Long before the Computer Age, machines like the one pictured here (invented 1804) were arguably the first programmable devices (the "program" is encoded on the punched cards). This machine threatened the livelihoods of traditional artisans, prompting a counter-movement whose name is still used today with a broader meaning of opposition to technology.
What type of machine is it? (By its "Fruit" you may know it.)
Ah, that looks like a well-balanced meal.
What's the theme of today's menu?
BONUS: What should I get from my spice cabinet to complement this meal?*
*A little wordplay is involved here; don't be too strict about it.
Solution
We've got Texas toast, Hawaiian pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, New York cheesecake, and baked Alaska. I trust the theme is now clear.
Ena, Charlie, Connor, and Mrs. Gregg figured out that the spice I had in mind for the bonus was Oregon-o! Graham had a reasonable guess of powdered New Mexico chile. There were a number of questionable answers (Louisiana hot sauce, Arizona iced tea, extra "Virginia" olive oil, "canned sauce", vermouth). None of those fit in my spice cabinet. My favorite answers, from Kate and Atticus respectively, were cayenne-sas pepper and Arkansalt.
Congratulations to yesterday's winners Kalpana, Jacob C., Inca, Ena, Atticus, Charlie, Connor, my Complex Analysis class, Dr. Yetman, Graham, Kate, and Mrs. Gregg. Thanks to everybody who made a guess!
Though he now teaches mathematics, Dr. (né Mr.) Shapiro's first job in a K–12 school was as a lunch monitor in Davis, CA. It was there that he originated the Puzzle of the Day, even rewarding correct answers with tickets in denominations like "15 points" (though without a clear idea of how he'd ultimately redeem these). Dr. Shapiro's favorite puzzle from this pre-professional era was "Tell me the location of the beehive on this campus."
Ten years later, Dr. Shapiro revived Puzzle of the Day at Proof School, writing each day's puzzle on a name tag. After 600 puzzles or so, he was just starting to feel normal about students reading his chest all the time when campus closed and the puzzle, like the rest of our lives, moved online. New puzzles are posted daily on school days.
Want to catch up on old PotDs? There's an archive currently containing puzzles from March to December 2020.
