A woman is put in a cement room without windows. The door is mechanically bolted shut and under strict watch so that nobody can come in or out. It is secured in every possible way. 24 hours later, the door is opened, and there are now 2 people inside the room. How is this possible?
Think about the woman's condition when she was first put in the room...
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?
Bouncing Bob was riding a particularly frisky horse when suddenly its bridle came off. As they raced down the road, a screaming Bob clung to the horse's ears for dear life. Out of the corner of his eye, Bob saw a car coming, and realizing the horse was completely out of control, he panicked. Flailing his arms about, he accidentally caused the horse to come to an abrupt halt. What could Bouncing Bob have done to make the horse stop?
Think about what Bob did with his arms that might have affected the horse's ears...
Bob accidentally put his hands over the horse's eyes. If a horse can't see he will automatically stop.
Four friends– Sam, Evan, Rachel, and Olivia– go out for lunch one Saturday morning. The friends order their food, as well as a big pot of blackberry tea. Sam and Rachel decide to drink the tea, but Evan and Olivia do not; Evan takes a large cup of coffee, and Olivia takes lemonade. After drinking the tea, Sam and Rachel feel sick and pass out. When police officers and paramedics arrive, the officers question Evan and Olivia–why did they order different drinks? Evan says, "I took a large cup of coffee because I didn't sleep well last night, and I needed a lot of caffeine to help me stay awake and alert,". Olivia says, "I took lemonade because I am terribly allergic to raspberries. Even one bite gives me a severe rash!". Who poisoned the tea?
Think about the seemingly unrelated reasons Evan and Olivia gave for not drinking the tea... Are they really unrelated?
Olivia poisoned the tea. She said she was allergic to raspberries, but the tea the friends ordered contained blackberries, not raspberries. Olivia lied about her allergy to have an alibi.
A famous magician and his assistant are standing in the middle of a large, empty field. There are no trees or buildings to be seen, and there are no ropes or hidden wires attached to the two performer's bodies. A large group of curious onlookers and their families are present to see the magician's farewell performance, as advertised in the local newspapers. The magician suddenly raises both hands and dramatically shouts to the audience, "My assistant and I will now rise from this very ground and disappear from your sight, but in three hours we will reappear in a town ten miles from here!" And with those final words, the magician and his assistant slowly lifted from the ground, continuing to rise majestically, until they were out of sight! True to his word, he and his assistant did reappear in another town ten miles from the place where they had first disappeared --- in the predicted three hours' time! What a fantastic trick!! How do you think they accomplished such an amazing feat?
Think about the mode of transportation that can take you 10 miles in 3 hours, and is not a hidden wire or rope...
The magician and his assistant used a hot-air balloon to rise up and disappear from the field. They were able to navigate and land it in a similar field in a town ten miles away.
Analogies are comparisons. Complete each analogy below. Here is an example: Ear is to hearing as eye is to? Sight.
1. Cardinals is to St. Louis as Dodger is to?
2. A.M. is to before noon as P.M. is to?
3. Three is to triangle as 8 is to?
4. Tear is to tore as see is to?
5. Springfield is to Illinois as Austin is to?
Here's a hint to help you solve the analogies:
"Think about the relationships between words, and look for patterns or connections that can help you complete the comparisons."
1. Los Angeles
2. Afternoon
3. Octagon
4. Saw
5. Texas
I move very slowly at an imperceptible rate, although I take my time, I am never late. I accompany life, and survive past demise, I am viewed with esteem in many women's eyes.
What am I?
Think about something that grows or develops gradually, often associated with beauty and femininity...
There is a pink single-story house and everything in it is pink. The doors are pink, the windows are pink and the TV is pink. What color are the stairs?
Oliver and Brittany are siblings. They were born in the winter and summer. If Brittany was not born in the winter, then who was born in the summer?
Think about the seasons and the fact that they are siblings... if Brittany wasn't born in the winter, that means Oliver must have been... but what does that imply about Brittany's birth season?
If Brittany was not born in the winter, then she was born in the summer. Therefore, it's Brittany.
A red house is made of red bricks. A yellow house is made of yellow bricks. A purple house is made of purple bricks. A brown house is made of brown bricks. A black house is made of black bricks. What is the greenhouse made of?
Think about the word "greenhouse" more literally...
There is a lamp inside a photography darkroom. When the darkroom door is closed, it is impossible to tell from outside the room whether or not the lamp is on. There are two switches outside the door of the darkroom. One or both of the switches may control the lamp. It also could be that neither of the switches controls the lamp. All you know is that the light bulb is currently off and that the lamp and bulb are in working condition. The darkroom door is closed and once you open the door you cannot touch either of the switches. If you can only open the dark room door one time, how can you tell which switches, if any, control the lamp?
Here's a hint: Think about how you can use the switches to create a sequence of events that will give you the most information about the lamp's state when you open the door. Consider flipping one or both switches before opening the door, and think about what you can infer from the lamp's state when you finally see it.
Turn the first switch on and leave it on for ten minutes. After ten minutes, turn that switch off and turn the second switch on. Open the darkroom door, and lightly (in case it is hot) touch the bulb. If the lamp is on, and the bulb is quite hot, both switches work the lamp. If the lamp is on, and the bulb is cool, the second switch controls the lamp. If the lamp is off, and the bulb is hot, switch one controls the lamp. If the lamp is off, and the bulb is cool, neither switch controls the lamp.
There is an island with exactly 201 residents, 100 with blue eyes, 100 with brown eyes, and the island leader (who has green eyes). To leave the island, one must know their own eye color. There are no reflective surfaces on the island and no one can communicate with each other other than the leader of the residents. No one on the island knows how many of each eye color there is. Everyone on the island is a perfect logician, meaning that if there is a solution they'll find it. Every morning the leader gives anyone a chance to leave the island by guessing their eye color. One morning, the leader gathers all 200 residents to make an announcement, he says "At least 1 person on this island has blue eyes" How many people leave the island and in how many days after the announcement?
Hint: Think about what each resident can deduce from the announcement, and how they can use that information to make a logical chain of reasoning about the eye colors of the others. Consider the scenario from the perspective of a single resident with blue eyes, and ask yourself: "What is the minimum number of days it would take for me to be certain of my eye color?"
All 100 blue-eyed people in 100 days. EXPLANATION: imagine there is only 1 person on the island, he will look around and see that there are no blue-eyed people, he will then know his eye color in 1 day, if there are two, each will see that there is 1 blue-eyed person, of this person doesn't leave on the 1st day, that means that he must also have blue eyes so that the same rules apply to the other man's perspective, following this logic, n= blue-eyed people and d= days so d=n because for each person added, one more day is needed to know their own eye color. if you would like more info, search "100 blue eyes riddle"
Four members of a band are walking to a night concert. They decide to take a shortcut, but must cross a bridge. Luckily they have one flashlight. Because of the varying size of their instruments, it takes each member a different amount of time to cross the bridge - it takes the first person one minute, the second person two minutes, the third person five minutes and the fourth person ten minutes. They must cross the bridge in pairs, travelling at the slower speed so if the one minute person went with the ten minute person, it would take a total of ten minutes. Since there is only one flashlight, one person must come back across the bridge, then another pair can cross. They only have 17 minutes to cross the bridge and still get to the concert on time. What order should they cross to get everyone across and get to the concert?
Think about the most efficient way to use the 17 minutes, considering the "return trip" of the flashlight is a crucial part of the puzzle.
First, the one minute person and the two minute person must cross the bridge, for a total of two minutes. Then the one minute person should come back with flashlight - total of three minutes. The five minute person and the ten minute person cross together next, making the total thirteen minutes. Now the two minute person goes back and (total now fifteen minutes) and gets the one minute person and they cross together bringing the total to seventeen minutes.
An old parchment describes the location of buried treasure: "On the island there are only two trees, A and B, and the remains of a gallows. Start at the gallows and count the steps required to walk in a straight line to tree A. At the tree turn 90 degrees to the left and then walk forward the same number of steps. At the point where you top drive a spike into the ground. Now return to the gallows and walk in a straight line, counting your steps, to tree B. When you reach the tree, turn 90 degrees to the right and take the same number of steps forward, placing another spike at the point where you stop. Dig at the point exactly halfway between the spikes and you will find the treasure." However, our hero when he gets to the island finds the gallows missing. Is there any way he can still get to the treasure?
Think about what the instructions would have looked like from the perspective of tree A and tree B...
A simple experiment with a ruler and paper shows that any position for the gallows leads to the same point.
It's true if you think of Roman numerals. FIVE, take away the F and the E and you are left with IV, half of the word FIVE, which is the Roman number for Four.
As I traveled up and down our great glorious country, I found myself in a place where the tempature goes up sharply in the day and down at night. This had an effect on my watch, I noticed it was 1/2 a minute faster at nightfall, but at dawn it had lost 1/3 minute, making it only 1/6 minute fast.
One morning- May 1- my watch showed the right time. By what date was it 5 minutes faster?
In 24 hours the watch gained 1/2-1/3= 1/6 minute. It would seem it would be 5 minutes fast in 5 X 6= 30 days; that is,the morning of May 31. But already on the morning of May 28 the was 27/6= 4 1/2 minutes fast. At the close of the day the watch gained 1/2 minute more, so it was 5 minutes fast on may 28.
A horse was tied to a rope 5 meters long and the horse's food was 15 meters away from the horse. How did the horse reach the food?
The key to this riddle is to think outside the box (or in this case, the rope). The answer doesn't involve the horse moving the rope or breaking free from it. Instead, consider the orientation of the rope and the horse's food...
The rope wasn't tied to anything so he could reach the food.
Three lives have I. Gentle enough to soothe the skin, Light enough to caress the sky, Hard enough to crack rocks. What am I?
Think about something that can exist in different forms or states, and how its properties change depending on those states...
Water. Explanation: Water can be in the form of a liquid, solid (ice), and/or a gas (water vapor) which is represented by "three lives". As a liquid, it is used to bathe, as a gas it creates clouds that float in the sky, and as a solid (ice), it can split rocks or create glaciers that scour the earth as they move downhill.
I hurt the most when lost, yet also when not had at all. I'm sometimes the hardest to express, but the easiest to ignore. I can be given to many, or just one. What am I?
"Think about something that can be a source of both pain and comfort, and is often difficult to put into words..."
I look flat, but I am deep, Hidden realms I shelter. Lives I take, but food I offer. At times I am beautiful. I can be calm, angry and turbulent. I have no heart, but offer pleasure as well as death. No man can own me, yet I encompass what all men must have. What am I?
Think about a natural element that can be both serene and violent, providing sustenance while also posing a threat, and is essential for human survival...
When spelled, I am a question. When shouted, I am a command. I am great for your heart, but hard on the sand. What am I?
Think about words that change meaning or tone based on how they're used, and consider a common activity that's good for your heart but tough on a certain terrain...
On my own, I am darkness, a black abyss. But, Life brings me light with its gentle kiss. I am quiet and cold, but warmth I can hold. Alongside beauties and wonders, sights to be told. My surface may be bare, this I'm aware. But, beautiful secrets I am eager to share. My mouth so large, I swallow you whole. To be in my belly is your goal. What may lie within can drive men to sin. Greed and desire, gluttony's kin. For some, I am fear. For others, hope. My perception shaped from life's scope. From the earth I have come, and forever will stay, even if parts of me crumble away. What am I?
"Think about a natural wonder that can be both beautiful and intimidating, with a duality of darkness and light, coldness and warmth. It's a place where people often strive to reach, but can also be driven by negative impulses."
I have many feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head, but I'm not alive. It is your strength which determines how far I go. You can hold me in your hand, but I'm never thrown. What am I?
Think about something you might find at a sporting goods store or a recreational activity that involves flying, but isn't a living thing...
Large as a mountain, small as a pea,
Endlessly swimming in a waterless sea.
What am I?
Think about something that can be enormous in concept, yet tiny in physical form, and is often associated with a vast, ocean-like expanse, but not necessarily made of water...
I am the beginning of enemity; the end of life and love; honey can't be without me; yet sugar can be without me. I am the fifth child of my parent's 26 children. What am I?
You use me everyday but let me rest at night. I have an identical twin beside me all the time. For some reason you always cover me up. I am not alive but I have a soul. What am I?
Think about something you use daily, has a "twin" or duplicate part, and is often concealed or protected...
I am never right. I am often mistaken for being true. I am deceptive and many people use me as an enemy disguised as a friend. What am I?
Think about something that is often taken at face value, but can be misleading or inaccurate, and is frequently used to manipulate or deceive others...
I can come in many forms, pictures, sentences, and even more. I'm easy to some and hard to many. What am I?
Think about something that can be expressed in different ways, yet its meaning can be understood by some people quickly, while others might struggle to grasp it...
I build up castles. I tear down mountains. I make some men blind, I help others to see. What am I?
Think about something that can be used to create grand structures, but also has the power to destroy or alter the natural landscape. It's something that can be both constructive and destructive, and its effects can be felt by people in different ways...
A pregnant lady named her children: Dominique, Regis, Michelle, Fawn, Sophie, and Lara. What will she name her next child? Jessica, Katie, Abby, or Tilly?
Think about the names of the children and how they relate to the mother's condition...
Tilly. She seems to follow the scale Do, Re, Me, Fa, So, La, and then Ti.
Think about something that can be present in a room, yet doesn't occupy any physical area... It's not a living thing, but it can be felt by everyone in the room.
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...
A guy and his wife went to the store and left their three children at home. When they returned, all of his children were dead. The au pair said she was reading the newspaper. the maid said she was making the beds, and the butler said he was putting away the groceries. Who did it?
Think about the ages of the children and the tasks the household staff were doing...
The butler because the parents went to the store to get the groceries. Therefore, they were out of groceries and there was none to put away.