Northwest Lichenologists

Usnoku?

  • 03 Mar 2024 7:05 PM
    Message # 13324142

    Today I was looking the terrific Usnea in the Pacific Northwest by Daphne Stone and noticed a mention of "Usnoku" in the acknowledgements, a game Bruce McCune came up with to encourage studying Usnea.

    Apparently it was presented at the 2010 NWSA meeting and the rules used to be posted at https://home.comcast.net/~nwlichens/Usnoku.htm, but that link is now dead. Was a copy of the rules saved anywhere? I'm dying to know the details of this game!

  • 04 Mar 2024 8:10 AM
    Reply # 13324370 on 13324142
    Bruce McCune (Administrator)

    I hadn't realized that posting had dropped off the site. Well, I've reinstated it now, along with more complete examples and blank sheets for playing the game.

    https://northwest-lichenologists.wildapricot.org/Games


    One thing to note is that unlike regular Sudoku, there is no way that I know of to play against yourself. The game is meant to be played with multiple teams.


    One other caution is that the game organizer needs to spend a fair amount of time in advance preparing the game. In the full game that includes TLCing all the specimens being used, though it would be easy to modify it to leave out the TLC stage. 


    We have played the game two times at our spring meetings. Both were raucous, intense sessions!


    Thanks for bringing this to my attention! 

  • 04 Mar 2024 12:58 PM
    Reply # 13324552 on 13324142

    Glad the notes for these survived!! This looks like great fun, I wish I could have participated. The "Unknowns" on the sheets had me laughing. The vast region of scabratas on the Douglas County sheet would make me feel like I'm doing something wrong, like answering "a" 12 times in a row on a multiple choice quiz haha.

    I wonder if this couldn't be done with other genera? I don't know if there is another genus quite as "fun" as Usnea.

  • 05 Mar 2024 8:33 AM
    Reply # 13324972 on 13324142
    Bruce McCune (Administrator)

    It would definitely be easier with almost any other genus.


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