Find the needle in the haystack
Task types:
Solo
Filmed
Physical
Objective
Single brief
OriginalLocations:
Task brief
The task brief is laid upon a large pile of hay on the floor of the lab. The brief for the task is as follows:
Find the needle in the haystack.
Fastest needle found wins.
Your time starts now.
Task notes
- A needle is hidden within the haystack, with a long thread attached to it.
Task stats
Points
15
Disquals
0
Attempts
Here's a description of the contestants' attempts. Someone's probably working on collecting some images to add later!
- Simon wanders around the edge of the haystack and almost immediately finds the thread attached to the needle, as it touches his bare leg. He is then able to follow the thread into the haystack and uncover the needle in just 3 minutes and 24 seconds, winning the task.
- Sebastian rummages around in the hay and quickly discovers the loose thread attached to the needle. He is then able to follow the thread into the haystack and uncover the needle in just 6 minutes and 40 seconds, earning second place.
- Eva immediately declares that a magnet is needed, and leaves the lab to find one. She returns with a wooden pole, a magnet and some duct tape, and uses them to assemble a tool that she can thrust into the haystack to collect the needle. Apparently not having any joy with her tool, she ends up on the floor, rummaging around with her hands. She eventually finds the thread, and is able to follow it to the needle. She completes the task after 28 minutes, and earns fourth place.
- Julie gets down on the floor and starts rummaging in the pile of hay. At some point she acquired a garden fork, and uses that to help spread the hay out. She eventually comes to the conclusion that there is no needle in the room, and that perhaps there is hay somewhere else with a needle in it, but Mark assures her this is not the case. She returns to moving the hay with her fork, and eventually stumbles across the thread. While following the thread through the hay, she accidentally breaks it, but then refinds the thread again, and is able to follow it to the needle. She completes the task in 13 minutes, and earns third place.
- Martin leaves the lab and returns with a garden fork, which he uses to move the hay around. He then climbs into the middle of the haystack and rummages around manually. He eventually finds the thread, and follows it to what he thinks is the needle, but turns out to be a loose end of the broken filament. He refinds the thread, however, and is able to follow it to the actual needle. He completes the task in 35 minutes, and earns last place.
(Source credit: Karl Craven)
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