The Incredible Puzzle Thread

[Klatuu]

Hi,

This is a thread to discuss some of your other favorite puzzles, riddles, brain teasers, armchair treasure hunts, etc.

To get started, here's an online puzzle hunt I've participated in before: Puzzlecrack (http://puzzlecrack.com/). It's a week-long competition with clues given through the web page. Past competitions (and solutions) are still there for you to figure out.

Another similar one is Microsoft's College Puzzle Challenge (http://www.collegepuzzlechallenge.com/).

Any other favorites?

-Klatuu

[Harald B]

Conceptis (http://www.conceptispuzzles.com/) has a bunch of nice logic puzzles, mostly picture logic. Good production values, with an excellent app to solve them in as well as a good print option.

[Avistew]

I liked the website Ouverture Facile (http://www.ouverture-facile.com/) but grew tired of it.

[Majus]

Currently I am totally addicted to Picross 3D (http://www.picross3d.com/), though it's not the kind of puzzle the discussion is about, is it?

[Avistew]

Currently I am totally addicted to Picross 3D (http://www.picross3d.com/), though it's not the kind of puzzle the discussion is about, is it?

Harald B linked to graphic puzzles too, so I'm going to say it works.

[Majus]

Whee, they have 2D Picross! Awesome that.

[Avistew]

Whee, they have 2D Picross! Awesome that.

I used to buy logic books. Kind of like crossword puzzle books, but with only logic stuff. My favourite ones were Logigraph (what you call Picross) and Logigram (stuff like the Einstein riddle).
There were some with numbers too. Not quite sudoku (that hadn't picked up in Europe yet) but the same kind of things. But my fav of all was logigraph for sure, logigram a close second.

[jp-30]

Print out the following JPG, cut out the 3 rectangles.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/jaepee/hiddenperson-3.jpg

Place them so the 2 smaller ones sit above the longer bottom one. Count the Hidden People.

Swap the positions of the top two pieces.

Count the Hidden People again.

[puzzlebox]

I used to buy logic books. Kind of like crossword puzzle books, but with only logic stuff.

Oh snap, I liked those as a kid too (well, if they're the ones I think you mean, with a grid of different elements).

I also half-love/half-hate Mindbenders (http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/resources/puzzles/mindbend.htm)-type stuff. In the ones we got the premise is almost always stupid, the answers sometimes obscure. Last time I was home for Christmas, the house was so crowded I ended up sharing my younger brothers' room, and we'd read these things out to each other for a while before actually going to sleep. :p

Print out the following JPG, cut out the 3 rectangles.

Or cheat and do it electronically!

... :eek:

1482

1483

[Avistew]

Conceptis (http://www.conceptispuzzles.com/) has a bunch of nice logic puzzles, mostly picture logic. Good production values, with an excellent app to solve them in as well as a good print option.

Is there a way to play without getting the solution before you even start? It kinda takes the fun of trying to guess what the picture is out of it.

[jp-30]

Or cheat and do it electronically!

Ha, it's way more fun to have the physical paper in front of you. Especially when you give it to kids to play with.

[taumel]

PathPix on the iPodTouch, i guess there exist desktop versions as well.

[flesk]

I used to buy logic books. Kind of like crossword puzzle books, but with only logic stuff. My favourite ones were Logigraph (what you call Picross) and Logigram (stuff like the Einstein riddle).

I buy one of those every now and then as well. One with picture cross only, as I grew tired of sudoku and kakuro a long time ago. Just laying on the couch with one of those is extremely relaxing when I need a break from my computer.

[The Highway]

Alright, here's one from Professor Layton. I love confusing all my friends in the top mathematics class with this one.

http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1487&stc=1&d=1273845501

[GinnyN]

It's (((40 / 2) - 5) / 3) * 4.

What's about, the only place in the world if you go 1 mile to the south, 1 mile to the east, and 1 mile to the north and come back to the exactly same point?

[Avistew]

... It's 20 units, isn't it? I mean, seems so obvious to me, I must be doing something wrong?

[GinnyN]

... It's 20 units, isn't it? I mean, seems so obvious to me, I must be doing something wrong?

It's. The whole point is, when you are soooo used to resolve math problems, you start to came up with techniques. So, the normal math guy will start to came up with all the information he/she'll get before to actually see the problem.

All the maths problems, in Prof. Layton at least, are math problems you have to think differently than the normal math problems, and that's why those are difficult for the normal math student. Thank godness, I also draw, that's mean I have a certain part of the brain developed the normal engineer in my college does not. That helps, in some stuff.

[Avistew]

Out of curiosity, how did you come up with the equation? I can't make sense out of it. I suck at math so hard.

[Didero]

It's just a weird way to write '20', I think. 40 / 2 is 20. 20 - 5 is 15. 15 / 3 is 5. 5 * 4 is 20. You just have to start within the innermost parentheses, and work your way out :)

[Avistew]

Ooooh, I'm so used to math stuff being how you came to the solution. I was wondering where she found all of these and what formula she was applying and stuff. (Mostly, I didn't understand how they could all happen to be round numbers haha).
I didn't realise she was just saying "20" in mathese (I didn't try to calculate it, to be fair, just looking at it makes me feel stupid).

[Didero]

Yeah, she was just bragging :p
If you were to calculate it, I'm sure there would at least be a square root involved somewhere.

[GinnyN]

I just trying to not give away inmediatly the answer, because, the actual answer in "Mathese" is "It's the Radius" and the Radius is 20.

Yeah, she was just bragging :p
If you were to calculate it, I'm sure there would at least be a square root involved somewhere.

Well, if they give us the length of AC and AB, you can use AD = sqrt(AC^2 + AB^2), which will me probably the first thing a math student will think off, except they will lack information. Also, you can use trigonometric stuff, if they give us the angle of DAC (let's say it alpha), because cos alpha = AB/AD, so AD = AB / cos alpha (you can use also sen alpha = AC/AD), but you are lacking information again.

In that moment a math student will saw the problem, figure out, and jump out of the window.

[Avistew]

That's not mathese at all. That's what I would have said too, if you hadn't used number and confused me. Something doesn't qualify as mathese if I can understand it :p

EDIT: by the way, my whole reasoning was "they only give us one number, and it's for something that doesn't even have a name. The thing kinda look like a circle. I'm gonna say it's one so the answer is 20".

So out of curiosity, how do you actually know that AB? and AC? are the same length? Is it because of the right angles?

[GinnyN]

So out of curiosity, how do you actually know that AB? and AC? are the same length? Is it because of the right angles?

It's a Rectangle, thanks to the right angles. If you separate them with AD, you get two Square Triangles. AB has the same lenght than CD, and AC has the same lenght than BD. Since you have an Square Triangle, you can use the Pythagorean Theorem to figure out AD, which is the hypotenuse, by using AB (or CD) and BD (Or AC). So, it's something like this:

=> (AD^2) = (AB^2) + (BD^2)
=> AD = sqrt(AB^2 + BD^2)

By the way, there's a way to figure out AC and AB if you suppose those are equal. Of course, by knowing AD = 20.

[Psy]

It's (((40 / 2) - 5) / 3) * 4.

What's about, the only place in the world if you go 1 mile to the south, 1 mile to the east, and 1 mile to the north and come back to the exactly same point?

There are quite a few specific locations, but the answer you're looking for is the north pole

[GinnyN]

There are quite a few specific locations, but the answer you're looking for is the north pole

Now I'm curious for the other few specific locations!

[Avistew]

Er, thanks, but that's not what I was asking. You can't calculate AD this way with knowing what AC and AB are.

When I said AB? and AC? I meant the ones that don't have names. Like, [AE] (the one with B on its way) and [AF] (the one with C on its way).
To know that [AD]=[AF], you need to know that [AE]=[AF], don't you?
My question was, how do you do that?

EDIT: Here, I changed the picture to show what I mean.
In my new picture, A isn't the center of the circle anymore.

http://i41.tinypic.com/10pshoi.png

In this case, it's obvious, since I wanted to show you what I meant. But how do you know that in the first picture, A is the center? What is the way to calculate it? Surely when you're just looking it's easy to get it wrong if it's just off the center, right?

[taumel]

Uhm, it's 20, as it's all about, and so the distance AD, the radius.

[GinnyN]

Er, thanks, but that's not what I was asking. You can't calculate AD this way with knowing what AC and AB are.

When I said AB? and AC? I meant the ones that don't have names. Like, [AE] (the one with B on its way) and [AF] (the one with C on its way).
To know that [AD]=[AF], you need to know that [AE]=[AF], don't you?
My question was, how do you do that?

In a equation, I can't think in a way to do it.

In fact, you can say there's no actual answer (For lack of information), because we're just assuming it's a quarter of a Circle. If it were the quarter of a Elipse, for example, AE =/= AF and we're screwed, unless they also give us AE.

So, in typical Math fashion, I assume it's a Quarter of a Circle. If it's a quarter of a circle, by definition all the lines from the middle to the perimeter of the circle has the same lenght (Because that's the definition of the circle). (I think). Since AF is a line from the middle to the perimeter, and AD is also a line from the middle to the perimeter, then AF = AD.

[taumel]

@Avistew
You then solve it geometrical.

[Avistew]

Okay, so you assume it's a quarter of a circle, without a real way to be sure of it. And due to the lack of information there probably isn't a way to be sure of it that doesn't involve getting out your compass. Did I get that right?

[GinnyN]

EDIT: Here, I changed the picture to show what I mean.
In my new picture, A isn't the center of the circle anymore.

http://i41.tinypic.com/10pshoi.png

In this case, it's obvious, since I wanted to show you what I meant. But how do you know that in the first picture, A is the center? What is the way to calculate it? Surely when you're just looking it's easy to get it wrong if it's just off the center, right?

That's a quarter of a Elipse! You screw me!

@Avistew
You then solve it geometrical.

I totally forgot that, you right!

Grab a rule, measure the lenght of AF (Let's say it's 10 cm) and then measure the lenght of AD (Let's say it's 12 cm). Then you say:

10 cm -> 20 units
12 cm -> X units

Then x [units] = (12 [cm] * 20 [units]) / 10 [cm]

That's only works if the Drawing has the correct proportions. If it's not, we're screwed again.

Okay, so you assume it's a quarter of a circle, without a real way to be sure of it. And due to the lack of information there probably isn't a way to be sure of it that doesn't involve getting out your compass. Did I get that right?

Yes and no. If it's nobody telling you that's not a quarter of a circle, there's no reason I can't assume that, because it's nobody telling you either that drawing is correct at all. (That's always happen in a test the drawing are just demostrative, and normally you can't simple believe it's a circle because it's look like one.).

If we don't assume is a quarter of a circle, I cannot figure out a way to do it. And, if you want to know for sure it's a quarter of a circle, bad luck, because not always the drawings had the correct proportions. If you don't telling me that drawing had the correct proportions and it's not just demostrative of the example, I still can assume is a quarter of a circle, unless the problem itself tell me is not a quarter of a circle.

But, if the drawing has the correct proportions, you can use rule of three!

[Tor]

Easy! In GIMP, just use the measure tool (shift-M) to find the length of AD. I get 320 pixels :p

[Psy]

Now I'm curious for the other few specific locations!

It has to do with the fact that terms like North, South, East, and West become undefined in specific locations. Consider if you were one mile north of the south pole; You'd go one mile south, there would be no east to travel (so you'd stand still) and then when you go one mile north, you could end up where you started- Or at an infinite number of other locations forming a circle 1 mile north of the pole.

Alternately, if you're willing to say that you *start out* heading N/S/E/W, then you can do some tricks with crossing the north pole and having the directions all change names.

[Avistew]

That's a quarter of a Elipse! You screw me!

Okay, a quarter of an ellipse then. I'm so math-challenged that I just thought it was a bigger circle and off-center >.>


I totally forgot that, you right!

Grab a rule[...]

Er, yeah, if I have a ruler I'll measure it directly and I'll know what size it is :p I was assuming you were supposed to calculate it.
I guess I'm just making things complicated. You just assume it's a quarter of a circle. Like I did.

I just was fairly sure math-people wouldn't just assume something like that without checking first in a more scientific way than their eyometre.

[taumel]

This is boring, a more interesting but still easy to answer question would be: How does a turtle (with some painting on her tail) has to move, in order to draw the picture (the lines and the circle) so that every distance is only walked once. Those interested in, also can offer a turtle code otherwise a picture showing the way is sufficient.

[Psy]

If you're referring to the semicircle image that is being discussed, it can't be done.

[Avistew]

Just want to point out that it doesn't have to be an ellipse, it CAN be a circle with A as not-the-center.

Here is an example, and I showed where the center is, too.

http://i41.tinypic.com/dcd37s.png

[taumel]

@Psy
Are you sure? :O)

[Psy]

@Psy
Are you sure? :O)

Yes.

[taumel]

You're a winner! *tadaaa*

[GinnyN]

Just want to point out that it doesn't have to be an ellipse, it CAN be a circle with A as not-the-center.

Here is an example, and I showed where the center is, too.

I could still assume it's a quarter of a circle/elipse if A were in the first quadrant (Top - left part of the center). It's not, so, in this case AD can't be related to a Radius of an imaginary circle, so, I can't solve this problem if I don't know the lenght of either AB or AC (Nope, either knowing AF or AE will help us in that case, because we'll still missing AB and AC).

[Klatuu]

The geometry puzzle reminded me of another site I vistited before -

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/riddles/intro.shtml

- and some puzzles called sangaku (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangaku). For example:

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/riddles/medium.shtml#sangaku1

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/images/riddles/japtempgeo1-2.gif
Find the side length of the internal square and the radii of the internal circles, in terms of a.

(I haven't figured it out, yet. Maybe I'm getting too mathematical here, anyway.)

The berkeley site has a bunch of other puzzles and riddles, though.

[Psy]

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/riddles/medium.shtml#sangaku1

http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/images/riddles/japtempgeo1-2.gif
Find the side length of the internal square and the radii of the internal circles, in terms of a.

(I haven't figured it out, yet. Maybe I'm getting too mathematical here, anyway.)

I like this. I'm 1/3 of the way done

[Psy]

I like this. I'm 1/3 of the way done

Awesome, so, from top to bottom

The radius of the upper circle is R/16
The radius of the lower circle is OH GOD I GOT IT WRONG brb doin math
The edge of the square is 3R/5

[The Highway]

It's (((40 / 2) - 5) / 3) * 4.

What's about, the only place in the world if you go 1 mile to the south, 1 mile to the east, and 1 mile to the north and come back to the exactly same point?

Chile, after an earthquake moves you back 1 mile to the west.

[The Highway]

Just want to point out that it doesn't have to be an ellipse, it CAN be a circle with A as not-the-center.

Here is an example, and I showed where the center is, too.

http://i41.tinypic.com/dcd37s.png

Oh, God, look what I've created...

[Leak]

This is a thread to discuss some of your other favorite puzzles, riddles, brain teasers, armchair treasure hunts, etc.
Well, it's actually it's own game, but Deadly Rooms Of Death (http://caravelgames.com/Articles/Games_2/TCB.html) is basically a long string of more or less brain-wrenching puzzles that combined make up the (mostly user-designed) level sets (called holds) for the game.

Puzzle + hack'n'slash galore = WIN, at least for me... :D

(And there's the online high scores - solving a room in less moves than anybody else is often another puzzle in it's own right... ;))

Try it, the demo is free, and you can play any of the user-made levels with it - the only difference is that the demo has only one set of level graphics instead of 6 and IIRC less music...

np: Jamie Lidell - Compass (Compass)

[taumel]

Just moved it here from the wrong thread, oh well.

Here is another one, let's name it: One line tells it all.

Which adventure is this line of a walkthrough refering to?

"Pick up a jawbone and tusk from the grave."

[The Highway]

that's not really a puzzle. its more of an ambiguous fanboy reference that a limited number of people can solve. a puzzle has to have something to do with lateral thinking, etc.

But it's the Dig you're talking about, right?

[taumel]

Sure it is, it's a puzzle, riddle however you prefer calling it, which involves a specific knowledge; and yes, you are right on the solution.

[Avistew]

Sure it is, it's a puzzle, riddle however you prefer calling it, which involves a specific knowledge; and yes, you are right on the solution.

Okay, then here is mine, what's the name of the guy I was in love with in 2003?
Good luck :p

[Neelo]

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

[The Highway]

Okay, then here is mine, what's the name of the guy I was in love with in 2003?
Good luck :p

Is it Mr. Avistew?

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as it could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

[Avistew]

Is it Mr. Avistew?

It's not my husband, and even if it was his name isn't Mr Avistew :p

[taumel]

Okay, then here is mine, what's the name of the guy I was in love with in 2003?
Good luck :p
That's not the same as this is your personal knowledge. Knowledge about games which everyone can buy is a different thing and you should be clever enough knowing that already. :O)

Hmmm, let me think of my school time, maybe this is more after your taste:

ADVENTURES RETURNED HURRAY = BEWFOUVSFT EFOSVUFS GZTBQS

MBVHIJOH FMQSVQ DTKUDOOBG = ?

[The Highway]

LAUGHING ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

too tired

[Hayden]

It's not my husband, and even if it was his name isn't Mr Avistew :p

Mr.... Stewart?

[Avistew]

That's not the same as this is your personal knowledge. Knowledge about games which everyone can buy is a different thing and you should be clever enough knowing that already. :O)

I don't know, seems to me to be more a quiz than a puzzle. The way I see it, for a puzzle you're given all the tools. Just asking someone to guess which movie/game/country/language has this or that in it isn't really the same, because either they already know or they don't and won't figure it out.

Well, for a line from a walkthrough you can google it easily, but many would consider that cheating.

[The Highway]

Well, for a line from a walkthrough you can google it easily, but many would consider that cheating.

*A-hem* Yes... And that is... Bad? Yes, very bad. Bad cheaters!

[taumel]

@Hayden
No

@Avistew
It definately fits better into the quiz section but still i find there is a puzzle part as well, without the certain knowledge you'll also fail to solve a lot of riddles, so...

Oh and of course using google is meh. :O)

[The Highway]

hehe... you said goggle. They make things underwater visible.

What can you see clearly anywhere, but only if someone else speaks it?

[taumel]

I thought you were tired! ;O)

[The Highway]

what? im never too tired to think up a good puzzle!

What has no way of speaking, writing or typing, yet communicates to millions of people every day?

[taumel]

This reminds me of a nice one, but it only works in german:

Wie heißt ein am Metall hängendes Raubtier?

[The Highway]

Hmmm... a metal hanging on the predator, you say...

Too hard. Too tired.

What has many eyes yet cannot see, can form an ear yet cannot hear, and although it may summon a mouth, it cannot cry in fear?

(Hint: Try figuring out the letters)

[taumel]

You're offering too many too fast, actually the internet is full of those and i'm not Bilbo Beutlin.

[taumel]

Is the first the air and the second the eyes?

[The Highway]

no, but nice try

[Avistew]

what? im never too tired to think up a good puzzle!

What has no way of speaking, writing or typing, yet communicates to millions of people every day?

A book? The book doesn't write, it is already written...
...
Lots of animals?

[The Highway]

The book would work. It wasn't what I was thinking, but you're really close to it with the animals one. don't click here if you want to figure it out! It's a lolcat. Yeah, so sue me

[taumel]

Hey, the eyes work as well. ;O)

[The Highway]

yeah, lots of things work. That's prolly my worst one of the three (so far)

[Avistew]

Oh, oh, there is one I made up when I was a kid! What's two, then one, then three?

[The Highway]

an only slightly messed up benjamin button?

[Avistew]

an only slightly messed up benjamin button?

What?
Just remember I'm the one would made up that riddle (kid or not) and the answer should become fairly obvious.

[The Highway]

What has many eyes yet cannot see, can form an ear yet cannot hear, and although it may summon a mouth, it cannot cry in fear?

(Hint: Try figuring out the letters)

C'mon, people! This is my best one!

[The Highway]

What?
Just remember I'm the one would made up that riddle (kid or not) and the answer should become fairly obvious.

When you said that "you" made it up i immediately thought it was going to be messed up, so:

A guy. Because, going down, you have:
- 2 nipples;
- 1 belly button
- and 3 er... legs.

[taumel]

Without investing further time into it: a potato.

[The Highway]

Without investing further time into it: a potatoe.

How does a potato go 2, 1, 3?

[taumel]

I was trying to answer the one with the eyes, the mouth and the ear.

[Avistew]

When you said that "you" made it up i immediately thought it was going to be messed up, so:

A guy. Because, going down, you have:
- 2 nipples;
- 1 belly button
- and 3 er... legs.

Nope, the "then" is a time thing. First there are two of something, then one, then three. I probably could have phrased it better but hey, I was young! (and I'm out of ideas right now).

[The Highway]

oh. no. it's not that. potatoes have eyes, but it's CORN that has the ears :p

Avistew, is it like... the number 213?

[Avistew]

oh. no. it's not that. potatoes have eyes, but it's CORN that has the ears :p

Avistew, is it like... the number 213?

Well, when a potato and a cob of corn love each other very much...

[The Highway]

I thought that! But then I thought: no, she was little, she cant have been THAT sick!

A guy and a girl = 2
Copulation between said guy and girl = 1 combined mass
Baby, guy and girl = 3

[taumel]

You can peel a potato so that it looks like that. Btw did you mean corn in a medical sense or more the corn you can eat?

[Avistew]

Avistew, is it like... the number 213?

It's not a number. It's something that's alive.

And now that I think of it, it can apply to more things than I thought at the time.

[The Highway]

You can peel a potato so that it looks like that. Btw did you mean corn in a medical sense or more the corn you can eat?

I dunno. either way, it has nothing to do with potatoes or corn.

[Avistew]

I thought that! But then I thought: no, she was little, she cant have been THAT sick!

A guy and a girl = 2
Copulation between said guy and girl = 1 combined mass
Baby, guy and girl = 3

Yes! that's it!
Technically, the answer should be "a heterosexual, non-sterile couple that doesn't use birth control". But at the time the answer I expected was "a mommy and a daddy". (Which is flawed too, since they're not parents to begin with. Oh well.)

[The Highway]

what i want to know is, how old were you when you made that up?

Alright, I is sleepy now, so before I go I'm giving you another one to solve;

In a town with two barbers, one always has a messy haircut and an untidy shop, while the other has a neat cut and the cleanest store around. Which one would you go to?

[taumel]

That's the main problem with these kind of riddles, often too many valid options can show up, things get worse if the words aren't wisely choosen. It could be cool in an adventure also would recognize this and so offer several valid solutions.

[Avistew]

I can't remember. But I remember in maternal school (school where you go between ages 2 and 6) how I explained to some boy that no, sodomy didn't result in babies. I know it wasn't in my last year there, so maybe I was about four then?

Later, I remember asking my parents, since people have sex because they like it or because they want babies, but not always both at the same time, how can you be sure you're going to have babies or not going to have them when you have sex?
She said that apart from using birth control or not using it, there wasn't much else you could do.
I commented on how unpractical that was and she seemed to agree.
I was about six or seven for that, I think.

I think I came up with the riddle afterwards. So I was in primary school but not a tiny little kid either.

[The Highway]

seriously? around 7 you came up with that? I didn't even know why people KISSED back when I was 7!

[Avistew]

seriously? around 7 you came up with that? I didn't even know why people KISSED back when I was 7!

Haha I had already kissed a guy when I was 7 xD
Well, it wasn't a "real kiss" though, we didn't use our tongues or exchanged saliva. Didn't do any of that until I was 19.

But yeah, my parents are doctors, we had a human skull at home I loved playing with and I knew how you make babies. And I knew what boys looked like because I have 3 brothers and we took baths together.

Now, the anecdote about when I was 4 years old, at the time I only had a basic concept (penis goes into vagina, then baby) but I already knew how it worked. I only remember that specific anecdote because when I told my parents about how "the boy though you put your penis in the behind instead of the vagina", they exchanged a glance that made me shut up. Now I know why :p
Also, for years I thought that kid had surprised his parents doing it or something, but later my husband told me that having no sisters, only brothers, he didn't really have a concept of what a woman's body was like, so when he looked as his own body, well he came to that conclusion too at that age, he only learned differently later.

Anyway, coming up with that isn't really dirty. I knew people had sex. Fairly early, I learned they did it for other reasons than having babies, too. Doesn't mean I had any interest in doing it myself at that point. But just because you're not interested in doing something doesn't mean you don't know it exists.

[Harald B]

What can you see clearly anywhere, but only if someone else speaks it?The truth?
What has no way of speaking, writing or typing, yet communicates to millions of people every day?Words? Pictures?

[Alcoremortis]

In a town with two barbers, one always has a messy haircut and an untidy shop, while the other has a neat cut and the cleanest store around. Which one would you go to?

The untidy shop of course! Why? Because the barbers obviously cut each others hair!

[Avistew]

I knew this one, but:
a) I know lots of people who cut their own hair
and
b) How does having a messy/tidy shop come into account? I can see it being just to throw people off, but if I had to choose I'd rather have a crappy haircut and not have to sit on something disgusting while it's being cut.

[jp-30]

The clean shop means he doesn't get many customers. Messy shop, very busy cutting hair all day, lots of customers.

[Avistew]

Hum. Even the busiest hairdresser I've been too were always super clean. But I guess that makes some sense seen that way.

[The Highway]

The truth?

Yes

[taumel]

Doesn't make sense to me.

[The Highway]

like "You speak the truth!". Truth can't exist if no one acknowledges that it is there, or if no one creates truth. And you can't create truth for yourself, because you already know. I don't know if that made sense though :rolleyes:

[taumel]

/me looks skeptical.

[The Highway]

anywho, try to figure out the eyes and mouth and ears one :D

[mclem]

What's about, the only place in the world if you go 1 mile to the south, 1 mile to the east, and 1 mile to the north and come back to the exactly same point?

Actually, there are infinite such points. Although the one you're thinking of when compared to all the rest are, quite literally, poles apart

Edit: I see this has been dealt with subsequently.

[GinnyN]

Actually, there are infinite such points. Although the one you're thinking of when compared to all the rest are, quite literally, poles apart

Edit: I see this has been dealt with subsequently.

I know, but using the rules, there's just one point which this works. In the other you can't =P

[The Highway]

I dont understand that puzzle

[The Highway]

Here's one:

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/labyrinth_puzzle.png

What should you ask to get out?

Alternatively;

You come across a forked path. The roads lead one to a village of cannibals, the other to a Utopian society. There are two guards; one who always lies and one who tells the truth. You can ask but one question of both. What should you ask to ensure you go to the Utopia?

[jp-30]

What path would the other guard tell me to walk down if I asked him which leads to Utopia?

Take the opposite path to that suggested.

[Dangeresque]

How about this
3 men are somehow in the jungle and picked up by an indigenous tribe. The tribe's leader makes them stand in a line one behind the other each looking in the same directon. So the one at the rear can see the 2nd guy and the 1st guy. the 2nd guy can see the 1st. and the 1st can't see anyone

Now the tribe's leader has 5 hats. 3 black and 2 white. he takes 3 at random and places them on the 3 guys. He tells them "whoever finds the colour of his hat first will be set free, the other will be killed"
They aren't allowed to move at all, or speak unless they know what colour hat they are wearing.

After 15 or so minutes of silence, the 1st guy says "i got it!" He tells them what colour hat he is wearing and is set free. The other are killed. WHAT COLOUR WAS HIS HAT AND WHAT WAS HIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT FOR FINDING IT? (the answer is no 'its black cause the sun heated it up' Lets say it was a cloudy day)

[Psy]

Hats:

The third guy doesn't see two white hats, so he doesn't know what color hat he has. That means the hats in front of him are BB, BW, or WB.

The second guy knows those are the only three options. If the first guy's hat is white, then his hat must be black. If the first guy's hat is black, he doesn't know what color hat he's wearing, so he says nothing.

Thus the first guy's hat HAS to be black, since neither guy 2 nor guy 3 knew his hat color.

[Avistew]

Hats:

These things always assume the other people aren't just stupid (or otherwise incapable of logic). Just saying. In real life I probably wouldn't count of that.

EDIT: in my opinion, what would actually happen is that all three guys would randomly shout a colour before even thinking, so that nobody else has time to guess before they do. This way they only have a 50% chance of dying.

[Didero]

No, in real life the tribe would just kill the guys without messing around with silly hats ;)

[Avistew]

Haha true. It's just that all these puzzles where you're supposed to rely on other people put in life-or-death situation and still making the most reasonable, rational, logical choice... well, it's pretty inapplicable to real life.
Although I guess the whole premise is as well.

[The Highway]

In real life, if you were in a jungle where you knew there were evil tribes, you'd pack a gun. Seriously.

[Rather Dashing]

This puzzle is definitely more applicable to game theory than it is to being a real puzzle, to be sure. =P

[Avistew]

Okay, okay, then I've got one. Just let me remember it properly.

You're one of three people in a triangle, each with a gun. The first one is a super shot, you're pretty sure he's like 100% sure to kill whoever he shoots. The second one is a good shot, about 50-50. And then there is you, and you're a lousy shot. 25-33% chance to kill whoever you shoot.

Only one of the three of you can leave alive. To even the odds a bit more, you have to shoot one after the other, the worse shooter first. So you get to go first. You have to fire your gun, then the next worst shot will fire, and so on until there is only one person alive.
The super shot is in front of you and on your left, the good shot in front of you and on your right (you're positioned at the corers of an equilateral triangle)
Where do you shoot to have the highest possible chance of survival?

[Rather Dashing]

The super shot and the so-so shot are going to go after each other first. The so-so shot is sure to attack the super shot because the super shot goes after him because the so-so shot is more of a threat than I am.

Shoot the super shot. Combined with the so-so shot, you have the best chance of wiping out the greatest threat. If the so-so shot is killed, then the super shot has nobody to shoot at but you, so succeeding in killing the so-so shot is a death sentence.

[Harald B]

No, you should deliberately miss with your first shot. That way you are guaranteed to get another turn and one person will have died in the meantime.

[Avistew]

Harald has it right. Shoot in the air or between the two guys, miss on purpose. Next the so-so shot with act, and he'll shoot super-shot. Either he kills him and then it's your turn, or he doesn't and super-shot kills him after that and it's your turn.
Either way you'll be left with only one enemy and it will be your turn to shoot. While if you shoot one of them and kill them, it will be the next person's turn and you'll be their only target.

[doodinthemood]

Here's a nice one for you:
A deck of 52 cards is randomly shuffled, and 10 of the cards a randomly face up somewhere in the deck. Deal the deck into 2 piles such that each pile has the same number of face up cards. You are blind.

[Avistew]

Here's a nice one for you:
A deck of 52 cards is randomly shuffled, and 10 of the cards a randomly face up somewhere in the deck. Deal the deck into 2 piles such that each pile has the same number of face up cards. You are blind.

I've never been blind, so forgive me for asking, but is there a way you can feel the difference between the two sides or not at all?

If not, are you allowed to talk to someone who's not blind, or are you alone in a room or something?

[doodinthemood]

nah, nor can you rip any cards or anything else. The basic rule is: "no essential information has been left out"

[Harald B]

Do the two piles have to add up to 52 cards?

[Avistew]

You said ten of the cards randomly face up. Just checking there is no trick, do all the others face up too? Or do the others face down?

If the answer is no, I put the cards on their sides or something, so both piles have 0 facing up cards in them.

[doodinthemood]

42 cards face down, 10 face up, randomly shuffled together to form a 52 card deck, which ALL must be dealt down into one or other of the piles.

[Harald B]

Well that leaves me with one trick: after dealing into two piles, hold the piles on their side, so no card can be considered face up (or face down). I hope that's not the answer though.

[doodinthemood]

Nah, it isn't, you'll be disappointed+pleased to find out ;)

[Avistew]

I put the two piles on top of one another?

[Harald B]

Hm, how about this: first you divide the deck into two piles of 26 cards. Then you move the top card of pile A to the top of pile B, after which you move the bottom card of pile B to the bottom of pile A. Keep repeating that process. There will eventually be a time when pile A and pile B both have five face-up cards in them, even though you yourself will not know when that is.

[doodinthemood]

Nah. Avistew's is incorrect. Harald's is... well he probably knows it's cheating. It does technically answer the question, but I'm not gonna let him have it. You have to declare when the tasks been achieved, let's say.

[Harald B]

I actually meant that last one seriously. Maybe I'll try again later.

[Harald B]

I got it! First put 10 cards in pile A and the rest in pile B. Let n be the number of face up cards in pile A. Now flip pile A. The number of face up cards in it becomes 10-n, the same as in pile B.

[Avistew]

Right now I'm thinking something about turning some cards, and if they were face down it meant the face up one was in the other deck to it evens it, and if they were face up then the face up one isn't in the other deck and it evens it.
I'm not sure if I'm on to something or if it's just stupid...

Maybe take ten out of the pile and turn them all? Would that work? That's your pile one. the rest is pile two.
Normally since there are 10 cards, there are 10-x in that pile, where x is how many are in the other pile.
When turning all of them you should get the same amount in both.

Is that how it works?

[doodinthemood]

I'm sorry Harald, but that answer is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT :D

Edit: Think avistew has it too. The idea comes from turning over 10 or 42 of the cards anyway.

[Harald B]

Ninja'd!

[Avistew]

Great, I take my time explaining it and you ninja me. Now I only sound like I copied you.
:(

[doodinthemood]

Harald wins a brand new car!!! Avistew wins minus 1 brand new car, for copying harald :p

[Avistew]

Hahaha, I have no brand new car to give you and most likely never will! Joke's on you!

[doodinthemood]

A difficult one:

All the prisoners in a jail are supremely logical (even though they've wound up in jail). The warden speaks to them and says "One of you lot has blue eyes. If, on any night, you know the colour of your own eyes, you can leave. No talking to each other though. That's naughty."
23 nights go by with nobody leaving.
On the 24th night, half the prison population leaves.
How many prisoners are left?

[Avistew]

A difficult one:

All the prisoners in a jail are supremely logical (even though they've wound up in jail). The warden speaks to them and says "One of you lot has blue eyes. If, on any night, you know the colour of your own eyes, you can leave. No talking to each other though. That's naughty."
23 nights go by with nobody leaving.
On the 24th night, half the prison population leaves.
How many prisoners are left?

Hum. Well I'm assuming you're have blind people in the lot. Otherwise everyone would know the colour of their own eyes, wouldn't they?

The "half the population leaves" makes me lean towards "one person left, one person is left", but on the other hand, that wouldn't have taken 24 nights. Plus why do half of them still not know? So I guess I'm lost on this one.

[The Highway]

In assuming they can see, say there are four people. As 1 person has blue eyes, they could see that no one else has blue eyes, and would leave immediately. Therefore you must assume that they are blind, or at least the one with blue eyes is blind.

So, perhaps it has something to do with them all leaving on the 24th night?

[Harald B]

By "One of you" do you mean exactly one or at least one?

[The Highway]

yeah: for all we know, with that ambiguous wording they could ALL have blue eyes!

[Harald B]

Ok, let's do this:

If there were only one person with blue eyes, then he would know and leave on the first night.
Since nobody leaves on the first night, there must be at least two people with blue eyes. After the first night, this becomes common knowledge.
Suppose there only two people with blue eyes. Then on the second night, each would see only one other person with blue eyes. Since they know there must be two, they would both leave.
Etcetera. Therefore since they all leave on the 24th night, there are exactly 24 people with blue eyes. (You cannot know your own eye color otherwise; too many options.)
Since these 24 are half the population, there are now 24 prisoners left.

[The Highway]

but why can they only figure out one more person with blue eyes per day?

[doodinthemood]

Harald B has solved it :) Your proof isn't very good, but you have the right answer, so I'm guessing the logic in your head is probably right. Very impressed. I took a long time on that puzzle, thinking it was impossible.

[The Highway]

I wish I could come up with a puzzle right now, but my brain is fried.

[Avistew]

Yeah, I thought about something like "one more person every day" but it doesn't make sense if you assume people are blind. They can't see other people's eyes, therefore they can't base their leaving on that. People would need to see 23 people with blue eyes, notice that people aren't leaving on the 23rd night, and therefore leave on the 24th.
Also, why would he tell them "one of you has blue eyes" if they can already see that?

And finally, since it's been determined that they're not blind, how on Earth did you gather 48 people who don't know what colour their own eyes are? Were they born in prison and are mirrors prohibited?

[The Highway]

If I was to rewrite that puzzle, I'd say that "One of you has a blue dot painted on your forehead"

[Harald B]

Harald B has solved it :) Your proof isn't very good, but you have the right answer, so I'm guessing the logic in your head is probably right. Very impressed. I took a long time on that puzzle, thinking it was impossible.Damn right the logic is right! I guess I glossed over a few steps, so feel free to ask about any steps you have difficulty following. And I should mention that I have some formal training and have have seen riddles like this before.

but why can they only figure out one more person with blue eyes per day?Excellent question. That's indeed a big problem with a lot of these type of riddles. There's this unstated assumption that people have one shot at guessing their own color and leaving per night, and have to do it at the same time or something.
It would be better to phrase things in terms of opportunities or question rounds. With this poorly phrasing they might as well all figure it out after 24 hours or 24 minutes.

Yeah, I thought about something like "one more person every day" but it doesn't make sense if you assume people are blind.Yeah, you kind of have to assume people aren't blind. Note to Telltale: be very careful about the way you phrase things. Run it by a critic or internet panel.

I've remembered a new riddle for you people, presented in a topical version in my next post.

[Harald B]

There are a group of Hidden People with different colored hats: all have either a red or a white hat. Assume that everyone can see everyone else's hat but nobody knows the color of his own. Without (directly) informing anyone of their hat color, how can the Hidden People arrange to stand in a line with all the red hatted ones on one end and all the white hatted ones on the other?
I won't take an answer that comes down to playing the prisoner game above. Assume they're not that logically perfect. I also won't accept "they should punch all the white hatted ones" and the like.

[The Highway]

I find this question incredibly confusing

[Harald B]

Really? You have to get them in a line that's either like this:

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

or like this:

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

(obviously the actual amount of Whites and Reds could be different). Does that help?

[Klatuu]

There are a group of Hidden People with different colored hats...

Let's try this:

The Hidden People stand in a line (0...n)
Each hidden person starting with 0 walks down the line and cuts in when everyone else in front of him has hats of the same color.

It seems to work, but I don't have a formal proof right now...

[WarpSpeed]

Let's say they can all agree that white hats stand on the left and red hats stand on the right. (I'm assuming they can plan things in a group even if they're not allowed to discuss each other's hat color.)

Hidden Person 1 stands first.
If HP2 sees HP1 has a white hat, HP2 stands to the right of HP1, else to the left.
If HP1 sees HP2 has a white hat, HP1 moves to the right of HP2, else HP1 stays put. HP1 and HP2 are now in order.

HP3 comes along. If he sees HP1 and HP2 both have white hats, he stands to the right of both. If HP1 and HP2 both have red hats, he stands to the left of both. If there's a white hat on the left and a red hat on the right, he stands in between. If he stands on the far left or far right, HP1 and HP2 move again depending on what hat color they see HP3 wearing. If he stands in between, the HP on the left switches places with him if he sees that HP3 has a white hat, or the HP on the right switches places if he sees that HP3 has a red hat.

For HPn, he again sees all n-1 HPs standing, and if all have the same color hat, he stands to the left/right of all of them like HP3 did, and they all switch places if necessary. If HPn stands in between HPi and HPi+1, only HPi or HPi+1 need switch places based on the color of HPn's hat.

Then Nelson Tethers barges in and shoots them all, proving they should have stayed hidden instead of playing silly hat color games.

[Harald B]

That's pretty much the answer I was looking for, WarpSpeed. And I think yours works too, Klatuu.

[Didero]

Hidden people don't have white hats. Since all of them have red hats, any line they form will have red hats on one side and white on the other. :D

[The Highway]

What Hidden People? :D

[Didero]

What Hidden People? :D
Actually, that's probably the right answer.
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gif

[The Highway]

Did you just see that? http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gifhttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gifhttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gifhttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gif

[doodinthemood]

Loved the hidden people question harald :D Also... you have formal training... in riddles.... WANTWANTWANT

Here's a nice easy by-the-book puzzle:
You're walking through a rocky landscape (yay I set the scene) when you arrive at a toll bridge. You need to pay 201 gold pieces in order to cross it. There is also a magical monkey king to the side, with 2 boxes in front of him, who offers to play a game with you. He says "give a true statement and you shall be rewarded with the context of box A. Give a false statement and you shall be rewarded with the context of box B. The first, and only the first, thing you say from now on will count. Box A contains....200 gold pieces!!!" You look at box B hoping for something slightly better as the monkey king goes over to it. "Box B contains..." he whips off the lid. "Another 200 gold pieces!!!."

What do?

[Didero]

What do?
Say "This sentence is false"?

[doodinthemood]

Paradoxical statement... I didn't really specify what happens in that case, but likely the king would go into some sort of monkey rage and run away with the moneys.

[The Highway]

i would say "You'e an idiot" and whether he agreed with me or not, i'd get 200 gold.

[Harald B]

You should say "You will not give me the contents of box A.". If he indeed does not, then the statement was true and he ends up breaking his promise. Therefore he must give you the contents of box A. But since that makes your statement false, he must then also give you the contents of box B.

[Slowpoke]

The puzzle never says you don't have any gold pieces yourself, so you just take the money from one of the boxes, which, added to what you already had, is enough to cross the bridge. Yay loopholes!

[splash1]

Did you just see that? http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gifhttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gifhttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gifhttp://img180.imageshack.us/img180/9151/47145228.gif

Neat gif! I wish I could do that.

[doodinthemood]

Well done Harald. Blast your qualifications from riddle school :(

And slowpoke, tisn't a loophole. The riddle also doesn't say that there isn't a pile of gold randomly lying about, or that the bridge can be walked around. In riddles, you should assume that all essential information has been given. If it hasn't, then the riddle is dud.

The mother is 18 years older than the child, in 3 years, she will be 9 times the age of the child. They live in the US. Where is the father
A) now?
B) soon?

:)

[Avistew]

She's giving birth right now I'm guessing, so the father is probably somewhere around.

EDIT: since you asked two questions, I guess he's not allowed it, so he's in the waiting room and will soon be by her side?

[The Highway]

i think he is

A) At a bar
B) Still at a bar

[jp-30]

What is red and invisible?

[The Highway]

A blushing invisible person?

[Tor]

Communism?

[doodinthemood]

No tomatoes.

[Harald B]

The mother is 18 years older than the child...Doing the math shows that the child is a negative nine months old. So the father has just had sex with the mother, and will presumably soon be in jail for statutory rape.

What is red and invisible?An invisible pink red unicorn? If you're going for a pun on red, then maybe a message written in disappearing ink after it's disappeared, or braille (though braille's hardly invisible). You can't exactly do that in writing though.

[The Highway]

Find a way to edit this image
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/2824/scarface.png
to make it less creepy. In 24 hours. Time starts NOW!

[Harald B]

http://i45.tinypic.com/2vinnud.png

[The Highway]

Now it looks like a woman's behind...

YOU WIN!

[jp-30]

No tomatoes.

Correct.

[The Highway]

That"s the stupidest thing ive ever heard!

[Avistew]

Doing the math shows that the child is a negative nine months old. So the father has just had sex with the mother, and will presumably soon be in jail for statutory rape.

I'm not questioning your math at all, as it's incredibly easy to believe mine was faulty.
However, I don't think the age of the father was stated. If he's younger than the mother, he's not going to end up in prison, is he? And what if he's older but also under 18?

EDIT: still, maybe you can explain. My results were:

mother now: 18
baby now: 0
mother in 3 years: 21
baby in 3 years: 3
mother in 3 years divided by baby in 3 years: 9

Still, the "soon" might be "in prison" if he's older than she is, but I say the "now" is "in the hospital", no? How do you end up with negative 9 months? What did I do wrong?

With your results I get:

baby in 3 years: 2 years and 3 months
mother in 3 years: 20 and 3 months

[The Highway]

i hate puzzles that make you do maths

[Harald B]

Here's the math Avistew:

m = c + 18
m + 3 = 9 (c + 3)
c + 21 = 9c + 27
-6 = 8c
c = -3/4
And I admit the puzzle doesn't really give enough information for the soon question; I'm mostly just guessing at the maker's intent there.
Also, your mistake was in thinking that 21 / 3 = 9. :p

[Avistew]

Here's the math Avistew:

m = c + 18
m + 3 = 9 (c + 3)
c + 21 = 9c + 27
-6 = 8c
c = -3/4
And I admit the puzzle doesn't really give enough information for the soon question; I'm mostly just guessing at the maker's intent there.
Also, your mistake was in thinking that 21 / 3 = 9. :p

Aaah, it's 7 time 3 that's 21. Well, I remembered 3 times something was 21, and 9 times something started with something -1, so I thought it worked out :p

Thanks ^_^

[The Highway]

1+1=?

[Avistew]

1+1=?

3! Remember my riddle? :p

What, I never said I was good at math >.>
I'm pretty sure I stated several times that I was horrible at it, actually.
So yeah. I don't know my multiplications.

[The Highway]

I'll accept your answer :p

There's 3 other answers, though...

[Avistew]

MMh... 2, 11 and... 10?

[doodinthemood]

Intended answer was father now is pretty close to the mother, as the child is -0.75 years old (will be born in 9 months time). Also the father soon will be in front of a jury, as it was in the US and the mother is 17.25 years old.
Both rely on pretty rigid ideas of the amount of time it takes for a human to go from conception to birth, and whether the US would bother in most cases of almost-18 pregnancies, but I thought it was quite a nice puzzle.

As for 1+1, it = 0. You flick a lightswitch 1 time, and 1 bulb turns on. You flick it 1 more time, and 0 bulbs are turned on. 1+1=0.

[The Highway]

also a window. im surprised no one's said that yet

[Avistew]

As for 1+1, it = 0. You flick a lightswitch 1 time, and 1 bulb turns on. You flick it 1 more time, and 0 bulbs are turned on. 1+1=0.

You give that answer, and 0 Avistew is turned on.

[The Highway]

eew...

[splash1]

I declare, thaaat... There is no possible answer for that because it makes no absolute sense.

[doodinthemood]

Here's a curious little one. Not really a logic puzzle, but a question that surprisingly few people get right:

A man drives up to a petrol (gas) station and tells the owner to fill up his car. The owner does so, and starts talking. "Not seen you round here before, you travelling?" "Yeah," the man replies. "Seeing my brother for the first time in ages." "He's not from that town over there is he?" asks the owner, pointing to a small collection of houses just ahead and off the main road. "Nope." "Good!" exclaims the owner, finishing off filling the car. "I'd rather serve two cars from anywhere else than have to serve one from that place." The man thinks about it for a second. "Makes sense."

Why did the owner feel that way?

[Neelo]

1550

Insert the numbers 1 through 8 on the drawing. The numbers on the squares adjacent to the square where you inserted the number can't be the numbers after or before the number you insert. For example, if have the 4 on the centre, you can't have either 6 or 3 on the squares adjacent to it.
1551
1552

[Avistew]

| 13
|2486
| 75

?

EDIT: and I don't get the gas one. I'd think it was better filling up two cars than one anyways. But apparently it isn't. So I'm just confused. Maybe he's lazy?

[Neelo]

Here's a curious little one. Not really a logic puzzle, but a question that surprisingly few people get right:

A man drives up to a petrol (gas) station and tells the owner to fill up his car. The owner does so, and starts talking. "Not seen you round here before, you travelling?" "Yeah," the man replies. "Seeing my brother for the first time in ages." "He's not from that town over there is he?" asks the owner, pointing to a small collection of houses just ahead and off the main road. "Nope." "Good!" exclaims the owner, finishing off filling the car. "I'd rather serve two cars from anywhere else than have to serve one from that place." The man thinks about it for a second. "Makes sense."

Why did the owner feel that way?

Well, of course the man would rather serve 2 cars than 1! It doesn't matter where they're from, they're still 2 customers instead of 1! He gets twice the money!

[doodinthemood]

My method for this was to put the "best" numbers in the middle, then work the rest out from there. I think this is right:

_64
2817
_53

[Avistew]

Well, of course the man would rather serve 2 cars than 1! It doesn't matter where they're from, they're still 2 customers instead of 1! He gets twice the money!

Yeah, I thought that too, but why specifically from that town? Why is he glad the cousin isn't from there due to that? It doesn't make sense.

[Avistew]

Okay, I have one. It's kinda famous but maybe you guys don't know it.

A) How do you make 4 equilateral triangles with 6 matches?
B) How do you make 8 equilateral triangles with 6 matches?

EDIT: B) was eight, not six, I typed it wrong the first time. Sorry!

[Neelo]

My method for this was to put the "best" numbers in the middle, then work the rest out from there. I think this is right:

_64
2817
_53

You got it right, congratulations!
Avistew, yours is wrong because diagonals also count ;)

Now, I'm going to get some matches to solve yours, Avistew...

[doodinthemood]

I already knew A, so just posting B:
I did a.... star of david

[Avistew]

Doodinthemood is right :) That's the solution to B.

[Didero]

I've got one. I don't know how hard or easy it is, since I thought it up myself. I'd probably go with 'easy' though :p
When is a square not a square?

[Avistew]

When it's in cities, there are stuff called "squares" but they're not always square-shaped?

[doodinthemood]

A circle.
0 squared...

[Didero]

When it's in cities, there are stuff called "squares" but they're not always square-shaped?
Told you it was easy :p

[doodinthemood]

Remember to keep on trying avistew's part A guys!!!

Anyway here's quite a nice one:
I want to be able to show the day of the month at any time using two dice. (showing the first of the month as 01, not just 1.) What numbers do I put on each die?

[thesporkman]

Yeah, I thought that too, but why specifically from that town? Why is he glad the cousin isn't from there due to that? It doesn't make sense.

Maybe the town just ahead is where the owner lives, and he'd rather bring more money into the local economy from outsiders?

[Avistew]

Anyway here's quite a nice one:
I want to be able to show the day of the month at any time using two dice. (showing the first of the month as 01, not just 1.) What numbers do I put on each die?

Let's see... We need numbers from 0 to 9, but the tens only need to go up to 3. So you put 0-3 on one, but you'll never need 00, so you only need one 0, so the other only needs 1, 2 and 3... Wait, you never need 33 either... However you need 30, so one gets 0, 1, 2 and the other gets 1, 2, 3...

Then, we need to have 4-9 added. I'd say they can go on either, just put three on each.

Does that work?

[doodinthemood]

How would you get 04?

[thesporkman]

Can you use the same character for 6 and 9 and just turn the die upside down when needed? That might make things easier?

[doodinthemood]

awwww, yeah that's the trick that you have to see to solve it :(

[Avistew]

Can you use the same character for 6 and 9 and just turn the die upside down when needed? That might make things easier?

Oooh, that's the good idea! instead of 9, add 0 to that die too.
I was thinking in matter of dots, silly me.

[Gman5852]

Ok here is a strange puzzle a relative taught me.
It makes no physical sense but you can still get it I guess.

You are in a box there is no exits in anyway. All there is is a mirror and a table, neither the mirror nor the table can brake the box and get you out. How do you get out.

[doodinthemood]

You look in the mirror and remember what you saw. You use that saw to cut the table in two. Two halves make a whole. Shout until your voice is hoarse. Ride that horse out the hole and have a sniff around to acquire the scent. Invest that cent wisely and before long you'll have enough money to write a cheque. Go out with the Czech and make sure she loves you too. Of the two, find out which is father. Ask that father if it's ok to marry the Czech.
You now are not only free, but are rich and have a foreign wife. Well done.

[Gman5852]

You look in the mirror and remember what you saw. You use that saw to cut the table in two. Two halves make a whole. Shout until your voice is hoarse. Ride that horse out the hole and have a sniff around to acquire the scent. Invest that cent wisely and before long you'll have enough money to write a cheque. Go out with the Czech and make sure she loves you too. Of the two, find out which is father. Ask that father if it's ok to marry the Czech.
You now are not only free, but are rich and have a foreign wife. Well done.

Dang it:eek:. in reality anything horse onward you didnt need but nice.

[Avistew]

You are in a box there is no exits in anyway. All there is is a mirror and a table, neither the mirror nor the table can brake the box and get you out. How do you get out.

I say "the way you got in".

Also, a hint for my match one: Tabletop RPG gamers have an edge over other people for figuring it out.

[Harald B]

How about this? Hope the ASCII-art gets the point across.

._____.
|\ /|
| \ / |
| x |
| / \ |
|/ \|
-------

[Avistew]

You mean a square and two diagonals? If that's the case, explain to me how you figure that they're equilateral :p

[Harald B]

Doh. Er, nevermind.:o

[flesk]

Solution to A:

|><|
|><|

Two intertwined equilateral triangles, where the "top" of one triangle touches the "bottom" of the other, and vice versa.

On B:

Wouldn't a Star of David make six equilateral triangles like you originally posted?

[Avistew]

Solution to A:

|><|
|><|

Two intertwined equilateral triangles, where the "top" of one triangle touches the "bottom" of the other, and vice versa.

On B:

Wouldn't a Star of David make six equilateral triangles like you originally posted?

No, six small ones and two big ones, so eight altogether. I'm not sure if your solution is indeed equilateral triangles but I'm guessing if they are there are six of them. Either way, that's not the solution I was looking for, but that's definitely an interesting suggestion.

[flesk]

No, six small ones and two big ones, so eight altogether. I'm not sure if your solution is indeed equilateral triangles but I'm guessing if they are there are six of them. Either way, that's not the solution I was looking for, but that's definitely an interesting suggestion.

Ah, I didn't even think of the bigger ones. Yeah, they are equilateral, but like you said, there are six of them when you count the two big ones.

[Avistew]

Okay, everyone, bamse didn't find the answer to A, but the answer to C (6 equilateral triangles with 6 matches), which deserves kudos too.

[flesk]

Create the rhombus
A___B
/ /
/___/
D C

where ADC = ABC = 60 degrees. Join corners A and C. Join lines AB and CD with a match parallel to AD and BC. Call the point where the last two matches meet X, the point where the last match meets AB Y and the point where the last match meets CD Z.
We have equilateral triangles ACD, ACB, AXY and CXZ.

[Avistew]

That looks super complicated and I have no clue if they're equilateral or not, but that's not the answer I'm looking for.

Just like the answer to B, the answer to A can be given with words, without any drawing or anything involved. If that helps. I'll even accept both the tabletop RPG term and the geometry one.

[flesk]

Here's an attempt at some more descriptive ASCII art of my solution:

...____
../\/.../
././\../
/_/_\/

It consists of two large equilateral triangles, where one is upside down, and they share one match. The sixth match can be anywhere, touching the top and bottom line, but must be parallel to the left and right side.

[Avistew]

Ah, I see. Looks good to me. Congrats then! Wasn't the solution I was looking for (mine has 4 equilateral triangles that are the same size, and doesn't require any calculating) but if it works you get points. Want to try and figure out the one I had in mind or should I give the solution?

Here is a hint: Every side of every triangle is one match. That's why you don't need to calculate anything, since all matches are the same size.

[doodinthemood]

This is what bamse has done:
http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/6688/backv.png
I followed his instructions XD It does work. Just not especially nice, and the triangles are different sizes, and two matches cross.

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

The answer to A (4 equilateral triangles using 6 matches) is a tetrahedron (triangular pyramid with 4 equal sides). The trick is thinking beyond the 2D

[Avistew]

Well, bamse gets credit for figuring out a new solution.

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

I've got one:
How do you get seven as the result of dividing twelve by two?

[Avistew]

Oh, I know! But I figured it out so fast, I think I knew it already, so I won't say.

[Neelo]

I've got one:
How do you get seven as the result of dividing twelve by two?

When you suck at math and don't have a calculator?

[Didero]

Just keep dividing by 2 until you reach 0.75?

[The Highway]

cheat?

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

You only divide once, and it's an exact (and -somehow- correct) division

[Avistew]

Well, since I don't want to hold the whole thread up, the answers I would have accepted are d4, tetrahedron and, while inaccurate, pyramid (because I would have assumed you just didn't know the right word).

[Harald B]

Well, since I don't want to hold the whole thread up, the answers I would have accepted are d4, tetrahedron and, while inaccurate, pyramid (because I would have assumed you just didn't know the right word).I would've said that if Javi hadn't said it first in post 232.

[Avistew]

Oh, sorry, I totally missed that post. I guess we posted at the same time or something? Sorry Javi. And everyone else for leading you to believe the answer was something else.

[doodinthemood]

Cut XII lengthwise?

[The Highway]

When is a cucumber undeserving of being a cucumber?

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

Cut XII lengthwise?That's it

There's another, an easy one:
The chemist and his daughter, the doctor and his wife, ate nine pears and they got three each.

(Sorry if the sentence is a bit odd, it's the translation from the Spanish poem for the riddle)

[Avistew]

The chemist's daughter is the doctor's wife.

(Three times three is nine, right? I got it right this time?)

[Javi-Wan Kenobi]

You're right.

[flesk]

This is what bamse has done:
[IMAGE]
I followed his instructions XD It does work. Just not especially nice, and the triangles are different sizes, and two matches cross.

Thanks. I didn't have anything handy for creating a proper image before, but I have installed gpaint now.

Well, bamse gets credit for figuring out a new solution.

Yay! :) Thank you.

[Myrph]

The chemist's daughter is the doctor's wife.

(Three times three is nine, right? I got it right this time?)

Surely it could also be that the daughter is the doctor and the wife belongs to the chemist? Granted it would also indicate poor punctuation, but I'm allowing that to pass!

[Avistew]

Surely it could also be that the daughter is the doctor and the wife belongs to the chemist? Granted it would also indicate poor punctuation, but I'm allowing that to pass!

I guess, but I went with the one that doesn't require me to assume bad punctuation was used :p I mean, you'd say "the chemist, his daughter the doctor, and his wife" in a case like that. I can't imagine why you'd have an extra "and".
So I assumed there was one "right" solution that was also "tricky" and combined the two decidedly feminine words (daughter and wife) as one person.

My first thought was that the doctor was the daughter and she had a wife, but it said "his wife" so I scratched the idea, and put the daughter/wife as the same person with an indeterminate job.