Blocks Task

[Primate]

To the most recent posts; I thought you couldn't use walls?

From my understanding, as long as the blocks are self-supporting by the end of the step, you can do whatever, including use walls as long as they are removed by the end.

According to the rules, the stack has to cause the next action, yet the walls must be completely removed before the next action starts. I don't know how you'd go about accomplishing that, so I think walls are out.

This task is just stupid.

Edit: It also just got a whole lot easier.

[Flavorflav]

I am just waiting on a reply for clarifications, but I thought I would see what others opinions may be. I was thinking of maybe covering the blocks in some sort of conductive surface (aluminum foil?) in order to create a switch that is closed when all five blocks are stacked.

Okay I was just thinking of embedding magnets to keep the blocks together rather than risk them falling over. Thank you for your input!

The answer to a question on this subject (your Q, perhaps?) is now up. You are allowed to modify the blocks, including drilling and embedding magnets. I assume this is what Primate is reacting to in his edit.

Remember last year when they said a golf ball with a screw eye in it is not a golf ball? Apparently the same is not true of blocks.

[9enigma6]

I am just waiting on a reply for clarifications, but I thought I would see what others opinions may be. I was thinking of maybe covering the blocks in some sort of conductive surface (aluminum foil?) in order to create a switch that is closed when all five blocks are stacked.

Okay I was just thinking of embedding magnets to keep the blocks together rather than risk them falling over. Thank you for your input!

The answer to a question on this subject (your Q, perhaps?) is now up. You are allowed to modify the blocks, including drilling and embedding magnets. I assume this is what Primate is reacting to in his edit.

Remember last year when they said a golf ball with a screw eye in it is not a golf ball? Apparently the same is not true of blocks.

Okay yep they did finally answer it, thank you for bringing that to my attention! Actually, I believe that they probably had a number of questions about the topic, ones that were similar but not exactly the same because the question they posted addresses things that I did not ask about.

[Primate]

I suppose the definition of a "block" is much broader than the definition of a "golf ball."

And yes, things only make it onto the FAQ if they're truly frequently asked questions.

[ocelotrev]

If I use different devices to stack each block, is that considered a parallel task? Say I have a marble rolling down a ramp, activating mousetraps as it goes down the ramp (don't worry about how the marble does it). Each mousetrap pushes one block off a cliff, (each mousetrap pushes each block off a different cliff) but the marble won't reach the next mousetrap until the block before it has already hit the ground. So while the blocks are stacking, the marble is activating the mousetraps necessary to finish the stacking, but no other numbered devices are going off.Will the stacking in sequence be considered parallel tasks or must they all be stacked with a single action from a single device?

[Flavorflav]

I dunno - it seems to me that if the marble is rolling while the mousetrap is pushing the blocks, you have parallel tasks.

[thogu]

Would it count if I suspended the blocks by a string, without them touching, then cut the string? They would fall into a stack and I guess there would be a little bit of string in between each block.

[Primate]

Would it count if I suspended the blocks by a string, without them touching, then cut the string? They would fall into a stack and I guess there would be a little bit of string in between each block.

Can't quite visualize what you've described, but having even the smallest piece of string between blocks would definitely be against the rules. You can't even use walls.

[Dark Sabre]

The difference between having walls and having string between the blocks is:
With walls, some of the weight of the blocks may be going through the walls down to the base of the machine.
With string between the blocks, all of the weight of the blocks is still supported only by the other blocks.

I'd be okay with string between them, particularly because of the FAQ where they say you can have other materials. I mean, if it is okay to wrap the block in tin foil, it seems okay to have string between them. As long as the string is nice and thin, they will still be convincingly stacked.

[Primate]

The difference between having walls and having string between the blocks is:
With walls, some of the weight of the blocks may be going through the walls down to the base of the machine.
With string between the blocks, all of the weight of the blocks is still supported only by the other blocks.

I'd be okay with string between them, particularly because of the FAQ where they say you can have other materials. I mean, if it is okay to wrap the block in tin foil, it seems okay to have string between them. As long as the string is nice and thin, they will still be convincingly stacked.

Ah, okay. I wouldn't have considered the string part of the block, since it's not attached.