Friday 5 June | The puzzling side effects of corona

During lockdown in the United Kingdom, an obscure YouTube channel featuring a soft-spoken middle-aged man and low production values has gone viral and now has people all over the world hooked on solving Sudoku puzzles. Feed your inner nerd and join a growing community of puzzle fanatics!

In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Simon Anthony, who is one of the two puzzle champions behind the channel, expresses his surprise and delight at their recent success. It is certainly no coincidence that they have suddenly reached a new audience, as they have received many messages from people for whom the channel has been beneficial for their mental health during these trying times.

They have also had surprising endorsements from some unlikely YouTube heavyweights who have revealed themselves as puzzle enthusiasts, including make-up artist James Charles and music producer Kurt Hugo Schneider, who are good for over 30 million subscribers and 5 billion views between them.

Anthony’s latest hit is The Miracle Sudoku, a strangely compelling 25-minute video in which he takes on a seemingly impossible grid. Make sure to check out their channel Cracking the Cryptic.

Studium Generale created a Corona Care Package to make #StayingIn as pleasant as possible. In the following weeks we will share videos, blogs, articles and podcasts within four focus areas: Mental Health, The World After Corona, Arts & Culture and other online events.