MDSC Discovery
Build your own MDSC
The redesigned MDSC Puzzling School programme launched in 2025 and enables you to customise your conference experience through our MDSC Discovery subjects. Instead of wasting time on boring puzzle placements, dissecting puzzles in the lab, or live in-person puzzling lectures, you can instead use our MDSC Discovery subjects to explore a wide range of other topics and interests.
Within MDSC Discovery, you complete several MDSC Discovery pathways for the chance to earn exciting MDSC Challenge points. Each Discovery pathway enables you to extend your conference experience beyond the standard MDSC programme.
As this year is the pilot year for MDSC Discovery, we have deliberately made the subjects easy, and we seek your feedback on its implementation.
MDSC Discovery rollout
- There will be five Discovery pathways, each composed of several subjects. To progress within any given pathway, you must complete subjects in order.
- Two pathways will be released at 10:00am on each of Mon 23rd June and Tue 24th June.
- At 10:00am on Wed 26th June, the final pathway will become available, along with a feedback form.
- Struggling? Assistance for each subject will be released 24 hours after the release of the subject's pathway.
Trial subject
Not yet sold on MDSC Discovery? Try one of the subjects now and get a taste for what it will be like during the main week.
Student support
We are dedicated to supporting you through this transition period as we completely up-end the MDSC curriculum and use you as guinea pigs. We understand that this may frustrate or upset those of you who enrolled in MDSC Puzzling School to do some actual puzzles. Students experiencing any issues with MDSC Discovery can direct all enquiries to mdscpuzzles@gmail.com.
Announcements
10:00 a.m. 28 Jun: MDSC Puzzles 2025 has now concluded, and puzzle solutions are now available to view. Thank you for your participation and we hope you had fun! Love from Dan and Allen.
03:07 a.m. 28 Jun: (3.1: Unlucky) The 7th gravestone has been changed from "Encountered 1,900 kangaroos" to "Encountered 190 kangaroos".
01:23 a.m. 27 Jun: (2.5: I Get Smashed) Step 12 has been changed from "Remove any citrus juice that may remain." to "Remove any citrus juice that may interfere with your CYP enzymes".
10:00 a.m. 26 Jun: All puzzles are now unlocked and have hints. While the Puzzle Hunt will conclude at 10am Saturday, only points won by 12pm Thursday (today!) will contribute to the MDSC Challenge.
02:55 p.m. 25 Jun: Congratulations to 🏆 Yan Kuan Chen 🔭 for being the first to complete the End of Subject Survey!
10:00 a.m. 25 Jun: Pathway 5 puzzles and the Feedback Form are now released! Also, all Pathway 3 and Pathway 4 puzzles are unlocked, along with hints for them.
08:00 a.m. 25 Jun: We have decided to extend the Puzzle Hunt end time out to 10am Saturday, instead of Friday. This means you'll get more time to work on the Hunt at a time when all puzzles and hints will have been released. After this point, the solutions and some author commentary will be made available.
02:18 p.m. 24 Jun: (2.4: Mona Bash) We've made a change to the hint, as the old one referenced an outdated draft version of this puzzle. It now reads: "While the title and flavour text might refer to the Mona Lisa, the reviews focus on a MONA closer to home."
10:00 a.m. 24 Jun: Pathway 3 and Pathway 4 puzzles are now released! Also, all Pathway 1 and Pathway 2 puzzles are unlocked, along with hints for them.
09:46 p.m. 23 Jun: Apologies for the website downtime on Monday from 9pm - 9:45pm. Hopefully this didn't impact you too much!
10:00 a.m. 23 Jun: Puzzles have been released! Have fun!
10:00 a.m. 16 Jun: Exactly one week to go before the MDSC Puzzle Hunt starts! Make sure you have registered, read the About page and given the Tutorial Puzzle a crack.