Ralph is a very controlling person who totally dominates his partner, Sam. When Sam is in Ralph's presence, Sam is never allowed to speak, eat, or drink anything without Ralph's permission. Perhaps this is because Ralph is 6 feet six inches tall, and Sam, being less than 5 feet tall, is intimidated by Ralph's stature. Whatever the cause, most people hearing these facts would think this situation is nearly criminal; but not Sam. In fact, there are certain times when Ralph gives him permission, that Sam speaks some very sarcastic words right to Ralph's face, and sometimes even verbally abuses Ralph. In retaliation, Ralph once again silences Sam, deciding when and if Sam should ever be allowed to speak. Ralph, when in the presence of others with Sam, appears to put on a good front by putting his hand on Sam's back, hoping to show his friendship and concern for Sam. Why hasn't anyone called DCFS on behalf of poor Sam --- and what about Sam's right to free speech; or are things not quite what they appear to be? Just what is going on here?
Think about a situation where someone's "permission" is necessary for another person to "speak, eat, or drink" - but it's not about abuse or control. Consider a context where Ralph's "stature" is relevant, but not just because of his height.
Russell was watching TV when he got a call from the police. They said that they had found his friend unconscious, and asked him to come. As soon as Russell came, the officers arrested him. Why?
Think about what Russell was doing when he got the call...
The officers didn't tell Russell the exact location to come to. How would the man know where to come if he didn't know what happened?
Hannah became very tired while driving. She decided to stop at a nearby two-story hotel and stay there for the night. The receptionist said that her hotel room number is 604; he even offered to show Hannah where it was. Hannah didn't believe him; she rushed back to her car, hopped inside, and sped away. Why?
Think about the physical characteristics of a two-story hotel...
The first digit of a hotel room number usually indicates the floor it is on. Room 604 is supposed to be on the sixth floor, but the hotel only has two floors.
There were five men going to church and it started to rain. The four that ran got wet and the one that stood still stayed dry. How did the one stay dry?
Think about the situation where someone is more likely to be already "prepared" for the rain...
You walk up to a mountain that has two paths. One leads to the other side of the mountain, and the other will get you lost forever. Two twins know the path that leads to the other side. You can ask them only one question. Except! One lies and one tells the truth, and you don't know which is which. So, What do you ask?
Think about what you can ask that would get a consistent answer from both the truth-teller and the liar...
You ask one twin, "Are you twins?". If he says "Yes", he is telling the truth. Therefore, you ask the other twin which way to go and go the opposite way because he is lying. If he says "No", he is the liar and you ask the other twin which way to go because he is telling the truth.
You and a your friend are trapped in a room. There are two exists (a+b). a) One exist leads to a roaring Inferno with a thin bridge crossing to the other side, but there is a risk that it will fall. b) The other lead to lions which have been satrved for 2 months, so they will eat you and your friend on the spot. Which exist is the safest for you and your friend?
Think about the lions' situation... what happens to living things when they don't eat for a long time?
B is the safest. Taking exist A might gurantee your saftey but not your friend as it will probaby fall under your weight. On the other hand the lion have been starved for two months which probably means they are dead.
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.
Walker has to unlock his locker to get his uniform and get dressed for his basketball game. However, his lock requires a three-digit code to be unlocked. Walker doesn't know the exact code, but here are some clues. A) 8-6-5 One number is correct and in the right position. B) 8-4-0 One number is correct but in the wrong position. C) 3-5-0 Two numbers are correct but in the wrong positions. D) 3-6-9 Nothing is correct. E) 7-6-9 One number is correct but in the wrong position. What is the code?
Pay close attention to the correct digits and their positions in clues A, B, and E, and think about how they can be rearranged to fit the descriptions in clues C and D.
The code is 0-7-5. Starting with Clue D, we can eliminate 3, 6, and 9, and all instances of those numbers, because none of them are in the final code. 8 cannot be in the final code because Clues A and B would contradict each other if it was in the code. This means that 5 is in the code, and it takes the third position; we can therefore eliminate 4, too. From Clue C, we can conclude that 5 and 0 are part of the code, because 3 is not (we already eliminated it based on Clue D). And based on Clue E, the last digit we need is 7, because we already eliminated 6 and 9 based on Clue D. We do not know the positions of 0 and 7, however, but we know that 5 takes the third position, which leaves us with just two options for the code: either 7-0-5 or 0-7-5. 7-0-5 cannot be the code because it would contradict Clue E since 7 cannot go in the first position; it can only go in the second position, while 0 goes in the first position. This means that the correct code is 0-7-5.
If you have two quarters on a table touching each other, how can you move one of the quarters without touching it? You are only allowed to touch one quarter but not move it. You cant touch the quarter that you move. You want to get at least enough room between the two quarters to insert another coin between the two quarters.
Think about using the quarter you're allowed to touch to influence the environment around the two quarters, rather than trying to directly move the quarter you're not allowed to touch.
Hold down one of the quarters very firmly. Take another coin and hit it against the quarter you are holding down. Tap hard enough to move the quarter next to it aside.
You are in a room that is completely bricked in on all four sides, including the ceiling and floor. You have nothing but a mirror and a wooden table in the room with you.
How do you get out?
Look closely at the mirror...
You look in the mirror you see what you saw, you take the saw and you cut the table in half, two halfs make a whole, and you climb out the hole.
A hunter met two shepherds, one of whom had three loaves and the other, five loaves. All the loaves were the same size. The three men agreed to share the eight loaves equally between them. After they had eaten, the hunter gave the shepherds eight bronze coins as payment for his meal. How should the two shepherds fairly divide this money?
Think about the value of each loaf in terms of bronze coins...
The shepherd who had three loaves should get one coin and the shepherd who had five loaves should get seven coins. If there were eight loaves and three men, each man ate two and two-thirds loaves. So the first shepherd gave the hunter one-third of a loaf and the second shepherd gave the hunter two and one-third loaves. The shepherd who gave one-third of a loaf should get one coin and the one who gave seven-thirds of a loaf should get seven coins.
A man told his son that he would give him $1000 if he could accomplish the following task. The father gave his son ten envelopes and a thousand dollars, all in one dollar bills. He told his son, "Place the money in the envelopes in such a manner that no matter what number of dollars I ask for, you can give me one or more of the envelopes, containing the exact amount I asked for without having to open any of the envelopes. If you can do this, you will keep the $1000." When the father asked for a sum of money, the son was able to give him envelopes containing the exact amount of money asked for. How did the son distribute the money among the ten envelopes?
Think about the powers of 2...
The contents or the ten envelopes (in dollar bills) should be as follows: $1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 489. The first nine numbers are in geometrical progression, and their sum, deducted from 1,000, gives the contents of the tenth envelope.
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...
A farmer in California owns a beautiful pear tree. He supplies the fruit to a nearby grocery store. The store owner has called the farmer to see how much fruit is available for him to purchase. The farmer knows that the main trunk has 24 branches. Each branch has exactly 12 boughs and each bough has exactly 6 twigs. Since each twig bears one piece of fruit, how many plums will the farmer be able to deliver?
The answer is not what you think it is... Pay close attention to the type of fruit mentioned in the question!
I am a word of six; my first three letters refer to an automobile; my last three letters refer to a household animal; my first four letters is a fish; my whole is found in your room. What am I?
I am treated with great care until I reach my end by being torn in half. I'm a traveler. I bring both good and bad news. What am I?
Think about something that people often handle carefully, but ultimately discard or separate, and is often associated with conveying information or messages...
I purge all that is evil and keep all that is true. Unless you speak, I can delete what you said. My usefulness has faded with the use of a pen. I am usually made of rubber, yet I am not a toy. I am both pink, and white, but also blue, or green. Do not forget me, as I can be your best friend. What am I?
Think about something you often find on a desk, used to correct mistakes, but has become less necessary with the advent of digital writing tools...
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.
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.
Be you ever so quick, with vision keen, by your eyes, we are never seen. Unless perchance it should come to pass, you see our reflection in a looking glass. What are we?
Some days you think I'm pretty, but some days you think I'm ugly. Some days you'll love me, but some days you'll hate me. If you think I'm not good enough, you might get rid of me. Who am I?
Think about something you look at every day, and your opinion of it can change depending on your mood and circumstances...
I'm YOU! Some days you think you're pretty, but some days you think you're ugly. Some days you'll love yourself, but some days you'll hate yourself. And if you think you are not good enough, you might get rid of yourself. Life is amazing :) Live your life to the fullest!
I soar without wings, I see without eyes. I've traveled the universe to and fro. I've conquered the world, yet I've never been anywhere but home.
Who am I?
Think about something that can explore and experience many things, yet remains in one place...
The owner of a Lost-and-Found faced a big argument between a man and a blind woman. The two of them were arguing over car keys that they came across simultaneously. The owner decided to tell the two of them to stop arguing because he knew who the car keys belonged to. Who?
Think about the fact that the woman is blind... how would she know what she came across?
The car keys belong to the man. Remember that the woman is blind? Well, you can't drive safely if you're blind!