A woman waved to a man in a taxi. She got into the taxi and told the taxi driver where to take her. He nodded to her and drove. The woman talked a lot and that annoyed the taxi driver. The taxi driver said," Ma'am, I can't hear what you are saying! I am as deaf as a post!" The woman stopped talking for the rest of the ride. Once she got out of the taxi, she realized he was lying. How did she know?
Pay attention to the taxi driver's response to the woman's directions at the beginning of the ride...
There are two ways she figured out: 1. He would have had to hear her to know she was talking as he was focusing on driving. 2. He would not have heard her directions if he was deaf and wouldn't have nodded in response as a way to confirm he got the directions.
A Robber is robbing a bank. He steals all the customer's money when he sees a safe. He threatens the clerk to tell him the code for the safe. She says " Sorry I can't. The code is changing every day." But the robber finds out the code. How did he find it out?
Billy and Sally set out on a journey to visit a famous castle, but they both forgot to bring any food, water, or money with them. At the onset of their trip, they saw a beautiful rainbow in the sky which they considered to be a good omen. Fortunately for them, along the way, they found some friendly individuals who offered them some high-calorie treats to eat --- gumdrops and peanut brittle being two examples. At one dangerous point in their journey, they had to pass through a swamp, but fortunately, no alligators were seen. Finally, they arrived at the castle, and after a brief visit there, they left the castle, went to a nearby eatery, and had tuna fish sandwiches for lunch. Where in the world was this famous castle located?
Think about the treats they found on their journey and the type of eatery they visited after leaving the castle...
Billy and Sally were children, playing a game of Candy Land.
Mr. Martinez is a philosophy teacher at a prestigious university. One day, he places a pencil onto his desk and gives his students an assignment: to write a short essay on the following topic- why the pencil does not exist. The student with the most convincing argument would get an A, while everyone else would get a D. An hour later, all of the students handed in their papers; most of them filled up the front and back of their papers, but one boy wrote just two words and he got the A. What words did he write?
Think about the assignment from the teacher's perspective...
A nurse was speaking with a young doctor just prior to their entering the room where the surgery was to take place. "You know," said the nurse, "I am surprised you are going to attempt surgery on this patient again, since you have failed in all of your previous attempts. You are lucky this patient is unable to make any complaints concerning your failed surgical attempts, and sue you for malpractice! So far, you have botched his knee, ankle, heart, and rib surgeries, and now you are going to try to remove insects from this man's stomach. What's next, brain surgery?" "After today's operation, I believe I will do just that!," replied the doctor in a defiant tone, "and this time there will be no nose bleed, or a red nose of any kind during the surgery." "That'll be the day," replied the nurse. "I will be right next to you during the operation, so when you mess up, I'll have a good laugh!" What kind of twisted, warped, medical professionals are these two? Why haven't both of them been permanently banned from practicing medicine? Just what exactly is going on here?
Think outside the operating room...
While on break, several of the doctors and nurses at a hospital have been competing against one another in the classic game of Operation. This doctor, although he failed at removing the patient’s water on the knee, wrenched ankle, broken heart, and spare ribs, felt confident he could remove the butterflies from the patient’s stomach without causing the patient’s nose to light up red and trigger a buzzer sound signifying failure.
A tall, burly, unarmed man and a short, slim, unarmed man, both dressed in sheer nylon stockings, women's clothing, and blond wigs, enter a bar in New York City. The tall, burly man approaches the bartender and asks him for something. Immediately, the bartender reaches below the counter, pulls out a gun, and shoots the man. The short, slim man responds by quickly bolting from the bar. New Yorkers have a reputation for being testy and unfriendly, but wasn't this a bit extreme? In fact, when the police arrived on the scene, they backed the bartender and did not charge him with any crime. What do you suppose the tall, burly man had requested from the bartender which led to his being shot, and why did the police support the bartender’s extreme reaction?
Here's a hint:
Think about the occupation of the bartender and the unusual attire of the two men. The answer lies in a specific profession and a crucial detail in the description.
The man asked the bartender to give him all the bar’s money. The bartender’s extreme reaction was due to the fact that both the tall and short man were wearing their sheer nylon stockings over their heads when the request was made.
Terry was having a bad day, after having a bad week and a bad month. His long-time bridge partner had just moved away, and the stock he held in the Red Roof Inn Company had just taken a nose-dive. He felt he was ready to snap, as he climbed into his car and began to drive. Suddenly, Terry felt something snap but realized it was only a pencil he had in his pocket, but this mild irritation only fueled his pent-up anger. Terry stepped on the accelerator and headed straight for a green sedan, smashing into it and causing its trunk to fly open. He then put his car into reverse, and backed into a red mini-van, causing its hood to pop up and its radiator to burst, sending a shower of radiator fluid shooting high into the air. After continuing to smash into at least a dozen other vehicles, Terry's car finally stopped, and somehow, he miraculously stepped out of his car uninjured. Just a few moments later, two police officers, who had witnessed the entire event without intervening, approached Terry and gave him something that made him -- smile. Why hadn’t the police called for backup and intervened earlier to prevent additional damage from being done, and what was it they gave Terry which made him smile?
Here's a hint: Think about the context in which Terry's destructive behavior was taking place. It's not what you might expect from a typical driving scenario...
The two police officers had given Terry a First Place Trophy for his having just won a Demolition Derby they had all just witnessed.
The favorite foods of Megan, Michael, Sergi, and Jana are written below. Each person has a different favorite food. Use the following food clues to match the people with their favorite foods.
1. Michael likes ketchup and mustard on his favorite food.
2. Jana is allergic to cheese.
3. Sergi eats his favorite food on a bun.
4 Sometimes for something different, Michael makes his food into corn dogs.
What are each kids favorite food?
Write the name of the person next to their favorite foods.
Chicken Drumstick:
Hot Dog in a bun:
A slice of Pizza:
A hamburger in a bun:
Here's a hint:
Focus on clue 2: Jana is allergic to cheese. Which food option is the most likely to have cheese?
Chicken Drumstick: Jana
Hot Dog in a bun: Michael
A slice of Pizza: Megan
A hamburger in a bun: Sergi
The names of three trees are hidden in the sentences below. The letters are in consecutive order. Can you find them? On this farm, we get ham from a hog any time. The farmer will help in every possible way. He faced two very similar choices, both bad.
Hint: Look for common tree names that are also common words in everyday language.
John was very tired after a long day of work. He went to bed at 10 p.m., wound his alarm clock, and set it for noon the next day. Since John fell asleep almost immediately, how many hours of sleep did he get before the alarm woke him?
Think about the word "noon" very carefully...
Two hours. Wind-up clocks can't be set more than 12 hours in advance.
I'm as plain to see as black & white. I prefer to roam about at night. Just don't attack or startle me. Or odiferous emissions may result you see. I'm an omnivore yes it's true. But what's my name tell me do?
Think about a common creature you might find in your backyard or neighborhood, especially at night, that has a distinctive defense mechanism and a varied diet...
My first is found on the ocean wave, In the spring, the pit, and the mine; My second below earth's surface you have, Where seldom the sun can shine. My whole your dinner-table must grace, And seldom fails to obtain a place.
What am I?
Think about a common food item that is often associated with the sea, and has a pit or stone in the center...
Steve woke up after a good night's sleep. He wanted to make a big breakfast for himself. He has a dozen eggs in a carton. He breaks two eggs, fries two, and eats two. How many eggs are there in the carton afterward?
Think about what happened to the eggs, but don't forget to consider what didn't happen to the eggs...
Afterwards, there are 10 eggs in the carton. Steve broke, fried, and ate the same two eggs. This is because: 1) cooking the egg while it is still in its shell would be considered boiling the egg, not frying it; after all, you would need to break the egg into a pan before frying it, and; 2) you cannot eat a raw egg while it is still in the shell because of the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Dillon, Brandon, and Jacob are brothers. Assuming that all three of the following statements are true, which of them is the youngest? 1) Dillon is the oldest. 2) Brandon is not the oldest. 3) Jacob is not the youngest.
Think about what would happen if statement 1 were false...
Brandon is the youngest brother. Dillon cannot be the youngest brother because the first statement says that he is the oldest; he can't be the oldest brother and the youngest one at the same time. Jacob cannot be the youngest brother either, because the third statement says that he is NOT the youngest; he can't be the youngest brother and NOT the youngest one at the same time. This leaves us with Brandon.
A woman is 6 months pregnant when she falls into a coma for 3 months. When she wakes up, she asks the doctor about her babies. The doctor states that she had twins, 1 boy, and 1 girl. They're doing fine and her brother named them. The woman goes "No, No, No, not my brother - he's an idiot. What did he name the girl?" The doctor says Daneice. What did the brother name the boy?
Think about the woman's reaction to the doctor's response...
Many years ago, a wealthy old man was near death. He wished to leave his fortune to one of his three children. The old man wanted to know that his fortune would be in wise hands. He stipulated that his estate would be left to the child who would sing him half as many songs as days that he had left to live. The eldest son said he couldn't comply because he didn't know how many days his father had left to live, and besides he was too busy. The youngest son said the same thing. The man ended up leaving his money to his third child, a daughter. What did his daughter do?
Every other day, the daughter sang her father a song.
Your friend invites you to a party. She says you have to bring something. To get inside have to go through a green. Only certain things go through. You can bring a poodle but you can't bring a dog. You can bring a stool but you can't bring a chair. You can bring a rabbit but you can't bring a hare. What is three examples of something you could bring?
Taking that internship in a remote mountain lab might not have been the best idea. Pulling that lever with the skull symbol just to see what it did probably wasn't so smart either. But now is not the time for regrets because you need to get away from these mutant zombies...fast. Can you use math to get you and your friends over the bridge before the zombies arrive? Alex Gendler shows how.
Think about the concept of "rate" and how it can be used to solve a problem involving time, distance, and speed.
At first it might seem like no matter what you do, you're just a minute or two short of time, but there is a way. The key is to minimize the time wasted by the two slowest people by having them cross together. And because you'll need to make a couple of return trips with the lantern, you'll want to have the fastest people available to do so. So, you and the lab assistant quickly run across with the lantern, though you have to slow down a bit to match her pace. After two minutes, both of you are across, and you, as the quickest, run back with the lantern. Only three minutes have passed. So far, so good. Now comes the hard part. The professor and the janitor take the lantern and cross together. This takes them ten minutes since the janitor has to slow down for the old professor who keeps muttering that he probably shouldn't have given the zombies night vision. By the time they're across, there are only four minutes left, and you're still stuck on the wrong side of the bridge. But remember, the lab assistant has been waiting on the other side, and she's the second fastest of the group. So she grabs the lantern from the professor and runs back across to you. Now with only two minutes left, the two of you make the final crossing. As you step on the far side of the gorge, you cut the ropes and collapse the bridge behind you, just in the nick of time.
A professional fisherman caught 30 fish during a 5-day tournament. Each day, he caught three more fish than the day before. How many fish did the fisherman catch on the first day?
Think about a pattern of increasing numbers, where each number is 3 more than the previous one. Can you find the first number in that pattern that adds up to 30 when summed over 5 days?
He didn't catch any fish the first day, but he caught 3 on the second day, 6 on the third day, 9 on the fourth day and 12 on the fifth day.
There are two numbers whose product added to the sum of their squares is 109, and the difference of whose squares is 24. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically, and consider the two numbers as x and y. You'll need to form two equations based on the given conditions, and then solve for x and y. Focus on the difference of whose squares being 24, as this might help you find a crucial relationship between x and y.
5 and 7.
(5)² = 25(7)² = 49(5x7)+25+49=10949-25=24
There is a creature which could double its size every day. So, if the creature is put in a tank then it will fill the tank in 10 days.
How many days would it take for the creature to fill 1/2 and 1/4 of the tank?
Think about it backwards... If the creature fills the entire tank in 10 days, what would happen on the 9th day?
9 days to fill 1/2 and 8 days to fill 1/4 of the tank. If the creature fills the tank in 10 days and it doubles every day, on the ninth day it would fill 1/2 the tank. Thus on the 8th day it will fill 1/4 of tank.
Once upon a time, John was walking in the woods to go fishing for some food but got lost. But he got across and old house and asked the owner, the owner invited John and they began to tell a story. The old man said "Once upon a time, two best friends were on a deserted island. There was no food at all, so they began to die of hunger. They agreed to fight until one of them died. The winner would eat the loser and thus will be saved. Besides, no one would ever know about that. They began to fight. And finally one of the best friends won." Meaning that the other was eaten and betrayed. Then, John pulled out a gun and killed the old man at once. Why would he do it?
Now matter what, I come to you round, Floating up, floating down, A single pop, I'm on the ground, Then comes your unpleasant frown. What am I?
Think about something that is often associated with celebrations, but can also bring disappointment and frustration when it meets its demise...
I am a bubble. Bubbles always come out round no matter how you blow it. Bubbles also pop when they touch the ground. Usually bubbles go up and then down. Most of the time you and I will frown when a bubble pops. Therefore, the answer is a bubble.
I am something, I am nothing. I am short, I am tall. When you fall at your sport, then I stumble and fall. I have never been yet seen beneath a new moon. I thrive in the evening but vanish at noon. I am lighter than air, I weigh less than a breath. Darkness destroys me and light is my death. What am I?
Think about something that is often associated with failure or defeat, but can also be fleeting and intangible...
I am not you, but I am equal to you. I smile when happy and cry when sad. I can be living or dead. I will leave prints that share no clones. I am stronger when I am afraid and smarter when I am curious. What am I?
Think about something that has a "face" and can express emotions, but isn't a living being...
I live in a really noisy place, And I only appear when my loud friend is with me. I have my house high in the air, and I cause deadly fires. What am I?
Think about a natural phenomenon that's often accompanied by thunder...
Lightning lives in a noisy place, And it doesn't appear without thunder. It has it's house high in the air, And it cause deadly fires.
Looking for something? Open me. I'm sure that something inside of me lies. Of course, you can always find hope in me (Though despair must come first; and later, surprise), What's sought, though, depends on the seeker - One looks for bobbin; another, for beaker; Others, for nature; still others, for nurture - The quarry will vary from searcher to searcher. And yet (I suspect this will strike you as strange), My contents are set and will not ever change. If you cannot still guess what I mean, here's a clue: The answer - what I mean - lies inside of me, too. What am I?
Think about a common object that people often open to find different things, and its contents are fixed, yet what's sought can vary greatly from person to person...
Golden treasures I contain, guarded by hundreds and thousands. Stored in a labyrinth where no man walks, yet men come often to seize my gold. By smoke, I am overcome and robbed, then left to build my treasure anew.
What am I?
Think about a place where valuable resources are stored, but not in a typical sense, and the "hundreds and thousands" might not be what you expect...
I know a place where fellows go without a shoe or stocking. And no one tells them, "Go away!" Or thinks their costume is shocking. Each year I spend much of my time In that delightful place, And while I'm there, they don’t expect a boy to wash his face. What am I?
Think about a place where people often go to have fun, and where dress codes are relaxed...
I'm the motivation to live for some people, the source of pain for some people. Without me, you'll fall into the abyss; with me, you'll have courage. What am I?
Think about something that can inspire hope and drive in some, while causing fear and anxiety in others. It's often associated with a sense of risk and uncertainty, but also with the potential for great reward.
I sound a color,
But that's the old me;
I grow near the water;
I'm what your doing.
What am I?
Think about a word that has changed its meaning over time, and its old meaning is related to a color. Also, consider an activity you're doing right now...
While exploring the wilds of Canada, George was captured by hostile wood fairies. Zion, the powerful chief of the fairies told him he could make one final statement which would determine how he would die. If the statement he made was false, he would be boiled in water. If the statement were true, he would be fried in oil. George found neither of this options too his liking, so he made a statement that got him out of this seemingly impossible situation. What is the one statement he could have made?
Here's a hint:
Think about a statement that, if true, would mean George would be fried in oil, and if false, would mean George would be boiled in water... but somehow, it's a statement that can't be punished by either method.
George said: "You will boil me in water." The fairies were faced with a dilemma. If they boil him in water, that would make his statement true, which means he should have been fried in oil. They can only fry him in oil if he makes a true statement, but if they do, it would make his final statement false. The fairies had no way our of their situation so they were forced to set George free.
A certain number has three digits. The sum of the three digits equals 36 times this number. Seven times the left digit plus 9 is equal to 5 times the sum of the two other digits. 8 times the second digit minus 9 is equal to the sum of the first and third.
What is the number?