Maze

A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lead unambiguously through a convoluted layout to a goal. (The term "labyrinth" is generally synonymous, but also can connote specifically a unicursal pattern.) The pathways and walls in a maze are typically fixed, but puzzles in which the walls and paths can change during the game are also categorised as mazes or tour puzzles.

Maze construction

Mazes have been built with walls and rooms, with hedges, turf, corn stalks, hay bales, books, paving stones of contrasting colors or designs, and brick, or in fields of crops such as corn or, indeed, maize. Maize mazes can be very large; they are usually only kept for one growing season, so they can be different every year, and are promoted as seasonal tourist attractions. Indoors, Mirror Mazes are another form of maze, in which many of the apparent pathways are imaginary routes seen through multiple reflections in mirrors. Another type of maze consists of a set of rooms linked by doors (so a passageway is just another room in this definition). Players enter at one spot, and exit at another, or the idea may be to reach a certain spot in the maze. Mazes can also be printed or drawn on paper to be followed by a pencil or fingertip.

MAZE: Solve the World's Most Challenging Puzzle

MAZE: Solve the World's Most Challenging Puzzle (1985, Henry Holt and Company) is a puzzle book written and illustrated by Christopher Manson. The book was originally published as part of a contest to win $10,000.

Unlike other puzzle books, each page is involved in solving the book's riddle. Specifically, each page represents a room or space in a hypothetical house, and each room leads to other "rooms" in this "house." Part of the puzzle involves reaching the center of the house, Room #45 (which is page 45 in the book), and back to Room #1 in only sixteen steps. Some rooms lead to circuitous loops; others lead nowhere. This gives the puzzle the feel of a maze or labyrinth.

The book was adapted as the computer game Riddle of the Maze in 1994 by Interplay. This version featured full color illustrations and voice-overs for the narrator.

The contest has been void since 1987, but the book may still be purchased (ISBN 0-8050-1088-2).

Parts of the Puzzle

Maze (electoral ward)

Coordinates: 54°29′17″N 6°07′23″W / 54.488°N 6.123°W / 54.488; -6.123

Maze (Irish: an Mhaigh, 'the plain') is an electoral ward, (and a townland), in the Lisburn City Council area of Northern Ireland. It predominantly lies in County Down although its northwestern corner lies in County Antrim, the division being the River Lagan. The Maze electoral ward consists of the settlements of Mazetown, Long Kesh, Culcavy, Aghnatrisk, Halftown and Ravernet. In 2001, there were 3393 residents in the electoral ward.

Mazetown and Long Kesh

Mazetown is a small settlement just off the main A3 Belfast-Armagh road, some 3 miles west of Lisburn.

Long Kesh is most famous for the Maze Prison (closed in 2000), which was sited on an aircraft field known as 'Long Kesh'. The actual prison entrance is on the Culcavy Road in Halftown. Long Kesh is also known for Down Royal Racecourse, which is the main attraction in the area, as well as the adjoining nine-hole and eighteen-hole Down Royal Golf Course. The area had 351 residents in the 2001 Census.

Illumina

Illumina may refer to:

Two Steps from Hell

Two Steps from Hell is an American production music company based in Los Angeles, California, founded by Thomas J. Bergersen and Nick Phoenix in 2006. The company focuses predominantly on movie and trailer music, and has supplied tracks to films such as Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and X-Men.

History

Two Steps from Hell was founded in 2006 when Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix joined forces to write original music for movie trailers. Bergersen moved from Trondheim, Norway to the United States in 2003, along with Phoenix, who began composing in 1997, before moving to Los Angeles. The two formed the company in early 2006, and have composed music for over 1,000 major motion picture trailers.

Founding and initial success (2006-10)

Two Steps from Hell mainly produces trailer music, although recently it has also been used for television shows and selected video games.

Despite the company finding success for its music, the tracks were never officially released to the public until the May 2010 release of the commercial album Invincible. In addition to approaching Gold record status, Invincible became the first of several such albums to chart in the iTunes Top 100 Soundtracks. As of July 2014, Two Steps from Hell has published 8 public albums in addition to 20 demonstration albums, with almost 1,000 unique tracks in total.

Lies, Hautes-Pyrénées

Lies is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.

See also

References

Electra Heart

Electra Heart is the second studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis, professionally known as Marina and the Diamonds. It was released on 27 April 2012 by 679 Artists and Atlantic Records. Diamandis collaborated with producers including Liam Howe, Greg Kurstin, Dr. Luke, Diplo, and StarGate during its recording, and subsequently transitioned from the new wave musical styles seen throughout her debut studio album The Family Jewels (2010). Their efforts resulted in a concept album inspired by electropop music, a distinct departure from her earlier projects; its lyrical content is united by the topics of love and identity. Diamandis created the titular character "Electra Heart" to represent female stereotypes in popular American culture.

Music critics were divided in their opinions of Electra Heart, expressing ambivalence towards Diamandis' shift in musical style and its overall production. The record debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 21,358 copies. In doing so, it became Diamandis' first chart-topping record there, although it was then distinguished as the lowest-selling number-one record of the 21st century in the country. The project was eventually certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for exceeding shipments of 60,000 units. Electra Heart performed moderately on international record charts, including a peak position at number 31 on the US Billboard 200, and became Diamandis' highest-charting project in the United States at the time.