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Background

This puzzle was originally from a puzzle contest for the USC Viterbi Magazine that is now over, but the answers have not been posted. My friends and I have been working on it for weeks, but we still have not been able to crack it. The answer should be a 7-letter word/phrase/string that leads to this URL: viterbischool.usc.edu/_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Source A: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsmuG0KP1ec/

Source B: https://magazine.viterbi.usc.edu/spring-2023/the-last-word/there-is-a-mystery-message-on-these-pages-can-you-find-it/

Our Progress

First, the length of the message does not seem to matter, as it has been adapted to various forms. What is significant though is the bolding and potentially the location in the message.

Second, this message is a quote from a pretty famous scientist named Von Karman: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/medalofscience50/vonkarman.jsp. We thought it could be related with something like the Von Karman line, but we were not able to find any words that worked.


Puzzle

There is a mystery message hidden on this slide - can you find it? It should make up the corresponding link. Head to the link you guessed to see if you got it right: viterbischool.usc.edu/_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
Scientists discover the world that exists;


This puzzle is especially difficult because there isn't much information to solve it :/. Any leads or pointers are also welcome!

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  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Your two sources have a different number of copies of the same phrase and the emphasized phrases are in different locations. Second, in the original the emphasis is both bold and some purplish color. The color could be just the schools color but it could be significant as well. $\endgroup$
    – quarague
    Jun 13 at 12:21
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ If you go to the url https://viterbischool.usc.edu/mystery, you find the phrase "Please unlock the missing URL from clues in the print magazine." near the end of the page. I'm not sure we can make any progress without the magazine. $\endgroup$ Jun 13 at 13:00
  • $\begingroup$ @codewarrior0 I have a copy of the physical magazine, and the content in the digital magazine seems to be a 1 to 1 match, but reformatted to fit the website. If the answer does in fact require the magazine, the Instagram caption does seem a bit misleading though :/ $\endgroup$
    – Kyle He
    Jun 13 at 13:34
  • $\begingroup$ On another note, I expanded my search, and I am currently looking at magazine.viterbi.usc.edu/spring-2023/introduction/… which does seem to maybe lead somewhere? The subtitle includes "It’s still giving us clues." which may be related to the Cardinal mystery? The answer for this part of the puzzle in viterbischool.usc.edu/mystery also seems (maybe unintentionally?) broken. $\endgroup$
    – Kyle He
    Jun 13 at 13:35
  • $\begingroup$ The bold phrases are exactly on line 30 and 60 $\endgroup$
    – WOWOW
    Jul 25 at 14:30

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