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Kominers’s Conundrums: Overstuffed Bears Seeking Stability
This puzzle features three furry teams of salmon munchers and a topsy-turvy pier.
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It’s time for one of the most adorable holidays of the year: Fat Bear Week, where people all around the world help identify the fattest bear at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. It’s an elimination tournament, with March Madness-style brackets — and there’s still time to get in on the action.
These bears really do become rather rotund — previous champions have had estimated weights upwards of 1,400 pounds. And while surveying bears’ weights might sound a little bit ridiculous, it’s actually really important for judging the overall health of the bears, who don’t eat or drink during winter hibernation.