You're on a bus. 20 people get on at the first stop. At the next stop 45 people get on. At the 3rd stop 48 people get off. Then at the next stop 5 people get off and 9 get on. At the last stop 21 people get off 2 people are left. How is this possible? (Who's still on the bus)!?
Think about the person who's been on the bus the entire time...
This is possible because you and the bus driver are still on the bus!
This is an abnormal paragraph. It is not normal at all. All of its writing is grammatically right, but it looks wrong. If you find what's wrong, you'll show your skill in sight. If you can't find it, that's alright. Not many found it instantly. You may look on for hours and hours, or you may find it soon. In any way, it isn't normal. Why?
Pay attention to the words, not the meaning.
This paragraph contains no words with "e" in it. This is abnormal as "e" is found most commonly.
Brad stared through the dirty soot-smeared window on the 22nd floor of the office tower. Overcome with depression he slid the window open and jumped through it. It was a sheer drop outside the building to the ground. Miraculously after he landed he was completely unhurt. Since there was nothing to cushion his fall or slow his descent, how could he have survived the fall?
Think about the time of year and the condition of the window...
Brad was so sick and tired of window washing, he opened the window and jumped inside.
One afternoon, Phoebe stopped by her favorite restaurant for lunch, but she saw a waitress and a client arguing. The waitress, Sandra, claims that the client, Dave, had ordered a breakfast special and was now refusing to pay. Dave said that he had only ordered a coffee. Phoebe knew who was lying instantly. Who was it?
Think about the time of day and what it would imply about the menu options available...
Sandra was lying. You don't order breakfast in the afternoon.
Every day, pilgrims make the journey to the temple of the wooden soldiers. Upon entering the temple, most of the pilgrims seek out a holey orb with which to do battle against soldiers who are dressed in red and white uniforms. Each orb is used to attack small groups of these passive soldiers — soldiers which have the unique ability to replicate themselves whenever their ranks are assaulted by the pilgrims. The mystic orbs, like boomerangs, have the uncanny ability to return to the hand of each pilgrim when cast at the soldiers during these skirmishes. What kind of a temple is this which promotes violence by allowing people to attack innocent soldiers?
Think about a common, everyday activity that people do, especially children, that involves a "battle" or competition, but is not actually violent or harmful.
Hidden in the poem below, a female's name you'll seek; just read and listen to the rhyme, but please, don't take a week! MYSTERY POEM: Polar bears live at the North Pole they say, and penguins all live at the South; it's lucky those penguins live so far away, or they'd end up in polar bear's mouth! What is the female's name you hear?
Listen carefully to the rhythm and emphasis on certain words, and think about a common female name that sounds similar to a phrase in the poem.
Picture three boxes containing fruit. The first box is marked peaches, the second is marked oranges, and the third box is marked peaches and oranges. Each of the boxes is labeled incorrectly. How could you label each box correctly if you were allowed to select only one fruit from one of the boxes?
Here's a hint:
Choose a fruit from the box marked "peaches and oranges".
First you select a fruit from the box marked peaches and oranges. If it was a orange you selected, you know that the box could only contain oranges. If it was a peach, you know that the box could only contain peaches since each box is incorrectly marked. If, for example an orange was selected, you would mark that box oranges and switch the other two incorrect labels around. Now all three would be correctly labeled.
Name a five letter word which has three consonants all the same and two different vowels. Every now and then you see this while running a Windows 95/98 on your PC. What is it?
Think about a common graphical element you'd see on an old Windows desktop...
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.
A man runs along a hall with a piece of paper. When the lights flicker, he drops to his knees and begins to cry. Why?
Think about a specific activity that people often do in a hall with a piece of paper, and how the flickering lights might be a crucial part of that activity...
He is running to deliver a pardon, and the flickering lights indicate the convict to be pardoned has just been electrocuted.
Ronald is a chef. He is going to cook a meal. He has three stoves in front of him-a gas stove, a wood stove, and a coal stove–but he only has one match. What should Ronald light first?
Think about what you need to light in order to light any of the stoves...
Ronald should light the match first because the match needs to be lit up before he can light up anything else. After all, I never said that the match was lit in the first place!
You have 14 brown socks, 14 blue socks and 14 black socks in your sock drawer. How many socks must you remove (without looking to be sure) to have a matched pair?
Think about the worst-case scenario: what if you keep pulling out socks of different colors? How many socks would you need to pull out to guarantee that the next one matches one you already have?
Four. You will have a pair of one color or another.
When completed in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was something of a sensation. Designed by the French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel its height is 492 feet plus half its own height.
How high is the Eiffel tower?
Out of 100 ladies attending the gala,85 had a white hand bag;75 had black shoes;60 carried an umbrella;90 wore a ring;
How many ladies must have had all four items?
Think about the opposite: how many ladies did NOT have all four items?
10
Divide by 3. All the ladies had three items. The remainder shows the number of ladies who had 4.
85756090______310 / 3 = 100 + 10 remainder
(A) Use two digits to make the smallest possible positive integer.
(B) Five 3s can express 37: 37=33+3+3/3
Find another way to do it.
(C) Use six identical digits to make 100. (Several solutions are possible.)
(D) Use five 4s to make 55.
(E) Use four 9s to make 20.
(A) 1 X 1; 1/1;2/2;ect....;1-0;2-1;and many others.
(B) 37=333/3X3; 37=3 X 3 X 3 + 3/.3
(C) 99 + 99/99; 55+55- 5- 5; (666-66)/6
(D) 44 + 44/4=55.
(E) 9 + 99/9=20.
A man was found dead next to a 13 story building. The police say it was a suicide, but you say it was a homicide (someone killed him). To prove this, you go to each floor on the building, open the window, and toss a penny out. You do this to each floor until you reach the 13th floor, open the window, and toss a penny out. How does this prove it wasn't a suicide?
Think about what you would expect to see on the ground below if the man had jumped from a certain floor...
If the man committed suicide, he would've left the window open and you wouldn't have had to open it.
You are locked in a house and you have four objects. You have a wooden chair, a ladder, a piano, and a rubber ax. You can only pick one object and you can't get out by breaking anything. What would you use to get out?
Think about an object that can help you reach something that can lead you out of the house, but not necessarily a physical exit...
I am a fruit. If you take away the first letter of my name I become a crime. Take away the first two letters of my name I become an animal. Take away the first and last letter of my name and I become a form of music. What am I?
Think about a fruit that has a name that starts with a letter that is also a word, and when removed, reveals a type of crime...
Seven kids are in line for a carnival ride. Third, in line is Joe, and two spots ahead of him are Kylie. Seventh in line is Kate, in front of Kate is Rylie, behind Joe is Chris, Elizabeth is ahead of John in line. What is the order of the line?
1. Kylie 2. Elizabeth 3. Joe 4. Chris 5. John 6. Rylie 7. Kate.
Take away my first letter, and I still sound the same. Take away my last letter, I still sound the same. Even take away my letter in the middle, I will still sound the same. I am a five letter word. What am I?
The answer is a word that refers to a musical concept, and the sounds it describes are often identical when reversed or altered.
I have freedom from hate, but not from lies. I'm usually seen through clouded eyes. I come unexpected, though you wait for me all your life. I can't be brought yet some people try.
What am I?
Think about a universal human experience that is often anticipated, yet unpredictable, and can be obscured by personal biases or perceptions...
I'm in the book, but not on any leaf; I'm in the mouth, but not in lip or teeth; I'm in the atmosphere, but never in the air; I wait on every one, but never on a pair; I am with you wherever you may go; And every thing you do I'm sure to know; Though when you did it I should not be there, Yet when 'twas done, you'd find me in the chair.
What am I?
Think about the words that are often associated with these locations, but not physically present in them...
A girl came running home crying because her boyfriend broke up with her. When she got home, she broke her phone and all of the pictures that had her boyfriend in it. What broke first?
There is a bomb on top of a computer. Around the computer there is a phone, a hairbrush, keys and a cup. When the explosion comes which item is destroyed first?
I take months to build, seconds to destroy, and years to rebuild. What am I?
Think about something that requires patience, effort, and time to create, but can be ruined in an instant, and then takes a long time to recover or restore...
The rich wear it, The poor sell it, Pirates bury it, Miners dig it up. What is it?
Think about something that can be worn as a symbol of wealth, but is also something that people without wealth might need to sacrifice for financial gain...
When the day after tomorrow is yesterday, today will be as far from Wednesday as today was from Wednesday when the day before yesterday was tomorrow. What is the day after this day?
Think about the days of the week in a circular fashion, and consider what day would make the given statements true...
Four kings of whom I am one lord. Often on deck but never on board. Though I have a large heart, I am always seen at war. During which I always wear a suit, but never a suit of armor. Who am I?
Think about a game where strategy and skill are key, and the "war" is more of a mental battle...