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Happy Birthday, Stephen Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

selmarat: GZ has deteriorated since the cache was placed several years ago, so I'm going to retire this birthday tribute. Many thanks to all those who worked through the puzzle to find this cache!

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Hidden : 12/20/2011
Difficulty:
2.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Celebrated theoretical physicist, best-selling author, advocate for the disabled, and pop culture star Stephen Hawking was born on 1/7/1942, 70 years ago today! (official cache posting date, that is)


Congratulations to LCSM for an epic FTF in the snow!

The year Hawking entered graduate school, he was diagnosed with ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's disease) and told he wouldn't live to see 25. Happily, he proved his doctors wrong. Please join me in celebrating his birthday by solving this little puzzle.

The final is at: N 43 AA.ABC, W 75 DE.FGH

To determine the coordinates, you'll need to answer the following questions:

A = The amount of visible light given off by a black hole

B = Last digit of the year Hawking received his B.A. from Oxford

C = 1 + the 1st letter of the second word in the name of the rock band which used Hawking's voice in their song "Keep Talking".

D = the numerical value of the 1st letter of the surname of this person who played poker with Stephen Hawking, Sir Isaac Newton, and the android Data in a popular episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

E = 4 + (The last digit of the year Hawking was elected to the Royal Society).

F = The number of appearances Hawking has made on "The Simpsons".

G = The last digit in the year that Hawking was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

H = The number of times Hawking has appeared in the television series "Futurama" - 2.


You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

1) Ab, lbh qba'g unir gb pyvzo gung. 2) Pnershy abg gb trg lbhe srrg jrg!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)