Beach Math

Winter storms are coming and going, but we’re on a beach trip in San Diego. I’m sitting on the sand with my partner, watching the sunlight sparkle across the sea. The playful shouts of kids and the low rumble of boats blend softly with the waves. Everything feels peaceful. I am pretty sure this is the kind of moment where a normal person would say something very romantic. My brain thinks about this for a second and decides, with great confidence, the correct answer is MATH. Obviously. Suddenly, three problems pop into my head, all perfectly tailored to this beach. Each one is simple to state but seems hard at first. Once the key idea clicks, the solution collapses into a short chain of steps you can comfortably keep in your head. I love them, and I am optimistically assuming my partner will too. If you were on the beach with us, I suspect you would enjoy them as well. To me, that is Beach Math: small, interesting puzzles that sneak into a holiday and somehow still count as “relaxing.”