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!
Mrs. Fortini has been married for 10 years. For her 10th wedding anniversary, she got a pair of beautiful diamond earrings. Mrs. Fortini also has two daughters–Beatrice and Ivy–who always touch her stuff. One day, Mrs. Fortini was going to put on the earrings, when she found out that they had been stolen. She concluded that it must have been one of her daughters, so she asked them, "I've told you two so many times to not take my things! Who took my jewelry this time?". Beatrice said, "I never touch your jewelry box!". Ivy also denied taking her mom's stuff; "I don't wear earrings!", she said. Who stole the earrings?
Think about what each daughter said, and how it might relate to their actions...
It was Ivy who stole the earrings. Her mother didn't specify which piece of jewelry was missing.
A young girl is standing on a small hill facing a man and two young boys. The man and one of the two boys are wearing headgear made of leather and metal, and the other young boy is wearing a hard, plastic hat. The man has no special feelings toward the girl on the hill, but the young boy in the special headgear is her close friend. However, the other boy in the plastic hat is the sworn enemy of the girl. As the man and the two boys stare intently at the girl on the hill, she suddenly throws a hard, round object toward the group of three males, striking the boy wearing the plastic hat in the head, knocking his hat off, and sending him sprawling to the ground. The man, after witnessing these events, issues a three-word command to the boy who was struck, and this causes the boy to run away from home. What was the three-word command the man gave to the boy, and why did it cause the boy to run away from home?
"Think baseball rules."
The young girl was the pitcher in a little league game. Her close friend (the young male catcher) called for a fastball, but the girl’s pitch was wild, and it knocked down the young boy who was wearing a protective batting helmet. The adult male umpire subsequently told the batter the appropriate three words, “Take Your Base.” The batter then ran away from home and went to first base.
Willow is a mother of three children-Richard, aged 17, Sasha, aged 15, and Xavier, aged 13. One morning, Willow was about to leave for work when she discovered that her money was stolen. Her husband was away on a business trip, so the thief could only be one of her kids; Willow asked each of them what they had been doing the previous night. Richard said that he was at the club with his friend David. Sasha said that she had a headache, so she took a painkiller and went straight to bed. And Xavier said that he was at his team's baseball practice. Willow immediately knew which child was lying. Who was it?
Think about the alibis each child provided... one of them is impossible to verify, while the other two can be easily confirmed.
Richard is lying. He couldn't be at the club because he's only 17. And before you say, "He could've been at an after-school club", just note that "the club" usually refers to a nightclub; only folks who are 21 or older can get inside. Because Richard is not old enough to get into the club, he couldn't be in there with his friend. Therefore, he must have taken Willow's money.
A boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy, "If I write your exact weight on this piece of paper then you have to give me $50, but if I cannot, I will pay you $50." The boy looked around and saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the carny writes he'll just say he weighs more or less. In the end the boy ended up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?
Think about what the man could have written on the piece of paper that would make the boy's strategy of saying "more" or "less" impossible...
The man did exactly as he said he would and wrote "your exact weight" on the paper.
Even though the odds are always in favor of the gambling house, why does the establishment insist on a house limit on stakes?
Think about the impact of a single, extremely large bet on the house's finances...
Every casino in the world would go bankrupt without a house limit on stakes. Without it, gamblers would keep doubling their stakes until they won. No matter how bad a losing streak they were on, they would eventually win.
The king dies and two men, the true heir and an impostor, both claim to be his long-lost son. Both fit the description of the rightful heir: about the right age, height, coloring and general appearance. Finally, one of the elders proposes a test to identify the true heir. One man agrees to the test while the other flatly re-fuses. The one who agreed is immediately sent on his way, and the one who re-fused is correctly identified as the rightful heir. Can you figure out why?
The key to this riddle lies in the nature of the test itself, rather than the physical characteristics of the two men. Think about what kind of test would be proposed that one man would willingly agree to, while the other would refuse...
The test was a blood test. The elder remembered that the true prince was a hemophiliac.
A young man decides to buy a collector's baseball card. He pays $60 for it. After a month, the value of the card has increased to $70 and he decides to sell it. But already a few days later he regrets his decision to sell the collector's item, and he buys it again. Unfortunately he has to pay $80 to get it back, so he loses $10. After a year of owning the baseball card, he finally decides to sell it for $100. What is his overall profit?
Think about the sequence of transactions and how they affect the young man's profit, rather than focusing on the individual prices of the baseball card.
How can you cut a cheese round into 8 pieces with only three cuts?
Think vertically!
First you cut the cylinder lengthwise. With the two pieces stacked end to end, you cut the cheese into quarters with two cuts. The result is three cuts and 8 pieces of cheese. See the image below for three cuts needed to divide a cheese round into eight pieces.
Two camels were facing in opposite directions. One was facing due East and one was facing due West. They were in the desert so there was no reflection. How can they manage to see each other without walking around or turning around or moving their heads?
Think about the camels' positions relative to each other, rather than their directions...
The two camels were facing each other the entire time. Hence facing in opposite directions.
If a chicken says, "All chickens are liars". Is the chicken telling the truth?
Think about the paradoxical situation: if the chicken is telling the truth, then all chickens are indeed liars, but that would mean the chicken itself is a liar, which would make its statement false...
Joan is both a collector and a trader. She has spent most of her adult life collecting and trading tiny, green keys. Joan, along with millions of Americans living today, love to see how many of these little keys they can gather; but they also like to trade them away for a wide variety of items including food, toys, furniture, services, boats, and even houses. Some people have even committed murder to possess these keys! Joan usually carries a supply of these little, green keys with her in her purse in case of emergency. Joan feels certain these keys will never rust, but she always tries to keep them as dry as possible. What exactly are these little green keys, and why do people seek them with such passion?
Think about something you might find in your wallet or purse, something that's used to "unlock" opportunities and purchase things you want or need...
On the front side of each bill of paper money, a green seal is seen. Near the bottom of the green seal, a tiny green key is always found. Thus, whenever people spend, receive, or steal money, they are also exchanging these little green keys. Take some time to study your money more closely, and you will find a small weighing scale pictured in the same green seal just above the little green key. There are other interesting things to find on your money. A magnifying glass may be helpful in this endeavor.
When in hot water I get harder. I am only useful once broken. Some people eat only the white part for its low fat, high protein nutritional content. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, but isn't always edible in its original form...
Alive without breath, As cold as death, Never thirsty, Ever drinking, Clad in mail, Never clinking, Drowns on dry land, Thinks an island Is a mountain, Thinks a fountain Is a puff of air. What am I?
Think about something that can exist in different forms and states, and its characteristics might seem contradictory or paradoxical...
I am nothing, I am everything. I am perfect dark, I am the brightest lights. I am hungry, I am full. I am nowhere, I am everywhere. I am unseen, I am watched by millions. What am I?
Think about something that can be both absent and present, and can be perceived in different ways by different people...
I'm the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night, I'm always there but you choose to ignore me, cross your eyes and you will see me. What am I?
I'm made for one but meant for two;
I can be worn for many years but usually just a few;
You won't ever need me unless you say you do.
What am I?
Think about something that's often shared, but initially intended for a single person, and its usage is closely tied to a specific event or milestone in life...
I have one eye but I still can't see. I can surf all day without the sea. I let you know what your friends have to say and I will wake you up every day. What I'm I?
Think about something you might find on your bedside table or nightstand...
Every famine begins with me. Each fight I'll be the first you see. Though food can never come without, what forest fire beginnings are all about. Fears begin with me it is true, and when I come I'll bring flames for you. But with the hungry I wont be found. Yet with each new life I'll be around. What am I?
I cut through evil like a double-edged sword, And chaos flees at my approach. Balance I single-handedly upraise, Through battles fought with heart and mind, Instead of with my gaze.
What am I?
Think about a concept that brings order and stability, rather than a physical entity.
I came to prominence in the world during a time of trouble. I brought people together but helped keep them apart. I sound like I should go fast, but I am well known for taking too long to finish. What am I?
Think about a mode of communication that emerged during a time of global crisis, facilitated connection while maintaining physical distance, and has a name that suggests speed but is often associated with delay...
You feel me sometimes, but I never appear in new things. Joy and excitement are definitely my antidote, and sadness and pain are effective ways to drive me away. What am I?
Think about emotions and how they can change your physical sensations...
Stealthy as a shadow in the dead of night,
Cunning but affectionate if given a bite.
Never owned but often loved.
At my sport considered cruel,
But that's because you never know me at all.
What am I?
Think about something that is often misunderstood or judged based on its actions, but has a softer side to it...
I'm never boring, always new and attractive, there is no right or wrong. I guide you to find the meaning of life and give meaning to your life. What am I?
Think about something that's constantly evolving, open to interpretation, and helps you discover your purpose...
One way I'm loose, one way I'm tight;
Out with left, in with right.
What am I?
Think about something you use every day, that has a specific way of being turned or moved, and its "looseness" or "tightness" depends on the direction of that movement...
What does man love more than life Fear more than death or mortal strife What the poor have, the rich require, and what contented men desire, What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves And all men carry to their graves?
Think about something that is universally desired, yet often taken for granted, and is present in everyone's life, regardless of their social status or wealth...
What is something you don't own but can give to anyone you meet? You only have one, but you can give it away as many times as you want without losing it. What is it?
A girl named Sadie was home alone one night. She wanted to relax after a long day instead of going to the movies. Her parents were really running late! So Sadie watched horror movie after horror movie after horror movie! But then she called 911 because she saw a man on her patio! Quickly the police came. They observed the whole house and the patio but their were no footsteps anywhere! Then, one cop found the answer to it all. What was it?
Here's a hint:
Think about what Sadie was doing all night...
A man had broke into the house and hid behind the couch. The cop found footprints back there, and it was the mans reflection that Sadie saw.
I am the sound of silence, I am the bringing of doom, too much of me and you’ll be swept away, swept away like a great broom, the cold is my place of living, and the heat is taken away, taken away by my magnificence, I live in both night or day, I am unseen but very much alive. Who am I?
Think about something that can be present in both quiet and chaotic situations, and is often associated with extreme weather conditions. It's an entity that can be felt, but not seen...
A very famous chemist was found murdered in his kitchen today. The police have narrowed it down to six suspects. They know it was a two-man job. Their names are Felice, Maxwell, Archibald, Nicolas, Jordan, and Xavier. A note was also found with the body: '26-3-58/28-27-57-16'. Who are the killers?
Think about the periodic table of elements...
Felice and Nicholas are the murderers. The numbers correspond to atomic numbers on the periodic table of elements: 'Fe-Li-Ce/Ni-Co-La-S'.