Can you solve the alien pyramid riddle? - Henri Picciotto

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Today is the anniversary of the best-worst day of your life. The best part was discovering a subterranean city on Mars. The worst part was when you lost contact with Earth. You and the other 99 scientists have spent the year engineering your survival, but you’re almost out of water and solutions. Can you figure out how the last civilization lived on this desert planet? Henri Picciotto shows how. 


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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Henri Picciotto
  • Director Igor Coric, Artrake Studio
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Cem Misirlioglu
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Senior Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Fact-Checker Paige Downie
Additional Resources for you to Explore
You can find many pyramid puzzles on Henri Picciotto’s Math Education Page. (Those are best tackled before watching the riddle, since the video gives away a crucial pattern.) The worksheets on Henri’s site start with three-row pyramids, and gradually lead to the pattern. Then you become the puzzle-maker, and make pyramid puzzles for other people to solve.

Henri’s website includes more number puzzles.
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TED-Ed
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09/05/2022 • 
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Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Henri Picciotto
  • Director Igor Coric, Artrake Studio
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Cem Misirlioglu
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Senior Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Fact-Checker Paige Downie

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