A puzzle globe (also called ''jigsaw globe'', ''globe puzzle'', ''puzzle ball'', ''puzzle sphere'' or ''spherical puzzle'') is a

spherical A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the ce ...

assembly of

puzzle A puzzle is a game, Problem solving, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together (Disentanglement puzzle, or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to arrive at th ...

pieces that, when put together, form a complete sphere or globe. Puzzle globes will generally have a one-piece spherical substrate that supports the puzzle pieces as they are laid in place. In some puzzle globes the substrate is steel and the puzzle pieces are

magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

ic, the magnetic attraction keeping pieces on the lower portion of the sphere from falling off. Like a two-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, a globe puzzle is often made of cardboard and the assembled pieces form a single layer. Most globe puzzles have designs representing spherical shapes such as the

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

, the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

, or historical globes of the Earth. The

logo of Wikipedia The logo of Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, is an unfinished globe constructed from jigsaw pieces—some pieces are missing at the top—each inscribed with a glyph from a different writing system. As displayed on the web pages of the En ...

is a puzzle globe depicting glyphs from many different writing systems. A jigsaw puzzle globe from the 1870s is in the collection of the

Whipple Museum of the History of Science Whipple may refer to: People *Whipple (surname) (including a list of people with the surname) *Whip Jones (1909–2001), American ski industry pioneer, founder, developer and original operator of the Aspen Highlands ski area in Aspen, Colorado * W ...

, and is a copy of an earlier one made in Germany.

References

Tiling puzzles Mechanical puzzles Globes Jigsaw puzzles {{Puzzle-game-stub

See also

References