Solution - Everything You Read

by Nathan Fung and Eric Prestemon

Answer: Click here to reveal

You may recognize Louisa May Alcott's "famous" comment about Thoreau's terrible beard. You might guess the Pulitzer Prize winner goes with the driver character question and dig in there. Or just the title may suggest what is going on.

Eventually you should figure out that these are hoaxes. Specifically Wikipedia-originated hoaxes that escaped out into the rest of the world. The Wikipedia hoax list page has most of them.

You will find that the "facts" asked about were "true" for some of the dates and times given, and not for others. If you sum those dates and times for each answer you should get a positive number. Indexing by that number into the "answer" gives a letter.

(The seconds values of the time stamps do not affect the indexing, but do spell out a helpful message by mapping 1-26 to A-Z: PEOPLE USE LAST NAMES)

CategoryQuestionSubjectAnswerStart DateEnd DateSum of DeltasLetter
A rock guitarist dated the future First Lady of what country? Eric Clapton FRANCE 2011-May-7 17:06 2013-Dec-19 05:30 3 A
A comedian known for characters worked briefly at a financial firm commonly known by what two word name? Sacha Baron Cohen GOLDMAN SACHS 2006-Nov-14 02:51 2008-Apr-19 16:01 8 S
A drink inventor corresponded with what scientist? Julian Freed SCHRODINGER 2005-Jun-25 04:13 2010-Mar-11 21:15 1 S
A regional conflict began in what village? Bicholim Conflict IBRAMPUR 2007-Jul-7 04:42 2012-Dec-28 16:26 7 U
A maid previously worked in what African country? Amelia Bedelia CAMEROON 2009-Jan-31 21:06 2014-Jul-29 13:05 3 M
An oyster fisherman moved to what profession due to poverty? Edward Owens PIRACY 2008-Nov-18 01:29 2008-Dec-18 21:49 1 P
A god is associated with what country? Jar'Edo Wens AUSTRALIA 2005-May-29 13:42 2014-Nov-27 22:02 4 T
A model for a famous image was photographed treading on a book by what author? Rosie the Riveter model Shrley Karp Dick HITLER 2009-Feb-14 21:51 2012-Jan-24 20:58 2 I
A basketball player was involved in a cheating scandal where? Joe Streater BOSTON COLLEGE 2008-Aug-12 15:04 2014-Oct-9 16:56 5 O
A first amendment journalist was involved in the assassination of what US President? John Seigenthaler, Sr. KENNEDY 2005-May-26 14:29 2005-Oct-1 (approximately) 3 N
An author and naturalist had facial hair famously described by what person? Henry David Thoreau ALCOTT 2007-Dec-17 (approximately) 2014-Mar-18 (approximately) 3 C
A Pulitzer Prize winner and WWII veteran based a driver character on what person? Bill Mauldin RICHTEL 2008-Mar-9 10:10 2015-Oct-16 01:54 7 L
A French composer expected to hear what music on their deathbed? Maurice Jarre WALTZ 2009-Mar-30 02:29 (and other times that shouldn't overlap this puzzle's dates) 2009-Mar-30 11:51 2 A
A fruit is known by what offensive nickname? Kiwi Fruit HAIRY BUSH FRUIT 2007-Oct-6 11:59 2014-Mar-2 18:15 7 U
A boxer had what species of flower named after them? Muhammad Ali ROSA ALI 2006-Nov-9 16:16 2015-Mar-28 07:44 3 S
A federal judge used the results of what hobby to decorate their workplace? Roger Vinson TAXIDERMY 2010-Sep-13 04:03 2010-Sep-14 19:21 6 E

Those letters give us the answer, in order by the left side clues for the categories: ASSUMPTION CLAUSE