Box: The Impossible Puzzle
7/10/2023 | 8m 14sVideo has Closed Captions
A simple box with an unusual locking mechanism challenges guests who attempt to solve it.
A box that can't seem to open challenges several people to think critically on how to open it. Curiosity, frustration, and enthusiasm are explored as the guests exercise these emotions throughout their puzzle solving. The solution for the box might be handy too in a life or death situation, who knows? Box is a comedic parody paying homage to online explainer video producers such as Vox and Vice.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Box: The Impossible Puzzle
7/10/2023 | 8m 14sVideo has Closed Captions
A box that can't seem to open challenges several people to think critically on how to open it. Curiosity, frustration, and enthusiasm are explored as the guests exercise these emotions throughout their puzzle solving. The solution for the box might be handy too in a life or death situation, who knows? Box is a comedic parody paying homage to online explainer video producers such as Vox and Vice.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch PBS Short Film Festival
PBS Short Film Festival is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipOh.
What is this?
What is it?
What is this, bruh?
This is the Impossible Dovetail Box.
The wooden box is made of two halves: one red and one white.
The main objective of the puzzle is simple: figure out how to open it.
Hey B-sauce!
Marcus here.
This is the Impossible Dovetail Puzzle or is it?
You see, back on November 18, 2021, a famous Youtuber by the name of Puzzle guy posted a short video about this puzzle.
”...if you try to remove the top part, the obvious move will be to move it this direction because of the dovetail, but it will be blocked because of the dovetail on this side and this side.
You may rotate the box and do the same move but again, the top part will be blocked by the dovetails on all four sides.
That means that there is another way how to solve the box and I will show it to you now.” ...and shared a solution right at the end.
If it’s solvable then it’s not impossible .
Right?
Well they would say otherwise.
Otherwise.
Otherwise.
Otherwise.
Otherwise.
OTHERWISE.
oThErWiSe.
What the f***.
*inhale* *exhale* Okay.
It has to be like a hook or something.
I’m thinking maybe like dragging it, or like using force to pull it, but I don’t want to break it so... Oh, it looks like there’s magnets or something.
There’s metal thingys holding this closed.
How am I supposed to open it?
Am I doing anything right?
Am I supposed to go like this?
I can do this.
I’m a college student.
Oh, Lorde.
I’m not one for puzzles.
*sexy noises* Where’s my hammer?
You know, I’ve been doing the same thing over and over again trying to expect a different result.
I need to think outside the BOX.
*asthma noises* I don’t know what to do.
This thing?
Five bucks?
Four bucks.
Fifteen?
Twenty bucks.
Thirty-two.
Forty to fifty dollars.
It’s fourteen dollars.
And that’s because it’s on sale when I bought it.
It’s usually TWENTY-ONE dollars.
Just ONE.
But why?
Twenty-one dollars, Jeffrey?
Huh, Jeffrey?
Why would you do this, Jeffrey?
I wanna go home, Jeffrey?
I wanna see my family, Jeffrey?
JEFFREY BEZOS Twenty-one dollars to make yourself suffer?
So, there’s gotta be like a push or side-to-side mechanism.
This is Hanh.
She has a lot of experience with solving puzzles especially Rubik’s cubes.
This is her very first time encountering this puzzle, but this must be a piece of cake for her.
I dunno.
Can I Google how to do this?
Oh but dude... *deflating tire noises* Ow phoque.
I’m gonna end up bruising my leg at the end of this video.
*Harry Potter noises* I give up.
I’m out.
It appears that our guests can’t solve the puzzle.
But maybe you can.
I’ll give you a shot.
And I’ll give you ten seconds starting now.
As you can see, the puzzle remains unsolved.
And that’s because you’re on another side of a screen and this event happened in a completely different time from when you’re currently in.
So, let’s use a lifeline.
Can I have a hint?
You want me to hit it?
Ka-cha!
Parental guidance?
Violence?
Dude, I don’t want to damage your floor, dude.
I don’t wanna damage your house.
*Santa Claus noises* Alright, it’s twenty bucks, right?
I mean... “ Turn to violence ”?
What does that have to do with this?
This was a comment left on the Puzzle guy ’s YouTube video.
This kind of makes sense when you observe people who are tryna overcome obstacles that appear impossible, especially in video games.
We know that feeling when we’re trying to beat that level in a video game We spent hours on already.
Or that one guy at that online game who hasn’t touched grass and keeps beating you again, and again, and again, and again.
Does this help you win?
Course not.
But, with this puzzle... ...maybe a few hard hits could get the job done.
You good?
Did it pinch you?
I knew it.
A little bit.
You want to get-- OH MY GOD WHAT That’s crazy.
I’m sho-- OOOOOOO Faces bottom.
*happy noises* All it takes is a tap with the red side down to displace the metal ball that was held by a magnet on the white half.
Without the ball in the middle, the puzzle can finally open, and whatever is inside is yours to retrieve.
No.
No.
There’s a lock?
Come on.
NOOOO I need scissors to open my key?!
I got no scissors!
Jeffrey’s gonna keep me here forever.
Support for PBS provided by: