“Though these modern days of the 21st century are filled with many puzzles, there seem to be few true mysteries anymore. As a professional puzzle designer and follower of puzzle hunts, I have personally witnessed how drastically the connectivity and community of the internet, the power of Google, and the sheer volume of information readily available to all makes the solving of many brainteasers almost trivial. Throw in the fact that most puzzle memes, alternate reality games, and online mysteries invariably end up just being marketing campaigns for soon to be released (and too often forgotten) films or television series, and one begins to wonder if any modern day, genuine mysteries truly are left.
The existence of the “Toynbee Tiles” might be just such a mystery. This world-spanning puzzle does not involve a musty old map from a remote archeological find. It is not written in an ancient language that few can read. It is not trying to get you to by a ticket to an upcoming summer blockbuster. And it is not giving up its answers easily.
Rather, these linoleum plaques which have been embedded in the asphalt roadways of major cities throughout the world for over two decades are a true conundrum of the present day. They are written in English (though proper grammar and syntax is often lacking), they are fairly easy to access (if you know where to look), and they have attracted the attention of many puzzle enthusiasts in the age of the all-knowing World Wide Web. However, despite all of this, no one really knows what the hell is going on.”
Read the rest here. More on Toynbee Tiles can be found here, a NPR story here, and a trailer for the film “Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles” can be watched here.
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