Finished!!!

[maisie ladybird]

Well I admire your honesty, keep at it, you'll get there

[Bunnylump]

And the 5000th poster is..............................Bunnylump.

Can I just point out that this isn't just that I talk too much? It genuinely is partly Scurra's fault this time. You'll see what I mean eventually!!

[gill216]

The Bunny protests in error.

Your wriggling out only applies to your personal count. You are actually the 5000th POSTER on the open forum

[Bunnylump]

Oh well. I'll blame him anyway. It's his fault I'm here in the first place.

[katsmom]

Well done Maisie Ladybird. Good to see that you have solved it and by actually working out the prediction unlike me.

Fernando, you are doing great. Much better than I am in fact. I have oficially finished.....none!
But then I've been put on so darned many committees and given so many extra projects this past month that I'm lucky if I can even get on here to see how everyone else is doing....

[Laura]

You know what they say - if you want something doing, ask a busy person!

[Bunnylump]

Hi Katsmom, nice to see you popping in!

[fernando]

Finished puzzlebrains properly this morning. I am now able to concentrate on giving help to others so if you want any hints just let me know.

[giraffe]

Define "Properly".

[fernando]

All right Giraffe. I might have done it a bit back to front but at least I did it and knew about it this time.

(For all those who are a bit bamboozled by what Giraffe and I are arguing over, I managed to do the prediction but without having to work out the numerical orders.)

[Scurra]

Well fernando, you're not alone! Several other people have done it that way around. (And only then did they understand the "numerical order" bit.)
Congratulations.

[kingsley]

How is that possible. I don't know what the numerical order is and I don't know what to do with or oithout it.

[chazzie]

Same here Kingsley - this one has been puzzling me for ages!

[Bunnylump]

I did it without working out the numerical order first too. But then my brain is plugged in backwards. Well done you.

[Wulfruna]

Me too Fernando - I spotted the prediction quite easily, with bit of word-juggling, but couldn't work out why they had to be in that particular order......
There are in fact two or three apparently fairly obvious "numerical orders", all of which I tried, but to no effect - so decided to come at it the other way round

[BassBloke]

Very well done to Maisie and Fernando.

I actually did get the numerical order bit, while helping my daughter with quadratic equations. I simply don't understand where the enlightement came from. I put it down to one of those "free thinking" moments. Then I spent yonks trying to figure out how to use it. hey Ho.

Cheers. BB

[Laura]

quadratic equations? (gulp)

[gill216]

I can't see that connection at all. Worry not Laura. Quadratic equations have nothing to do with the prediction.

[MBH]

LOL

I think the important part was:

I simply don't understand where the enlightement came from.

... indicating that while doing something 'different' he arrived at the answer. (Quadratics are a LONG way back for me, and lots of people simply hated the idea of them 'on principle')

[Cenwulf]

I see I'm not alone in not getting the 'Numerical Order' detail. It's probally a SOYOI thing. (So Obvious You Overlook It.)
But I did have assistance. I was alone in the staffroom and pushing around strips of paper on which I'd written the words. Then there came a knock at the door. It was one of Professor Stafford's students who was handing in an essay - Serendi Lamabadasuriya, a young woman of Sri Lankan origins. She saw I was troubled and asked what was wrong. I let her in and showed her the papers. She took pity on me and started moving them around, then she saw something which made sense. With her help I managed to get the solution.
So perhaps anyone who can't get the prediction should visit the College, and benefit form some Serendi pity.