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'It's just a hobby': Meet the B.C. scientist whose crosswords have run in the NY Times | Globalnews.ca

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, August 27th 2025 at 23:12 GMT by Global News
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BC Scientist Turns Computational Genius into Daily NY Times Crossword

A quiet laboratory in Vancouver has given rise to a new kind of wordsmith: a University of British Columbia scientist who has taken his passion for puzzles and turned it into a regular feature in the New York Times crossword section. Dr. Nathaniel Kline, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, has been designing and testing the NY Times’ daily crosswords for the past year, using sophisticated algorithms that balance linguistic flair with mathematical precision.

From Algorithms to Word Banks

Kline’s journey began in a very different setting. “I was always fascinated by how constraints can produce beautiful structures,” he says. “In 2013 I earned my PhD in computational linguistics, and the more I explored, the more I realized that the same tools used to parse natural language could also be used to generate puzzles.”

Kline’s research focuses on constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) – a class of problems in computer science where a set of variables must be assigned values that satisfy a number of constraints. “Crosswords are a perfect example of a CSP,” he explains. “You need to place words in a grid such that they intersect correctly, fit the clue list, and still leave room for a satisfying theme.” By leveraging Google’s OR‑Tools and a custom Python framework, Kline can automatically generate thousands of candidate grids, prune them based on readability and difficulty metrics, and finally select the one that best meets his design criteria.

A New York Times Collaboration

Kline first caught the attention of the NY Times’ puzzle editor, Will Shortz, in a casual conversation at a local Vancouver bookshop. Shortz, who has overseen the paper’s crosswords for more than two decades, was intrigued by Kline’s blend of technical rigor and creative wordplay. “I’ve worked with many great crossword constructors,” Shortz says, “but Kline’s approach to balancing computational constraints with human aesthetics is truly refreshing.”

The collaboration began formally in early 2023. Kline’s role is to produce a preliminary grid and clue set, which Shortz and his team then refine to ensure the puzzle’s brand and style match the NY Times’ expectations. According to Kline, the process takes about two weeks: “I generate a raw grid in a day or two, then we iterate on clues and theme elements until it feels right.” This partnership has yielded over 150 crosswords, many of which have become favorites among puzzle enthusiasts.

The Science of Puzzle Design

Beyond the novelty of a scientist crafting daily crosswords, Kline’s work offers deeper insights into how human cognition interacts with algorithmic design. “Crosswords are a window into how we process language and spatial information,” he notes. “By modeling the constraints mathematically, we can systematically explore how different word choices affect difficulty, theme cohesion, and solver satisfaction.”

Kline’s research has been presented at several conferences, including the International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING) and the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL). He has also published papers on “The Application of Constraint Satisfaction to Word Puzzle Generation” and “Balancing Lexical Frequency and Thematic Consistency in Automated Crossword Design.” His work is currently being applied to other language games, such as Sudoku and Kakuro, and is expected to improve accessibility tools for people with visual impairments.

Community Response

The puzzle community has responded enthusiastically to Kline’s contribution. “It’s exciting to see a fresh perspective on a long‑standing tradition,” says puzzle solver Emily R. of Toronto, who has been solving NY Times crosswords for over 20 years. “The grids feel more balanced, and the clues sometimes incorporate subtle linguistic tricks that I’ve never seen before.”

The New York Times has also highlighted Kline’s work on its social media channels, linking to several of his most popular puzzles. One particularly celebrated entry, a “Science and Tech” themed crossword from March 2024, earned praise for its clever use of scientific jargon while remaining accessible to general readers. In the puzzle’s accompanying editorial, Shortz praised Kline’s “innovative approach to integrating theme and grid structure.”

Looking Ahead

Kline’s collaboration with the NY Times is slated to continue into 2025, with plans to explore multilingual crosswords and interactive digital formats. “We’re looking at ways to let solvers customize difficulty or theme,” he says. “It’s about expanding the boundaries of what a crossword can be, while still keeping that human touch.”

In the meantime, Kline will remain a fixture in his lab, refining algorithms, testing new language models, and occasionally sneaking in a crossword clue or two during lunch breaks. For those who love puzzles, the news is simple: there’s a new genius behind the grids, and he’s making sure every crossword feels both mathematically sound and delightfully human.