Mr. Plessy, one of the best pilots in his town, came to his insurance company to file a report. He said that someone had robbed him in the street, but he couldn't see what the robber had looked like because of his poor eyesight. The insurance manager refused to proceed with the case and called Mr. Plessy a liar. Why?
Think about Mr. Plessy's profession and how it relates to his claim...
Mr. Plessy is a pilot, but it's impossible to work as one if you have poor eyesight.
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.
A man goes to work at the same time each day and travels part of his journey facing forwards and the remainder facing backwards. When he returns at the end of his working day, he only faces forwards.
How can this be?
Think about a mode of transportation that involves facing different directions, but the person's physical body remains facing forward...
He works in the engine room of a liner! To get to work, he walks along the decks from his cabin facing forwards, and down the ladders between decks facing backwards. However, when he finishes, he only needs to face forwards to climb the ladders again and walk along the deck back to his cabin.
This is impossible to solve, because if I were telling the truth, then I would be lying, which doesn't make sense since I am telling the truth. If I am lying, then what I said was true and that doesn't make sense either.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Anna. Anna's father, the King, wanted to be sure his daughter married an intelligent man. To test his daughter's suitors the King hid Anna's picture in one of three boxes. The suitor had to be able to select the box with Anna's picture on one try and within twenty seconds. On the gold box was the message "Anna's picture is in this box". The silver box had the message "Anna's picture is not in this box." "Anna's picture is not in the gold box" was written on the bronze box. The King would tell each suitor "Only one of the three messages is correct." Which box contained Anna's picture?
Think about it like this: if a message is true, what would it imply about the other two boxes?
The silver box contained Anna's picture. If her picture had been in the gold box, two statements would have been true. (The messages on both the gold box and the silver box.) If her picture had been in the bronze box, two statements would have been true. (The messages on the bronze box and the silver box.)
Since a person uses about the same amount of energy walking 2 miles as they would run for 2 miles, would a person use more energy running for 10 minutes, walking for ten minutes, or the same amount of energy?
Think about the pace, not the distance!
Since a person running for 10 minutes would cover more distance than that same person would walking for 10 minutes, he would use more energy running for 10 minutes.
I'm invisible to the eye. I can never die but without me, you will die. People keep me in jars and boxes but when will they realize that I'm as close as thin air. I'm never easy to be found but sometimes caught lurking around. What am I?
"Think about something that is essential for human survival, yet it's not a living thing and can't be seen with the naked eye. It's often stored in containers, but it's also all around us, and sometimes it can be felt or sensed, even if it can't be directly seen."
Tom and his younger sister were fighting. Their mother was tired of the fighting and decided to punish them by making them stand on the same piece of newspaper in such a way that they couldn't touch each other. How did she accomplish this?
Tom's mother slid a newspaper under a door, each sibling standing on each side.
Lucy went onto a game show, and she was one task away from winning the grand prize: $500,000.00. She was shown four bags; one of these bags had the cash prize inside, while the other three were empty. Lucy had only one chance to choose the bag with the money. Each bag had a statement on it, but only one statement was true. A: The money is in either Bag B or Bag C. B: The money is in either Bag A or Bag D. C: The money is in this bag. D: The money is not in this bag. Which statement is true, and which bag has the money?
"Look for the statement that, if true, would make another statement false, and vice versa..."
Statement B is true. Bag D has the money. If Bag A had the money, then statements B and D would both be true. If Bag B had the money, then statements A and D would both be true. If Bag C had the money, then statements A, C, and D would all be true. But, we only need one true statement. If Bag D had the money, then the statements on all of the bags would be false, except for that on Bag B. This matches the conditions, so the money is in Bag D.
Chris wants to enter an exclusive club, but the security guard in front of the door always asks for a password. Chris decides to eavesdrop on clubgoers, and this is what he sees: A woman walks up to the security guard. The guard says "12", and the woman replies "6". The woman is granted access. A man walks up to the security guard. The guard says "6", and the man replies "3". The man is granted access. Another woman walks up to the security guard. The guard says "10", and the woman replies "5". This woman is NOT granted access. Chris thinks he's seen enough, and he walks up to the security guard. The guard says "4". What should Chris say to get into the club?
Pay attention to the numbers and the responses, but also think about the characteristics of the people who were granted access...
To get into the club, Chris should say "4". The task was not to divide the number by two (after all, not all numbers are divisible by two). Instead, the task was to say how many letters are in the number the security guard says. "Twelve" has 6 letters. "Six", in turn, has 3 letters. "Ten" also has 3 letters, so the second woman should have said "3", not "5". Chris should say "4" because "four" consists of 4 letters.
A boy has as many sisters as brothers, but each sister has only half as many sisters as brothers.
How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?
How can you measure nine minutes with have two hourglasses, one four minute and one seven minute?
Think about how you can use the two hourglasses in a sequence, rather than simultaneously, to measure out the desired time...
Turn over both hourglasses at once. When the four-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over. When the seven-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over. When the four-minute timer runs out this time (eight minutes have elapsed), the seven-minute hourglass has been running for one minute. Now turn over the seven minute timer back over. When the timer runs out, nine minutes have elapsed.
An officer wishing to arrange his men in a solid square found by his first arrangement that he had 39 men left over. He then started increasing the number of men on a side by one, but found that 50 additional men would be needed to complete a new square.
How many men did the officer have?
Think about the differences between consecutive perfect squares...
The officer had 1975 men. When he formed a square measuring 44 by 44, he had 39 men over. When he tried to form a square 45 x 45, he was 50 men short.
0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
How can you use the digits above once each only to compose two fractions which when added together equal 1?
Think about placing the digits in a way that creates a "heavy" fraction and a "light" fraction, where the heavy one is close to 1 and the light one is close to 0...
An item is made from lead blanks in a lathe shop. Each blank suffices for 1 item. Lead shavings accumulated for making 6 items can be melted and made into a blank. How many items can be made from 36 blanks?
From 36 blanks there are 36 items made. The lead shavings are enough to make 6 blanks. Which make 6 more items. But don't stop here. The new shavings are good for 1 more item. Total: 43.
You're sitting down for breakfast and realize you have 4 bagels left. You know you'll run out in four days so you cut them in half. How many bagels do you have now?
Think about the action of "cutting in half" rather than the quantity of bagels...
My life is often a volume of grief, your help is needed to turn a new leaf. Stiff is my spine and my body is pale, but I'm always ready to tell a tale.
What am I?
Think about an object that's often associated with stories and information, but can also be a symbol of sadness or mourning...
I make you weak at the worst of all times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold, I visit the weak, but seldom the bold. What am I?
Think about a situation where you're most vulnerable, and a certain presence can either harm or protect you...
Not only am I powerful enough to hurt like no other, I also have the power to heal like no other, but just like everything else, I can break. Life would be impossible without me, but it's already near impossible to find me. What am I?
Think about something that can have a profound impact on our well-being, both positively and negatively, and is essential for human survival, yet is increasingly scarce in today's world...
I am typically feared by both women and men. I often come for the old, but also for some young people who are very ill. Many will fight me in vain, and many others live in denial of me. Those who embrace me will lose their fear of me, but they will lose something of themselves in the process. What am I?
Think about something that is often associated with the end of life, but can also strike unexpectedly, and is often met with resistance or avoidance...
Baldness. (Note that 'death' doesn't fit the last clue. Those who embrace death lose ALL of themselves. Those who shave their head just lose something of themselves. Also, death ALWAYS comes for the old eventually, not just 'often'.)
Riddle me this. I am humble in my greetings, but forget my whole and you are sure to find hell. What am I?
Think about a common phrase people use when greeting each other, and how removing a single word from that phrase can lead to a very different and ominous outcome...
Lynn likes grapes but not potatoes. She likes squash but not lettuce, and she likes peas but not onions. Following the same rule, will she like pumpkins or apples?
Think about the color of the food...
Pumpkins. Lynn only likes things that grow on vines.
Take two numbers, such that the square of the first, plus the square of the second, shall equal 8; while the first, plus the product of the first and second, shall equal 6. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically, and consider a system of equations involving x and y, where x and y are the two numbers. Pay close attention to the relationships between x, y, x^2, and y^2.
Three Brothers share a family sport, a nonstop marathon. The oldest one is fat and short And trudges slowly on. The middle brother's tall and slim, and keeps a steady pace The youngest runs just like the wind, going swiftly through the race "He's young in years, we let him run," the other brothers say. "Though he is surely number one, he's also second in a way. What are we?
Think about a type of "race" that involves movement, but not necessarily physical running...
One day, a scientist was down in his lab. It was around 11 o'clock. He was working late on poisons and their antidotes. He was hungry, so he went to get a snack. Suddenly, he found himself tied to a chair. There was a nasty-looking robber in front of him. The robber had his wife. He said,' I will only leave you and your wife if you feed her 1 whole teaspoon of poison of your choice, if you don't, then I will kill you both'. The scientist fed his wife an entire teaspoon of a type of poison from his lab, but the wife did not die, how? There were blue, red, white, green, yellow, and pink-colored poisons in his lab. All of them were deadly. Which one did the scientist choose?
Think about the situation and the fact that the scientist is a expert in poisons and their antidotes...
The white one, since sugar is known as 'White Poison'.
Think about something that consumes everything in its path, yet produces more of itself, and ultimately leads to the growth and development of others. It's a natural process that's essential for life.
I walked down the street day and I found something that had worth. You make sure you don't lose it. It has a color, size, and shape but everyone is different. You touch it, enjoy it, like it, and always count it over. What is it?
A masked man is being hunted by the authorities for his vigilante activities, in which he helps and protects innocent people. His modus operandi is to seek out injustices caused by corrupt and evil people, stop these people from completing their wicked plans, and to deliver his own personal letter to these villains --- something to remind them of his visit. Who is this masked man, and what is the personal letter he delivers?
Think of a classic literary character who is known for seeking justice and leaving a calling card at the scene of their interventions...
The masked man is Zorro, and the personal letter he delivers to the villains he thwarts ----- is the letter "Z".