Josie Ford
Crossword compiler
A few weeks ago, Feedback ran a letter from a reader that raised serious doubts as to the solvability of the New Scientist cryptic crossword. Taking our duty of care seriously, and being at the same time incapable of distinguishing a cryptic crossword clue from the subject line of a spam email, we decided to consult an expert.
Crossword Genius is a remarkably impressive app that uses an AI to parse cryptic crossword clues and offer potential solutions. Letting it loose on a puzzle by regular New Scientist setter Wingding proved to be a stimulating experience.
“Family becomes ilk,” it said at one point,…
