the basis 116 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: for this cure for baldness. And you won Midnight Madness 117 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: if you were able to deliver the cure to the 118 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: President of the Royal Society and get a certificate before 119 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: anyone else. Actually did that end cross the finish line. 120 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: So that was the ultimate objective. So what are the rules? 121 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: So I have to be honest, there aren't that many. Uh. 122 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: The big one is no private form of motorized transport, 123 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: so you can't hire your own cab or uber or 124 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: take your own car and drive around London. You are, however, 125 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: allowed to have non motorized transport, which is why we 126 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: had little scooters and I think at some point another 127 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: one of the teams had bikes. And then the other 128 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: big rule is you're not allowed to tamper with any 129 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: of the clues. So if you go into another location 130 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: that has a big puzzle and you're the first team 131 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: that makes it there, you're not allowed to start tampering 132 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: with that puzzle and try to make sense. You can't 133 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: wreck it for the people behind. Yeah, Although that said, 134 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,720 Speaker 1: what you can do is you can leave false clues 135 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: for the other teams, which is something that did actually 136 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: happen that evening. So it's complicated and it's involved, and 137 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: it's started at seven pm and it goes all freaking night. Okay, 138 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: So what did you do once you got the riddle? Okay? 139 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: So we had our mission right. We had the President 140 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: of the Royal Society say we need to find the 141 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 1: cure for baldness, and we sat down with our first puzzle, 142 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: where with all these other teams in this banking hall 143 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,239 Speaker 1: and we're trying to figure out what the next location 144 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: of the evening is. The secret order of those request 145 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: the pleasure of your company eleven pm E C three 146 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: M full DT. Does that make any sense to you, Joe, 147 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: I think I would just quit at this point. I've 148 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: already so discouraged. I know, honestly, I would just be like, 149 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm going home. Yeah. So, um, there 150 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: were moments that evening where I was certainly tempted to quit. 151 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: But let me try to explain to you how it works. 152 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: So the first puzzle that we got was this sheet 153 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: filled with these sort of mismatched words. Um, so it 154 00:09:55,320 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: would say things like bacon baby too, Posh Spice. Eventually 155 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:05,359 Speaker 1: we figured out that those were the names of tube stations. 156 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: So Posh Spice was Victoria Station in London. And if 157 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: you matched all these things up on top of a 158 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: tube map, eventually you would spell out certain letters. And 159 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: the letters that you spelled out were National Car Park 160 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:28,760 Speaker 1: Great Eastern Streets, so it was NCPG E S. And 161 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: that was the first clue to the first location of 162 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: the evening. You see how involved this is, Joe. Like 163 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: I said, I think even after you explained that to me, 164 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: even I think I would just be so discouraged, uh 165 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: that I would probably give up here. But okay, I 166 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't because it sounds fun. So what happened next? Al Right, 167 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: So we're off on our little scooters to the National 168 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: Car Park at Great Eastern Street. And remember this is 169 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: an immersive scavenger hunt experience, so are all these actors 170 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: who are hired to help you in uh in the evening. 171 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 1: So when we arrived at this car park, we were 172 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 1: greeted by a bunch of guys wearing ski masks and 173 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: they take us up to the top of this big 174 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: building to meet their boss. So you're looking for something 175 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: that I had lots am all right, Okay, so I 176 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 1: don't give my stuff to just anymore. You've got to 177 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: show me that you're worth it. So I've sent you 178 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:31,719 Speaker 1: a few pozzitives. So, Joe, I don't know if you 179 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,839 Speaker 1: remember this, but at one point in the evening I 180 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 1: sent you a picture of a giant chessboard. Yeah, I 181 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: remember that. And while you were out and you're like, Joe, 182 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 1: can you first of all is that there's probably cheating, right, No, actually, 183 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: you're probably not supposed to phone a friend. Oh yeah, 184 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: I mean, I just want to say I was really 185 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: disappointed that I couldn't help you that night, because I 186 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: know you're like, oh, my friend, Joe, he would know 187 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: this because it's a chessboard, and I normally i'd be like, yes, 188 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: this is the one thing I can make a contribution 189 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: and on. And even that photo of a chessboard that 190 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 1: you sent me was completely no help or I had 191 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: no insight at all into what it symbolized. Yeah, I 192 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,239 Speaker 1: gotta say I was disappointed, Joe, because you were my 193 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: my first stop when it comes to all chess related questions, 194 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,959 Speaker 1: and I got no help from you. But that's okay, Okay, 195 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: we figured it out eventually. So there's this big chessboard, 196 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: and you have to figure out what the chessboard has 197 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: to do with the goal of that particular activity. And 198 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: the goal of that activity was you had to get 199 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: through this room that was filled with laser beams to 200 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: get to a safe that was on the wall so 201 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: that you could open the safe and get the next clue. 202 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: I'll let a member of my team, Natasha, explain exactly 203 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 1: what she had to do once she got inside this room. 204 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,959 Speaker 1: It's not bracking. Okay, what do you what do you 205 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: actually have to do? You have to basically you pretend 206 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: it's a chess board and you have to place your 207 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:03,840 Speaker 1: feet very carefully. Okay I think, yeah exactly. And also 208 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: I'm small, and they have you have laser beams on 209 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: the wall, and you have two dock Oh god, so 210 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 1: creep up until you get exactly right. So basically, you 211 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: had to figure out that the chessboard contained the key 212 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: to getting through this room. So if you followed the 213 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: pattern that was on the chessboard, followed it exactly in 214 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: this room, you could get through it without setting off 215 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: any alarms or getting caught by laser beams. It kind 216 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: of sounds like one of that scene in like Mission 217 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: Impossible or something like that, where Tom Cruise is trying 218 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 1: to perfectly get into a room and out without hitting 219 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: off all kinds of sensors and alerts. Yeah, slightly less glamorous, 220 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: I would say, but it did have an element of that. 221 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: So look, eventually we find the next clue. But this 222 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: is when we come to a key point in the evening. 223 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,800 Speaker 1: We have our next clue. Well, sorry, we have our 224 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 1: next puzzle, which will lead to the next clue. But 225 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: we also have this invitation to go to a secret 226 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: party at a secret location. So what our team ends 227 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 1: up doing is we split up. The main portion of 228 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 1: the group goes off to pursue the next clue, and 229 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: I go off to this uh special party with two 230 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: of the members of my team, Laura and Natasha. Natasha 231 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: was the one you just heard in that clip. Okay, 232 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: So what was the hardest puzzle you had to do? Okay? 233 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: I could choose any number of things, Joe, but I 234 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: have to say the one that we got once we 235 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: got to this secret party. The secret party was being 236 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: held on a boat. Um, now we're leaving the pain 237 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: and we do have to just go for a very quick, 238 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: short safety announction. It's not too long interest you familiar wise, 239 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: you WI would invest your traveling just to let you 240 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: know there's this weird society doing a secret ceremony while 241 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 1: we sort of sailed down on the River Thames to 242 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: the next location. And as part of this activity, you 243 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: get given a map of London of a particular part 244 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: of London and a sheet, a leather sheet that had 245 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: these little holes kind of cut into it, and eventually 246 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: you had to figure out that the leather sheet was 247 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: a constellation pattern that gave you the name of a 248 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: constellation that gave you a hint to the next clue, 249 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: and the hint to the next clue was a location 250 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: on the map, and it actually led to three different 251 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: locations in London. So we had to go to these 252 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: three different locations, and then once we were there, we 253 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: had to crack particular codes that were insanely difficult, and 254 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: I think even now I am going to struggle to 255 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: explain them to you. It's funny because everything you've explained 256 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: so far, and this is you explaining it after the fact, 257 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: has like made my brain hurt. So the thought of 258 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: having to do any of these puzzles in real time, 259 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: I just can't even imagine. Yeah, okay, so let me 260 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: give you. I'll give you an example. So we're wandering 261 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: around the south of London, and you know, by this time, 262 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: it's about midnight, it's pitch dark, the pubs are closing, 263 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: everyone except us is really drunk um, and we're finding 264 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: these little shrines that the organizers of the event have 265 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: built in these parks, and there are these mysterious guys 266 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: standing in the parks next to the shrines. And when 267 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: you look at the shrines, there are these little pyramids 268 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: and they light up with lights, with these little dotted lights, 269 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: and based on those dotted lights, you have to figure 270 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: out what the lights are trying to tell you. And 271 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: each shrine has a different name. So, for instance, um, 272 00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: there's one called the Shrine of Time. And eventually, if 273 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: you think about it hard enough, you will figure out, 274 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: although we didn't, you will figure out that the shrine 275 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 1: kind of Time is a hint for a binary clock. 276 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: This is what we thought anyway. And the code is 277 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:12,679 Speaker 1: spelled out binary letters basically UM or binary numbers, and eventually, 278 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: if you figure out what those binary numbers are, you 279 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: can get a special code word that will lead you 280 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: to the next location. These puzzles, it just seems laughably hard, 281 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: but I guess it speaks to how I mean, you 282 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: guys figure them out, right, Like, that's the thing that 283 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: blows my mind is that you guys did work this 284 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: stuff out. So I have to say. There is something 285 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,679 Speaker 1: called game control which gives you hints. So throughout the 286 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: entire evening you're talking to someone on a slack chat. 287 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: The organizers, and they will give you timed hints, so 288 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: you're never you're never going to get a hint before 289 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: everyone else does. Um, but those hints basically help you 290 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: throughout the evening. But I know the puzzles are really hard, 291 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: so let me see if I can give you maybe 292 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 1: a more simple example. Um. You know, after we figured 293 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: out the Pyramids puzzles, we went on to Borrow Market. 294 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: Have you ever been there, Joe? I think so, or 295 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: maybe the last time we were in London together. You 296 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: told me to go and I didn't. But it's pretty great, right, Yeah, 297 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: It's probably my favorite place in London, just because I 298 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: like to eat. But anyway, at that time of night, 299 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: it's completely empty except for these two apple sellers. These 300 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: two guys are standing there with these big carts full 301 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:34,159 Speaker 1: of apples and they're talking about how we have to 302 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: order the correct apple from them. This apple is not 303 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: the variety that you see here. It is a variety, 304 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 1: but it is not these varieties. Yeah, it just it 305 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: is not a traditional varrity. It is that of spring apple. 306 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 1: Can I just say, like I feel the English accent 307 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: definitely makes that even more theatrical and uh, and it 308 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: already sounds pretty great, but it's definitely great in the 309 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: English accent. Yeah, we had some good accents in the evening. Um, 310 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: so you know, the clues are all there. You've got 311 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: these two apple sellers. They're standing in front of a 312 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 1: bunch of different types of apples and they keep saying 313 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: of spring. Right, why are they repeating of spring? So 314 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: I'll tell you how it worked. Um. Eventually, you had 315 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 1: to look at all the different types of apples these 316 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: guys had, and you had to work out which of 317 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: those apples were of spring. In other words, which of 318 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: those apples were available during the spring. And then if 319 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 1: you figured out the cross of those apples, you would 320 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: get the name of the variety that you needed to 321 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: order in order to get the next clue and the 322 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: next ingredient to the cure for baldness. So, in this 323 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:17,360 Speaker 1: particular example, the spring apples were cocks Orange and Golden Delicious, 324 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,199 Speaker 1: and the offspring of those three apples the cross is 325 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,880 Speaker 1: something called a rubenette apple, which I have never heard 326 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: of before. I know this is not really related to 327 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: the episode that much, but I've heard there's some great 328 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: apple varieties in the UK that we don't get here. 329 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,719 Speaker 1: It so now like the orange apple, I don't think 330 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: is one that we have in the US, but I've 331 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: heard it's really delicious. Okay, keep going. Okay, well I'll 332 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 1: go to brow. I know that's not exactly relevant, but 333 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 1: it was on my mind. All right. So after this, uh, 334 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: you know, we split up again. Uh, some of us 335 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: found the location of an underground rave and we went there. 336 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: At that point, it's almost dawn and you can hear 337 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 1: all these birds singing, but we're still trying to get 338 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 1: the missing ingredients to this cure for baldness. We have 339 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 1: a couple at this point, but we're missing one. We're 340 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: trying to track down one in particular, something called chlorophyll. 341 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 1: So eventually we're at this club and you know, we 342 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: solve a bunch of puzzles once again, and we get 343 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: the chlorophyll. We find ourselves an uber and we call 344 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 1: this number that we had figured out earlier in the evening, 345 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 1: and then we hear this message. Right, so this was 346 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 1: the very last thing we needed, Joe. It was something 347 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,960 Speaker 1: called Newton's flask. And once we had Newton's flask, we 348 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: could put all the different ingredients for the cure for 349 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 1: baldness inside of it, make the cure, and then hopefully 350 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: win the entire event. Okay, so this is basically it. 351 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: You're almost done with the scavenger hunt by this point, 352 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: I thought, So, look at this point, it's six am, 353 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,919 Speaker 1: it's bright outside, and we're the only ones wandering around London. 354 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: We're not even wandering around London. We're actually running across 355 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 1: it because we're trying to get to our next location, 356 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: which is something called the Royal Institute of Technology in 357 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: central London. So we head over there, get to the 358 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: Royal Institute, and this is what we hear, ladies and gentlemen. 359 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: So I understand that you have been informed of the 360 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: threats on the property, right. So well, it was sometime 361 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 1: twenty hours of seven and eleven pm last night the 362 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,399 Speaker 1: flask officer Isaac Newton was taken. So that was a 363 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: police officer, a fake police officer of course, explaining that 364 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: someone had stolen the final thing that we needed to 365 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 1: complete this scavenger hunt. So we had to find the 366 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: stolen flask. So of course, of course it and there, 367 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 1: because after wandering around for about nine hours six am 368 00:23:04,960 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: in London, of course it would be too easy for 369 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: it to just wrap up there quite obviously, And I 370 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: have to say this was probably the low point of 371 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,399 Speaker 1: the evening for me, because well, I should say the 372 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: low point of the morning for me, because we had 373 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 1: about ten different puzzles all going on at the same 374 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: time as we were trying to figure out who had 375 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,239 Speaker 1: stolen the flask and where they had actually put it. 376 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: But I'm going to skip ahead a little bit because 377 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,359 Speaker 1: otherwise I think you would probably go crazy similar to 378 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: what I did. And I'm going to say that we 379 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 1: finally got the flask, we identified the right guys, solved 380 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:38,120 Speaker 1: lots of puzzles, legged it to the next location, had 381 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: all the ingredients that we had correct collected throughout the evening, 382 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: handed it over to a special chemist who put them 383 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: all together, and finally, finally we had the cure for baldness. 384 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: What time was this, I think that would have been 385 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,120 Speaker 1: around seven am, So at that point we've been going 386 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: for twelve hours. Twelve hours. That is incredible. But you're 387 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: finally done at this point. No, No, we weren't finished 388 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: at this point. Remember, we had to deliver the cure 389 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: for baldness to the President of the Royal Society, who 390 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: you heard from at the very beginning of this episode, 391 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: and he was in a secret location that, of course 392 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: we had to decode, and our only clue to figuring 393 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 1: it out was a key chain that had a bunch 394 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 1: of little um do dads on it. So it had 395 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 1: a cork, a plastic head of some sort, and a 396 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: couple other things. It's it's so snake, okay. So if 397 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: you had a little plastic snake on a key chain, 398 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: where do you think that would lead to in London? 399 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: I don't know London as well as you. So what's 400 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: the answer to that. There's a place in Hyde Park 401 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 1: called the Serpentine. It's basically a lake Serpentine snake. Get up? 402 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,400 Speaker 1: I h no? I mean yes, you after you explain 403 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: it to me, but I'm pretty sure I would not 404 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: have gotten it in uh in real time? So where 405 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 1: are you in London at this point? And how far 406 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 1: away is Hyde Park? So at this point we were 407 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: close to Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park was far away 408 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: to be honest, especially after a twelve hour evening, and 409 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: we thought for sure they weren't actually going to send 410 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: us there. But let me guess they did, right, So 411 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: it turns out they would send us all the way 412 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:42,959 Speaker 1: to Hyde Park. Um, and at this point you know 413 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,920 Speaker 1: this is the this is the finish line, Joe. So 414 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: we're all racing to get to this Hyde Park location, 415 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 1: literally running around London trying to get here, and um, 416 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: we finally finally arrived to Hyde Park, where our final 417 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: challenge awaits us. There's always another one, right. We managed 418 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 1: to find the president of the Royal Society, We hand 419 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 1: him the cure for baldness, we get the certificate that 420 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: we needed, but we still have to cross the actual 421 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,560 Speaker 1: finish line, which is close to the Serpentine Pavilion, and 422 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: that is where we are met by a massive symphony orchestra. 423 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: So what time is this that there's a massive symphony 424 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,879 Speaker 1: orchestra in the middle of Hyde Park? Because I just 425 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,400 Speaker 1: imagine that alone must have been quite the site. Yeah. 426 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: So now it would have been around eight am, and 427 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: there's all these uh joggers running around Hyde Park and 428 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 1: then there's us and we're running around Hyde Park for 429 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: very different reasons. I can only imagine that the reaction 430 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 1: of the joggers huge symphony orchestra at eight in the morning. 431 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: So we find the orchestra and the task that you 432 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,800 Speaker 1: need to complete in order to win Midnight Madness is 433 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 1: you have to figure out how to duct the orchestra. 434 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: So you need to figure out a piece of music 435 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 1: and then figure out what key it's in and what 436 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,800 Speaker 1: musical solo should accompany it. And there's this big board 437 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 1: with all these different options on it that you basically 438 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 1: have to match. And then once you get the correct match, 439 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: you go up to the orchestra and you see if 440 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: it actually uh, if it actually works. Wait, did you 441 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,840 Speaker 1: actually get to conduct an orchestra? No, I'm the least 442 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: musical person ever, so it wasn't me. But take a 443 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: listen to what happened when our representative from our team 444 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: actually got up and tried her hand at conducting. Yeah, 445 00:27:54,760 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: it sounds great. It wasn't the right uh solution. So 446 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: clearly we got it wrong the first time, but we 447 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: got it right uh the second time. And that was 448 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 1: the finish line for Midnight Madness, and I think we 449 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: we ended up finishing around eight or nine in the morning. 450 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:29,880 Speaker 1: Across the finish line, lots of cheering, lots of happy faces. 451 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: We were pretty exhausted at that point. Joe, I have 452 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: no doubt that you're exhausted, because I'm not gonna lie, 453 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: I am exhausted. I have a secondhand exhaustion right now 454 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 1: from hearing you describe that whole thing. By the way, 455 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: we didn't even talk about this. How many teams were 456 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,480 Speaker 1: there competing and how did your team do? Good? Question? 457 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 1: So I think all in all there were probably about 458 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: fifteen teams. Most of those were coming from Goldman also 459 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: had a couple of teams I believe from gam and 460 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: then we had one very special team. It was a 461 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:08,600 Speaker 1: crack team of university professors from places like Oxford and Cambridge. 462 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 1: They weren't actually allowed to win. They were supposed to 463 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: be a baseline against which you could judge your time. 464 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: Now you asked me where we placed, so if you yeah, 465 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: this is the big the big thing, right, um, if 466 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: you strip out the university professors, we came in second, 467 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: which was pretty amazing, I have to say. And we 468 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: were actually the number one team from Goldman. And remember 469 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,000 Speaker 1: there were about eight different Goldmen teams, so being the 470 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: first Goldman team is pretty much all that matters, right 471 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: right of course, So there's one thing I found out 472 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 1: about our team after we actually finished Midnight Madness, and 473 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: it was a pretty special thing. Remember, there were eight 474 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: different Goldman teams, and most of those teams, in fact, 475 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: I think all of them except ours, had put themselves together, 476 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: you know, they to each other. A lot of them 477 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 1: were senior guys that came from a strats background or 478 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: a quantitative background, and they put themselves together as a 479 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: crack team. Our team was actually comprised of people at 480 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 1: Goldman who didn't know each other. They were just volunteers 481 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: who had put their hand up. And most of the 482 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: people on our team were pretty young, pretty junior at Goldman. 483 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 1: You know, we had um one woman who was basically 484 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: straight out of university, lots of women who were in 485 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: their mid twenties, I would say, whereas a lot of 486 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: the other teams were much more senior than we were, 487 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: and we beat them. That's pretty cool. Actually, all those 488 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,960 Speaker 1: genius quant people, huh, they're not. Like maybe they can 489 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: do math and find correlations between between two different asset 490 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: classes better than the rest of us can, but when 491 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,000 Speaker 1: it comes to puzzle solving, you're saying they're no better. Well, 492 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: I think we had good strategy on the evening. I 493 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: think we we did a really good job by bringing 494 00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 1: the scooters, which gave us a little bit of an 495 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:02,440 Speaker 1: edge when it came to running around London. But we're 496 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: also very good about organizing ourselves because we split up 497 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: very early on in the evening, which meant that we 498 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:12,040 Speaker 1: could solve multiple problems, multiple puzzles, all at once, so 499 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: that that was probably our secret rather than any sort 500 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,239 Speaker 1: of quantitative edge, I have to say, So all that 501 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: is allowed. Oh yeah, that's clever. Well, hey, congratulations, b 502 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: are you going to do it again next year? And see? 503 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: Can I come and join it? A thank you? Be 504 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,760 Speaker 1: absolutely and see, yes we should have an Odd Lots 505 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,960 Speaker 1: team for sure. I think you'd really enjoy it. Okay, 506 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: I'm in and I think it speaks to one of 507 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 1: the big themes that we always discussed on Odd Lots, 508 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:45,680 Speaker 1: which is some of the similarities between games and finance 509 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 1: and trading, right, Joe, absolutely no. I Uh it's difficult 510 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 1: and brain bending as this sounds, and like I said, 511 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: it was almost painful to hear the clues even after 512 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 1: you explained them anew the answer. I'm now so determined 513 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: to do this next year. All right, you have to 514 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: come next year, and uh, I should just remind everyone 515 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: you know, this is a really fun experience, but ultimately 516 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: it's done in the name of charity and my team, 517 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: the sec Bombs. We are still in fundraising mode, so 518 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 1: you know, if you like charity and if you like 519 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: odd Lots, then you can head over to raise your 520 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: Hands dot org dot uk forward Slash Fundraisers, Forward Slash 521 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 1: sec Bombs and you can contribute to the money that 522 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: we were raising in the name of Midnight Madness. That's 523 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: awesome and Tracy, congratulations. Thanks Joe. All right, well, this 524 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 1: has been another episode of the Odd Lots podcast, one 525 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 1: of the more exhausting episodes. I would say, I'm Tracy Alloway. 526 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 1: You can follow me on Twitter at Tracy Alloway and 527 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: I'm Joe Wise in Fall. You can follow me on 528 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: Twitter at the Stalwork and you should follow our producer 529 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: tofor Foreheads at Foreheads t as well as The Bloomberg 530 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: Head a podcast brancesco Levie at The Brancester today. Thanks 531 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: for listening.