# Updates on the state puzzle?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-on-the-state-puzzle/259374>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-on-the-state-puzzle/259374 "2004-08-11T16:21:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-on-the-state-puzzle/259374/1 "2004-08-11T16:21:13Z")

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Unfortunately I can’t remember the original thread title nor find it via the search engine. But I’m talking about the puzzle where the states were being listed one by one and everyone was supposed to guess what the order was based on. There were dozens of theories but as far as I recall nobody had the right answer. It’s been months, so has anyone heard the solution?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-on-the-state-puzzle/259374/2 "2004-08-11T18:49:59Z")

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The Google Answers one?

Previous threads. No real answer here, sorry.

From 2002.

> **[Puzzle - ordering of US States](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=130383)**
>
> Check out this puzzle on Google Answers Any ideas? Let’s show the world that THE STRAIGHT DOPE is smarter than anyone!

From February 2004.  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=242285&highlight=straightdope%2Bstate%2Bpuzzle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=242285&highlight=straightdope%2Bstate%2Bpuzzle)

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updates-on-the-state-puzzle/259374/3 "2004-08-12T07:57:57Z")

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Has anyone taken the time to disprove all the theories already given? Just browsing through the thread, there seem to be a lot of random guesses thrown in which were more or less ignored, but could actually be correct. So perhaps we already have the answer and don’t know it. Just a thought.