well ... this goes back to clarify the Mathematician's calculation which proved 4000+2000 = 0
well ... the error in the whole computation lies in the second last step where in (a+b-c) is removed from either side of the equation.
a+b-c is actually equal to 4000+2000-6000=0 ... Zero !!
Removinf the expression from both sides is equivalent to dividing both sides by ZERO !! This is an "illegal" mathematical operation rendering the whole computation erronous.
. . . shoOOonya . . .
From Switzerland, Geneva
12well ... the error in the whole computation lies in the second last step where in (a+b-c) is removed from either side of the equation.
a+b-c is actually equal to 4000+2000-6000=0 ... Zero !!
Removinf the expression from both sides is equivalent to dividing both sides by ZERO !! This is an "illegal" mathematical operation rendering the whole computation erronous.
. . . shoOOonya . . .
From Switzerland, Geneva
hey shoonya
i spent 1/2 hour wondering how cld tht be possible
thnk u
ur a sight for sore eyes
i was questioning my mathematical ability
:cry:
anyway
Lateral thinking puzzles are often strange situations which require an explanation. They are solved through a dialogue between the quizmaster who sets the puzzle and the solver or solvers who try to figure out the answer. The puzzles as stated generally do not contain sufficient information for the solver to uncover the solution. So a key part of the process is the asking of questions. The questions can receive one of only three possible answers - yes, no or irrelevant.
When one line of enquiry reaches an end then another approach is needed, often from a completely new direction. This is where the lateral thinking comes in.
Some people find it frustrating that for any puzzle it is possible to construct various answers which fit the initial statement of the puzzle. However, for a good lateral thinking puzzle, the proper answer will be the best in the sense of the most apt and satisfying. When you hear the right answer to a good puzzle of this type you should want to kick yourself for not working it out!
This kind of puzzle teaches you to check your assumptions about any situation. You need to be open-minded, flexible and creative in your questioning and able to put lots of different clues and pieces of information together. Once you reach a viable solution you keep going in order to refine it or replace it with a better solution. This is lateral thinking!
This list contains some of the most renowned and representative lateral thinking puzzles as well as some of those which crop up most frequently on the rec.puzzles newgroup. References
The Puzzles
1. The man in the Elevator
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the elevator to go down to the ground floor to go to work or to go shopping. When he returns he takes the elevator to the seventh floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor. He hates walking so why does he do it?
This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is truly satisfying.
2. The Man in the Bar
A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out.
This puzzle has claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.
3. The Man who Hanged Himself
Not far from Madrid, there is a large wooden barn. The barn is completely empty except for a dead man hanging from the middle of the central rafter. The rope around his neck is ten feet long and his feet are three feet off the ground. The nearest wall is 20 feet away from the man. It is not possible to climb up the walls or along the rafters. The man hanged himself. How did he do it?
4. Death in a Field
A man is lying dead in a field. Next to him there is an unopened package. There is no other creature in the field. How did he die?
5. Anthony and Cleopatra
Anthony and Cleopatra are lying dead on the floor of a villa in Egypt. Nearby is a broken bowl. There is no mark on either of their bodies and they were not poisoned. How did they die?
6. The Coal, Carrot and Scarf
Five pieces of coal, a carrot and a scarf are lying on the lawn. Nobody put them on the lawn but there is a perfectly logical reason why they should be there. What is it?
7. Trouble with Sons
A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins, and they were not adopted. How could this be so?
8. Push that Car
A man pushed his car. He stopped when he reached a hotel at which point he knew he was bankrupt. Why?
9. The Arm of the Postal Service
One day a man received a parcel in the post. Carefully packed inside was a human arm. He examined it, repacked it and then sent it on to another man. The second man also carefully examined the arm before taking it to the woods and burying it. Why did they do this?
This one probably has more variations than any other. A great one to puzzle out. It requires plenty of good questions.
10. Heaven
A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of
21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognised. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?
11. Friday
A man rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Friday. How come? A silly one - but it is surprisingly popular.
12. Manhole Covers
Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?
This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle which can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used by a very well-known software company as an interview question for prospective employees.
13. The Deadly Party
A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?
14. The Deadly Dish
Two men went into a restaurant. They both ordered the same dish from the menu. After they tasted it, one of the men went outside the restaurant and shot himself. Why?
15. The Realization
A man was walking downstairs in a building when he suddenly realized that his wife had just died. How?
16. The Blind Beggar
A blind beggar had a brother who died. What relation was the blind beggar to the brother who died? (Brother is not the answer) :)
17. The Broken Match
A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a broken match. What happened?
18. The Music Stopped
The music stopped. She died. Explain.
19. Swimmer in the Forest
Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died?
This is supposedly based on a true incident. Does this make it an urban legend? Many urban legends can be restated as lateral thinking puzzles. This is a very good one of this type.
20. The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
hehehehahahah work ur gray cells
answers wen i come online nxt :twisted:
From India, Mumbai
i spent 1/2 hour wondering how cld tht be possible
thnk u
ur a sight for sore eyes
i was questioning my mathematical ability
:cry:
anyway
Lateral thinking puzzles are often strange situations which require an explanation. They are solved through a dialogue between the quizmaster who sets the puzzle and the solver or solvers who try to figure out the answer. The puzzles as stated generally do not contain sufficient information for the solver to uncover the solution. So a key part of the process is the asking of questions. The questions can receive one of only three possible answers - yes, no or irrelevant.
When one line of enquiry reaches an end then another approach is needed, often from a completely new direction. This is where the lateral thinking comes in.
Some people find it frustrating that for any puzzle it is possible to construct various answers which fit the initial statement of the puzzle. However, for a good lateral thinking puzzle, the proper answer will be the best in the sense of the most apt and satisfying. When you hear the right answer to a good puzzle of this type you should want to kick yourself for not working it out!
This kind of puzzle teaches you to check your assumptions about any situation. You need to be open-minded, flexible and creative in your questioning and able to put lots of different clues and pieces of information together. Once you reach a viable solution you keep going in order to refine it or replace it with a better solution. This is lateral thinking!
This list contains some of the most renowned and representative lateral thinking puzzles as well as some of those which crop up most frequently on the rec.puzzles newgroup. References
The Puzzles
1. The man in the Elevator
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the elevator to go down to the ground floor to go to work or to go shopping. When he returns he takes the elevator to the seventh floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor. He hates walking so why does he do it?
This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is truly satisfying.
2. The Man in the Bar
A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out.
This puzzle has claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.
3. The Man who Hanged Himself
Not far from Madrid, there is a large wooden barn. The barn is completely empty except for a dead man hanging from the middle of the central rafter. The rope around his neck is ten feet long and his feet are three feet off the ground. The nearest wall is 20 feet away from the man. It is not possible to climb up the walls or along the rafters. The man hanged himself. How did he do it?
4. Death in a Field
A man is lying dead in a field. Next to him there is an unopened package. There is no other creature in the field. How did he die?
5. Anthony and Cleopatra
Anthony and Cleopatra are lying dead on the floor of a villa in Egypt. Nearby is a broken bowl. There is no mark on either of their bodies and they were not poisoned. How did they die?
6. The Coal, Carrot and Scarf
Five pieces of coal, a carrot and a scarf are lying on the lawn. Nobody put them on the lawn but there is a perfectly logical reason why they should be there. What is it?
7. Trouble with Sons
A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins, and they were not adopted. How could this be so?
8. Push that Car
A man pushed his car. He stopped when he reached a hotel at which point he knew he was bankrupt. Why?
9. The Arm of the Postal Service
One day a man received a parcel in the post. Carefully packed inside was a human arm. He examined it, repacked it and then sent it on to another man. The second man also carefully examined the arm before taking it to the woods and burying it. Why did they do this?
This one probably has more variations than any other. A great one to puzzle out. It requires plenty of good questions.
10. Heaven
A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of
21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognised. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?
11. Friday
A man rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Friday. How come? A silly one - but it is surprisingly popular.
12. Manhole Covers
Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?
This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle which can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used by a very well-known software company as an interview question for prospective employees.
13. The Deadly Party
A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?
14. The Deadly Dish
Two men went into a restaurant. They both ordered the same dish from the menu. After they tasted it, one of the men went outside the restaurant and shot himself. Why?
15. The Realization
A man was walking downstairs in a building when he suddenly realized that his wife had just died. How?
16. The Blind Beggar
A blind beggar had a brother who died. What relation was the blind beggar to the brother who died? (Brother is not the answer) :)
17. The Broken Match
A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a broken match. What happened?
18. The Music Stopped
The music stopped. She died. Explain.
19. Swimmer in the Forest
Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died?
This is supposedly based on a true incident. Does this make it an urban legend? Many urban legends can be restated as lateral thinking puzzles. This is a very good one of this type.
20. The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
hehehehahahah work ur gray cells
answers wen i come online nxt :twisted:
From India, Mumbai
Hi Shoonyaa,
Thanks for the answer -bang on right!! was expecting this answer from you obviously..you being a Vedic Maths Prof..
Well done..
Hi Sunayna,
well..well..the puzzles are tempting...may i have the liberty to solve some of them..
would like to add my two cents thoughts -
Lateral thinking - plainly speaking is akin to a Parachute - it works when it opens up!! lateral thinking is got more to do how one manages the brain and the approach to life problems..
These puzzles in initially seems impossible in the first glance..many of us give up thinking about the options..but there are others who look at these puzzles/quizes in a different way/approach than the conventional ones.
The Puzzles
Any idea...i give you a hint..just look at the problem from the reverse method..
True..first seems funny but true.. hint *** relates to fear/scare..
This is a classic example which was solved by indoubtable Sherlock Holmes..the hint is water on the floor..
Hmm...an excellent clue..is what is a unopened package? unopened is the clear hint..
Anthony & cleoptra are just the red herrings..think hard..beyond the clues provided..
Link carrot, scarf, coal with christmas in US ..a good hint..
Just think beyond what we usually associate with..
Just go back to your happy & playful childhood days..
Well..the answer is unusual one..many of you may find it difficult to solve this one..let me give the answer..
The three men had been stranded on a desert island. Desperate for food, they had agreed to amputate their left arms in order to eat them. They swore an oath that each would have his left arm cut off. One of them was a doctor and he cut the arms off his two companions. They were then rescued. But his oath was still binding so he later had to have his arm amputated and sent to his colleagues.
This is often told with a further twist whereby a doctor pays a tramp a large sum in order to amputate the tramp's arm which the doctor then sends to another man who inspects it
It's easy one but obvious..
Sure it's a silly one..but a good example of we take the obvious to be the answer..but it is not so..
Should be a easy one..
Hint..what all ingredients/items that go into punch..takes time to gel with the punch..
This has something in common with No. 9 above but is in my opinion even better. It is fiendishly difficult to figure out from a standing start.
Can't be just intuition..right..so ..
By now..above hints may have prepared you for the answer..
Well .. enough hints.. happy thinking..
17. The Broken Match
A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a broken match. What happened?
18. The Music Stopped
The music stopped. She died. Explain.
19. Swimmer in the Forest
Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died?
This is supposedly based on a true incident. Does this make it an urban legend? Many urban legends can be restated as lateral thinking puzzles. This is a very good one of this type.
20. The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
Good luck..
Rajat
From India, Pune
Thanks for the answer -bang on right!! was expecting this answer from you obviously..you being a Vedic Maths Prof..
Well done..
Hi Sunayna,
well..well..the puzzles are tempting...may i have the liberty to solve some of them..
would like to add my two cents thoughts -
Lateral thinking - plainly speaking is akin to a Parachute - it works when it opens up!! lateral thinking is got more to do how one manages the brain and the approach to life problems..
These puzzles in initially seems impossible in the first glance..many of us give up thinking about the options..but there are others who look at these puzzles/quizes in a different way/approach than the conventional ones.
The Puzzles
Any idea...i give you a hint..just look at the problem from the reverse method..
True..first seems funny but true.. hint *** relates to fear/scare..
This is a classic example which was solved by indoubtable Sherlock Holmes..the hint is water on the floor..
Hmm...an excellent clue..is what is a unopened package? unopened is the clear hint..
Anthony & cleoptra are just the red herrings..think hard..beyond the clues provided..
Link carrot, scarf, coal with christmas in US ..a good hint..
Just think beyond what we usually associate with..
Just go back to your happy & playful childhood days..
Well..the answer is unusual one..many of you may find it difficult to solve this one..let me give the answer..
The three men had been stranded on a desert island. Desperate for food, they had agreed to amputate their left arms in order to eat them. They swore an oath that each would have his left arm cut off. One of them was a doctor and he cut the arms off his two companions. They were then rescued. But his oath was still binding so he later had to have his arm amputated and sent to his colleagues.
This is often told with a further twist whereby a doctor pays a tramp a large sum in order to amputate the tramp's arm which the doctor then sends to another man who inspects it
It's easy one but obvious..
Sure it's a silly one..but a good example of we take the obvious to be the answer..but it is not so..
Should be a easy one..
Hint..what all ingredients/items that go into punch..takes time to gel with the punch..
This has something in common with No. 9 above but is in my opinion even better. It is fiendishly difficult to figure out from a standing start.
Can't be just intuition..right..so ..
By now..above hints may have prepared you for the answer..
Well .. enough hints.. happy thinking..
17. The Broken Match
A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a broken match. What happened?
18. The Music Stopped
The music stopped. She died. Explain.
19. Swimmer in the Forest
Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died?
This is supposedly based on a true incident. Does this make it an urban legend? Many urban legends can be restated as lateral thinking puzzles. This is a very good one of this type.
20. The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
Good luck..
Rajat
From India, Pune
Here's a 'Differentiating' problem for the mathematicians out there...
This problem uses basic calculus of differentiation.
The only variable in use is 'a'.
If a number is written to the right of a variable then the variable is to be raised to that power. So 'a2' is to be read as 'a squared'
Now
a2 = a x a
or a2 = a (1+1+1+.... a times) [Just like say 6 = 1+1+... 6 times]
or a2 = a+a+a+... a times [Expanding bracket]
Differentiating both sides...
2a = 1+1+1+...a times
or 2a = a [1+1+1+... 'a' times is 'a']
Now assuming 'a' not equal to 0,
2 = 1 ???????
Care to figure out? :wink:
Regards,
Mathew
From India, New Delhi
Hi Rajat / Sunayna ...
Nice to have these puzzles here ... long time since we encountered such highly creative material to shake and stir our gray (or is it grey) matter !!
Let me add some more hints to these .... hope visitors to this post will get further hints ... and post some solutions before Sunanyna posts the final run down ;-)) Frankly speaking ... quite a few of them leave me stumped .... ;-))
The Puzzles
Any idea...i give you a hint..just look at the problem from the reverse method..
Think !! - of all the various reasons you would need to walk when a lift is available !! To help you ... I would add that whenever he has company in the lift or during the rainy season ... the man uses his lift upto the tenth floor while going Up !!!
True..first seems funny but true.. hint *** relates to fear/scare..
Further Hint - What could Fear STOP !! And you would be thankful for it !!
This is a classic example which was solved by indoubtable Sherlock Holmes..the hint is water on the floor..
Further Hint - The Water must have helped him reach those heights ?? HOW ??
Hmm...an excellent clue..is what is a unopened package? unopened is the clear hint..
Unopened Mystery !! Open it Friends !!
Anthony & cleoptra are just the red herrings..think hard..beyond the clues provided..
Hmmmm .... Dead - Egypt - Bodies !! Interesting ... Do you hear a bell ringing !!
Link carrot, scarf, coal with christmas in US ..a good hint..
Frankly - I am stumped !! You try !!
Just think beyond what we usually associate with..
Lets Agree - They are NOT Twins ... but they can surely be ___ or ___ ;-))
Just go back to your happy & playful childhood days..
A pretty Pushy Problem !!
Well..the answer is unusual one..many of you may find it difficult to solve this one..let me give the answer..
The three men had been stranded on a desert island. Desperate for food, they had agreed to amputate their left arms in order to eat them. They swore an oath that each would have his left arm cut off. One of them was a doctor and he cut the arms off his two companions. They were then rescued. But his oath was still binding so he later had to have his arm amputated and sent to his colleagues.
This is often told with a further twist whereby a doctor pays a tramp a large sum in order to amputate the tramp's arm which the doctor then sends to another man who inspects it
It's easy one but obvious..
Adam n Eve !! Were they any different from others !! HOW ??
Sure it's a silly one..but a good example of we take the obvious to be the answer..but it is not so..
Missing days !! Or Missing Nights !! Or something in between !!
Should be a easy one..
A Question of Logic Falling Through our Minds !!
Hint..what all ingredients/items that go into punch..takes time to gel with the punch..
Hey ... Do we see a connexion with Q. 3 - Water !! Heights !!
If you figure out 3rd ... this ones a piece of Cake .. or may be a Piece of ___ ;-))
This has something in common with No. 9 above but is in my opinion even better. It is fiendishly difficult to figure out from a standing start.
No Comments ;-(
Can't be just intuition..right..so ..
By now..above hints may have prepared you for the answer..
Well .. enough hints.. happy thinking..
Oh come on !! Dont we have any other relationship other than BROTHER !! Just think slightly more !!
17. The Broken Match
A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a broken match. What happened?
Think ! Think !! Time is running Out !!
18. The Music Stopped
The music stopped. She died. Explain.
Now thats what you would call a Musical Person !!
But where is the connexion - The music or the musical instrument !!
19. Swimmer in the Forest
Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died?
This is supposedly based on a true incident. Does this make it an urban legend? Many urban legends can be restated as lateral thinking puzzles. This is a very good one of this type.
Hmm .. Pretty Interesting !! Land Swimming !! April Fool's Day zOke or something !!
20. The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
Well ... talking of TIME and TIME Lines and maybe International Time Lines !!
Good luck..
Rajat / shoOOonya / sunayna
Let me add one more Puzzle to the List ...
21. A Father and a Son were travelling in their New Sports Car on the National Highway. Nice flat straight road with no other vehicle in sight, they floored the accelerator and drove at top speed. Well ... the obvious happened and they met with an accident. The father died on the spot !! The Son was taken to the nearest Hospital. The Surgeon there looks at the mutilated body of the Son and says ... "I cant operate on him, He is My Son !!" -- Now Hows that possible ??
All the BEst !!
From Switzerland, Geneva
Nice to have these puzzles here ... long time since we encountered such highly creative material to shake and stir our gray (or is it grey) matter !!
Let me add some more hints to these .... hope visitors to this post will get further hints ... and post some solutions before Sunanyna posts the final run down ;-)) Frankly speaking ... quite a few of them leave me stumped .... ;-))
The Puzzles
Any idea...i give you a hint..just look at the problem from the reverse method..
Think !! - of all the various reasons you would need to walk when a lift is available !! To help you ... I would add that whenever he has company in the lift or during the rainy season ... the man uses his lift upto the tenth floor while going Up !!!
True..first seems funny but true.. hint *** relates to fear/scare..
Further Hint - What could Fear STOP !! And you would be thankful for it !!
This is a classic example which was solved by indoubtable Sherlock Holmes..the hint is water on the floor..
Further Hint - The Water must have helped him reach those heights ?? HOW ??
Hmm...an excellent clue..is what is a unopened package? unopened is the clear hint..
Unopened Mystery !! Open it Friends !!
Anthony & cleoptra are just the red herrings..think hard..beyond the clues provided..
Hmmmm .... Dead - Egypt - Bodies !! Interesting ... Do you hear a bell ringing !!
Link carrot, scarf, coal with christmas in US ..a good hint..
Frankly - I am stumped !! You try !!
Just think beyond what we usually associate with..
Lets Agree - They are NOT Twins ... but they can surely be ___ or ___ ;-))
Just go back to your happy & playful childhood days..
A pretty Pushy Problem !!
Well..the answer is unusual one..many of you may find it difficult to solve this one..let me give the answer..
The three men had been stranded on a desert island. Desperate for food, they had agreed to amputate their left arms in order to eat them. They swore an oath that each would have his left arm cut off. One of them was a doctor and he cut the arms off his two companions. They were then rescued. But his oath was still binding so he later had to have his arm amputated and sent to his colleagues.
This is often told with a further twist whereby a doctor pays a tramp a large sum in order to amputate the tramp's arm which the doctor then sends to another man who inspects it
It's easy one but obvious..
Adam n Eve !! Were they any different from others !! HOW ??
Sure it's a silly one..but a good example of we take the obvious to be the answer..but it is not so..
Missing days !! Or Missing Nights !! Or something in between !!
Should be a easy one..
A Question of Logic Falling Through our Minds !!
Hint..what all ingredients/items that go into punch..takes time to gel with the punch..
Hey ... Do we see a connexion with Q. 3 - Water !! Heights !!
If you figure out 3rd ... this ones a piece of Cake .. or may be a Piece of ___ ;-))
This has something in common with No. 9 above but is in my opinion even better. It is fiendishly difficult to figure out from a standing start.
No Comments ;-(
Can't be just intuition..right..so ..
By now..above hints may have prepared you for the answer..
Well .. enough hints.. happy thinking..
Oh come on !! Dont we have any other relationship other than BROTHER !! Just think slightly more !!
17. The Broken Match
A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a broken match. What happened?
Think ! Think !! Time is running Out !!
18. The Music Stopped
The music stopped. She died. Explain.
Now thats what you would call a Musical Person !!
But where is the connexion - The music or the musical instrument !!
19. Swimmer in the Forest
Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died?
This is supposedly based on a true incident. Does this make it an urban legend? Many urban legends can be restated as lateral thinking puzzles. This is a very good one of this type.
Hmm .. Pretty Interesting !! Land Swimming !! April Fool's Day zOke or something !!
20. The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
Well ... talking of TIME and TIME Lines and maybe International Time Lines !!
Good luck..
Rajat / shoOOonya / sunayna
Let me add one more Puzzle to the List ...
21. A Father and a Son were travelling in their New Sports Car on the National Highway. Nice flat straight road with no other vehicle in sight, they floored the accelerator and drove at top speed. Well ... the obvious happened and they met with an accident. The father died on the spot !! The Son was taken to the nearest Hospital. The Surgeon there looks at the mutilated body of the Son and says ... "I cant operate on him, He is My Son !!" -- Now Hows that possible ??
All the BEst !!
From Switzerland, Geneva
GREY/ GRAY> doesnt matter...its ther somewer in r brain .. which better work :)
ya.. im glad u liked it
lol....no..
he is a dwarf...n his hands dont reach till no. 10
smart huh
hey mr rajat....how will the reverse method work?
ANS FRM THE SITE > The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups - so the man no longer needed the water.
The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.
hmmm ICE then
lol..ya he shd hav opened it :)
The man had jumped from a plane but his parachute had failed to open. It is the unopened package
hmm...red herrings
Anthony and Cleopatra were goldfish whose bowl was knocked over by a clumsy dog
snowman
triplets
he was playin monopoly
mr rajat...u seem to know all of the answers,,,too cool
this ans is right..good one shoonya
clap clap clap :)
He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because they were not born of women, they had never had umbilical cords and therefore they never had navels.
hihihi,..shoonya, tht is wt i thought too..or i thought maybe the town was 3 days away or somehtin so jetlag
but > friday was the name of his horse
hey shoonya..ur sense of humour is cool
A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.
ya ..shoonya is happy now :)
The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man drank the punch the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch
:)
She was on a life-support machine. As he was walking down the stairs all the lights went out. There had been a power cut and the emergency back-up systems had failed. He knew that she had died.
this is the ans i got frm the site...hey...but dont they hav electricity generators or something ?
strnage
he blind beggar was the sister of her brother who died.
He and a number of other passengers were making a balloon trip in a desperate attempt to flee a country. The balloon had to lose weight to stop it from crashing. He drew the short match and had to jump.
lol...ther is...
She was a circus tight-rope walker who walked blindfolded over a high wire. The band played as she crossed and when the music stopped it was the signal that she had reached the end of the walk and could safely alight. One day the conductor was taken ill and the stand-in conductor ended the piece of music too early. She stepped off to her death.
During a forest fire, a fire-fighting plane had scooped up some water from the lake to drop on the fire. The plane had accidentally picked up the unfortunate swimmer
At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was travelling by boat. The older twin, Terry, was born first early on March 1st. The boat then crossed the International Date line (or any time zone line) and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February the 28th. In a leap year the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother.
This puzzle was submitted to Games Magazine's 'How Come' competition in 1992 by Judy Dean. It won.
mother mother mother
:) :lol: :twisted: :D
From India, Mumbai
ya.. im glad u liked it
lol....no..
he is a dwarf...n his hands dont reach till no. 10
smart huh
hey mr rajat....how will the reverse method work?
ANS FRM THE SITE > The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups - so the man no longer needed the water.
The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.
hmmm ICE then
lol..ya he shd hav opened it :)
The man had jumped from a plane but his parachute had failed to open. It is the unopened package
hmm...red herrings
Anthony and Cleopatra were goldfish whose bowl was knocked over by a clumsy dog
snowman
triplets
he was playin monopoly
mr rajat...u seem to know all of the answers,,,too cool
this ans is right..good one shoonya
clap clap clap :)
He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because they were not born of women, they had never had umbilical cords and therefore they never had navels.
hihihi,..shoonya, tht is wt i thought too..or i thought maybe the town was 3 days away or somehtin so jetlag
but > friday was the name of his horse
hey shoonya..ur sense of humour is cool
A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.
ya ..shoonya is happy now :)
The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man drank the punch the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch
:)
She was on a life-support machine. As he was walking down the stairs all the lights went out. There had been a power cut and the emergency back-up systems had failed. He knew that she had died.
this is the ans i got frm the site...hey...but dont they hav electricity generators or something ?
strnage
he blind beggar was the sister of her brother who died.
He and a number of other passengers were making a balloon trip in a desperate attempt to flee a country. The balloon had to lose weight to stop it from crashing. He drew the short match and had to jump.
lol...ther is...
She was a circus tight-rope walker who walked blindfolded over a high wire. The band played as she crossed and when the music stopped it was the signal that she had reached the end of the walk and could safely alight. One day the conductor was taken ill and the stand-in conductor ended the piece of music too early. She stepped off to her death.
During a forest fire, a fire-fighting plane had scooped up some water from the lake to drop on the fire. The plane had accidentally picked up the unfortunate swimmer
At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was travelling by boat. The older twin, Terry, was born first early on March 1st. The boat then crossed the International Date line (or any time zone line) and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February the 28th. In a leap year the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother.
This puzzle was submitted to Games Magazine's 'How Come' competition in 1992 by Judy Dean. It won.
mother mother mother
:) :lol: :twisted: :D
From India, Mumbai
Hi Folks,
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND INTELLIGENT ANSWERS!
A Little boy wanted Rs.50 very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. Finally he decided to write God a letter
requesting the Rs.50.
When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to God, INDIA, they decided to forward it to the President of the India as a
joke.
The President was so amused, that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy Rs.20.
The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money (Rs.50) to a little boy, and he did not want to spoil the kid.
The little boy was delighted with Rs.20, and decided to write a thank you note to God, which read: "Dear God: Thank you very much
for sending the money. However, I noticed that you sent it through the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, and those donkeys
deducted Rs.30 in taxes ............."
Not only our technical knowledge helps, but also the presence of mind and the right answer at right time.
Even if u don't know the answer for a question just confuse the questioner
Question and the Answer given by Candidates oh sorry they are IAS Officers now.
Q.How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC
Topper)
Q.If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23 Rank Opted for IFS)
Q.If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?
A. Very large hands.(Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for
IPS)
Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A. It is not a problem, since you will never find! anelephant with one hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)
Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?
A. No Probs , He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)
Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)
Q. What looks like half apple ?
A : The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper )
Q. What can you never eat for breakfast ?
A : Dinner.
Q. What happened when wheel was invented ?
A : It caused a revolution.
Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
A : Liquid (UPSC 33Rank )
Interviewer said "I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question.
Think well before you make up your mind!" The boy thought for a while and said, "my choice is one really difficult question."
"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me this. "What comes first, Day or Night?"
The boy was jolted in! to reality as his admission depends on the correctness of his answer, but he thought for a while and said, "It's the DAY sir!"
"How" the interviewer asked,
"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"
He was selected for IIM!
"Technical Skill is the mastery of complexity, while Creativity is the master of presence of mind"
Cheerio
Rajat
From India, Pune
DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND INTELLIGENT ANSWERS!
A Little boy wanted Rs.50 very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. Finally he decided to write God a letter
requesting the Rs.50.
When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to God, INDIA, they decided to forward it to the President of the India as a
joke.
The President was so amused, that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy Rs.20.
The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money (Rs.50) to a little boy, and he did not want to spoil the kid.
The little boy was delighted with Rs.20, and decided to write a thank you note to God, which read: "Dear God: Thank you very much
for sending the money. However, I noticed that you sent it through the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, and those donkeys
deducted Rs.30 in taxes ............."
Not only our technical knowledge helps, but also the presence of mind and the right answer at right time.
Even if u don't know the answer for a question just confuse the questioner
Question and the Answer given by Candidates oh sorry they are IAS Officers now.
Q.How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC
Topper)
Q.If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23 Rank Opted for IFS)
Q.If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?
A. Very large hands.(Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for
IPS)
Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A. It is not a problem, since you will never find! anelephant with one hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)
Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?
A. No Probs , He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)
Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)
Q. What looks like half apple ?
A : The other half. (UPSC - IAS Topper )
Q. What can you never eat for breakfast ?
A : Dinner.
Q. What happened when wheel was invented ?
A : It caused a revolution.
Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
A : Liquid (UPSC 33Rank )
Interviewer said "I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question.
Think well before you make up your mind!" The boy thought for a while and said, "my choice is one really difficult question."
"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me this. "What comes first, Day or Night?"
The boy was jolted in! to reality as his admission depends on the correctness of his answer, but he thought for a while and said, "It's the DAY sir!"
"How" the interviewer asked,
"Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!"
He was selected for IIM!
"Technical Skill is the mastery of complexity, while Creativity is the master of presence of mind"
Cheerio
Rajat
From India, Pune
really good ones mr rajat expecting more soon u really seem to be interested in lateral thinkin
From India, Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
A man is found dead in a phone box. There is glass everywhere and two broken windows. How did he die? (the ans to this silly actually, but this is the ans written) work ur gray/grey cells
From India, Mumbai
From India, Mumbai
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