Spencer wakes up in the middle of a forest. A few seconds later, a witch and three magic tunnels–a red, a yellow, and a blue–appear in front of the guy. The witch tells Spencer, "Two of these tunnels will make you disappear forever, and the other one will send you back to your house. Listen to these clues VERY carefully,". Clue 1: Choose the red tunnel, and you won't not disappear. Clue 2: It's a lie to say that the yellow tunnel isn't dissimilar. Clue 3: The blue tunnel doesn't have less in common with the red than with the yellow. Which tunnel should Spencer choose?
Think about the clues as statements about the tunnels, and consider what would be true if a tunnel led to Spencer's house versus if it made him disappear forever. Pay close attention to the use of double negatives and words like "dissimilar" to help you decipher the witch's tricky clues.
Spencer should choose the yellow tunnel. If he chooses the red tunnel, he will not NOT disappear; in other words, Spencer WILL disappear if he enters the red tunnel. We can therefore exclude the red tunnel. If he chooses the blue tunnel, he will also disappear; this is because the blue tunnel doesn't have less in common with red than yellow. In other words, the blue tunnel has more in common with red than yellow, so the blue tunnel will also make Spencer disappear. Choosing the yellow tunnel is the safest option because if it's a lie to say that yellow isn't dissimilar, the truth is that yellow IS different from the red and blue tunnels.
Farmer Egbert has a cow, two horses, and a cat. The farmer drives up to the farm accompanied by his dog Fluffball. How many feet are there on the farm?
Think about the number of legs each animal has, but don't forget to consider the farmer himself!
The task was to count the number of FEET, so the correct answer is just two. Cows and horses have HOOVES; dogs and cats have PAWS; only Egbert, a human, has FEET.
A young man became famous one day when he gathered a quarter of a bushel (8 dry quarts) of a certain type of fruit, which many people call a vegetable. Evidently, this youth, whose first and last name both start with the same letter, was able to harvest these fruits (vegetables) after they had been placed into a solution of vinegar or brine while still on the vine. So, the questions which have never been answered concerning this story are #1: How many of these fruits/vegetables did he actually harvest, and #2: Where is the work of his labor now? Can you name this famous person who has the same first and last initials?
Here's a hint:
Think about a famous American figure from the 19th century, and consider a type of fruit/vegetable that's often pickled. The answer might be more "historical" than you expect!
Paul called his detective friend to report a theft. The man suspected his neighbor, Ms. Andrews, whom he thought stole his favorite figure. Paul said, "I was vacuum cleaning my room upstairs when I heard footsteps downstairs. I ran downstairs in time to see Ms. Andrews running away with my figure,". Ms. Andrews denied everything. Who should the detective believe?
Hint: Think about the physical act of vacuum cleaning and its implications on Paul's claim.
The detective should believe Ms. Andrews. Vacuum cleaners are usually very noisy, so Paul couldn't possibly hear anything, let alone any footsteps.
Two men and two women, all carrying loaded shotguns, drove to a field where they planned to shoot as many birds as possible. The four had absolutely no desire to eat any of the birds they were planning to shoot, and they brought no dogs to retrieve any they happened to hit. Each of the four people in turn would loudly shout a one-word command, and when a bird would fly out in front of them, they would shoot to destroy it. When they were finished, the bodies of 99 birds lay mutilated in the field, as only one bird had escaped their deadly shooting skills. The two men and two women cheerfully exchanged high-fives, and congratulated each other on their excellent hour of destruction. Several onlookers, who happened to witness the onslaught, gave the four a loud round of applause for the entertainment. Why did no one report this incident to the authorities, and why was there such a calloused attitude toward the shooting of these defenseless birds?
Think outside the box: the shooters aren't hunting for food or sport, but for a very specific purpose...
The birds the four were shooting at were pigeons ——— clay pigeons. The four were at a public shooting range, and when each of them yelled “pull”, a clay pigeon was catapulted into the air for their target practice.
A small group of people are all standing around a two-foot tall, empty, wooden container. Two women approach the group carrying a silver container, which they place inside the wooden container. No one complains about the quarter-sized hole in the side of the wooden object. A Z-shaped piece of metal is then attached to both the silver and wooden containers, and one-at-a-time, the members of the small group take turns grasping the Z-shaped piece of metal and moving their hands in a circular motion. When one tires of this, another person takes over, and this is repeated numerous times. Finally, a heavy group member places his foot on top of the Z-shaped object, while a final group member performs a few last circular motions. After this, the top of the silver container is removed, and an object made of wood and metal is removed from it. Later, the contents of the silver container are consumed by those present. What has been going on here?
Think about a social gathering where people often come together to create something, and the object being created is often associated with a particular occasion or celebration...
This group was making home made ice cream using an old fashioned hand-cranked ice cream freezer.
Two men are in a desert. They both have packs on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his pack open, the guy who is dead has his pack closed. What is in the pack?
Think about a common activity people do in a desert, and what they might need to do to survive...
A man went on a trip with a fox, a goose and a sack of corn. He came upon a stream which he had to cross and found a tiny boat to use to cross the stream. He could only take himself and one other - the fox, the goose, or the corn - at a time. He could not leave the fox alone with the goose or the goose alone with the corn.
How does he get all safely over the stream?
Think about the order in which the man transports each item, and how he can ensure that no combination of fox, goose, and corn is left together unsupervised at any point.
Take the goose over first and come back. Then take the fox over and bring the goose back. Now take the corn over and come back alone to get the goose. Take the goose over and the job is done!
Dave and Brad, two popular politicians, met at a club to discuss the overthrow of their party leader. They each ordered a vodka on the rocks. Brad downed his and ordered another. He then drank his second in a gulp and decided to wait before he ordered a third. Meanwhile, Dave, who was sipping his drink, suddenly fell forward dead. Both men were set up for assassination. Why did Dave die and Brad live?
Think about the ice...
Both Dave and Brad were given drinks with poisoned ice cubes. Brad drank his drinks so quickly that the ice didn't have time to melt and release the poison.
Someone stole $20 off your desk at school. You find 4 suspects: Gina, Kelly, Peter, and Liam. You ask them all about the money: Gina: Hey, I didn't take it! Kelly: I'm pretty sure Peter took it! Peter: No way! Kelly is lying! Liam: Gina's telling the truth! One of these people is telling the truth. Who took your money?
Gina took the money. She, Kelly, and Liam are lying while Peter is telling the truth. If any of the other people had taken it, then there would be only 1 liar and 3 people telling the truth.
Three cars had driven into a parking lot at the same time, and the three drivers left them all for the attendant to park. Unfortunately, he isn't too good at remembering exactly which driver drove which car. However, he is sure of these 6 facts: a. Colin drove the BMW if and only if Mr. Cooper drove the Avenger. b. Alan drove the Cortina if and only if Mr. Cooper drove the BMW. c. Colin is Mr. Brown if and only if Mr. Andrews drove the BMW. d. Brian is Mr. Andrews if and only if Colin drove the BMW. e. Mr. Cooper drove the Avenger if and only if Alan is Mr. Brown. f. Colin is Mr. Brown if and only if Alan drove the Cortina. Who arrived with which car?
Pay close attention to the names and the cars, and notice that each fact is an "if and only if" statement, which means you can swap the two parts of the statement without changing its meaning. Also, try to find a pattern or a loop in the statements that can help you figure out the correct combinations.
Brian Brown drove the BMW, Alan Andrew drove the Avenger, and Colin Cooper drove the Cortina.
How can you make the following equation true by drawing only one straight line: 5+5+5=550? Can you figure it out?
Think Roman numerals...
Draw a line on the first plus sign that turns it into a 4! The equation then becomes true: 545+5=550. You could also change the equal symbol to a crossed out equal symbol which means "not equal to".
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.
Robert and David played several golf matches against each other in a week. They played for a pizza at each match, but no pizzas were purchased until the end of the week. If at any time Robert and David had the same number of wins, those pizzas were canceled. Robert won four matches (but no pizzas), and David won three pizzas. How many rounds of golf were played?
Think about the sequence of wins and how the "cancellation" rule affects the outcome. Consider when Robert's wins are "wasted" and how David can still win pizzas despite Robert's wins.
Eleven, David won 7 matches, 4 to cancel out Robert's 4 wins, and 3 more to win the pizzas.
Mr. Grumper grumbles about bad time-keeping trains like everybody else. On one particular morning he was justified, though. The train left on time for the one hour journey and it arrived 5 minutes late. However, Mr. Grumper's watch showed it to be 3 minutes early, so he adjusted his watch by putting it forward 3 minutes. His watch kept time during the day, and on the return journey in the evening the train started on time, according to his watch, and arrived on time, according to the station clock. If the train traveled 25 percent faster on the return journey than it did on the morning journey, was the station clock fast or slow, and by how much?
Hint: Focus on the difference between Mr. Grumper's watch and the station clock, and think about how the train's speed affects the perceived time.
The station clock is 3 minutes fast. The morning journey took 65 minutes, and the evening journey therefore took 52 minutes, and the train arrived 57 minutes after it should have left, that is, 3 minutes early.
A man bumps into his mathematician friend on the street whom he hasn't seen in 5 years. The man asks the mathematician how old his children are. The mathematician, who always replies in riddles said, "I now have three children. The sum of their ages is equal to the number of windows on the building in front of you and the product of their ages equals 36." The friend then says "I need one more piece of information." The mathematician then replies "My youngest child has blue eyes." What are the ages of the mathematician's three children?
Pay close attention to the building in front of you...
There was a man who was born before his father, killed his mother, and married his sister. Yet, there was nothing wrong with what he had done. Why?
Think about the context in which these actions took place... it's not a typical family setting.
His father was in front of him when he was born, therefore he was born before him. His mother died while giving birth to him. Finally, he grew up to be a minister and married his sister at her ceremony.
You walk into your house the electricity is out you see three doors that you have never seen before. You go through the one with a lion that hasn't eaten for over six months. There are another three doors you go through the one with an empty room. There's a man that says how do you want to be murdered with the gun the knife or the electric chair that will kill you in an instant. How will you survive?
The electric chair because your electricity is out.
You are floating in cold freezing water in the ocean after a shipwreck. Suddenly, out of the blue, you see an island. You quickly swim towards the island and sleep on the cold sand. The next day you see a boy, a woman, and a man who had claimed they had been poisoned and they need your water to cure them you ask them "What poison can be killed by water?" Then, you feel thirsty take out your water bottle and before you drink you realize it is some sort of potion then understand why they went to you. You see a note which tells that two are vampires while one is an actual human and tells you a secret code that could be a hint. The code was manacure. Who should you save?
Hint: Look closely at the code "manacure" and think about what it could be related to in the context of the story. It's not just a random word...
Answer: The man if you spell the words back word it spells cure a man the steps are here normal: manacure 1st step - separate them into words: man a cure 2nd step - rearrange them: cure a man 3rd step - you got your answer
A traveler came to the river side, with a donkey bearing an obelisk. But he did not venture to ford the tide, for he had too good an *.
What is the missing word?
Think about a word that is a common phrase associated with "head"...
I'm found in the sea and on land but I can't walk or swim. I travel by foot but I'm toeless. No matter where I go I'm never far from home. What am I?
Think about something that can be found in both sea and land, but doesn't have the ability to move on its own. It's often associated with human activity, and its "foot" is not a living part.
When liquid splashes me, none seeps through. When I am moved a lot, liquid I spew. When I am hit, color I change. And color, I come in quite a range. What I cover is very complex, and I am very easy to flex. What am I?
Think about something you might find in an art studio...
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 am the only thing that always tells the truth. I show off everything that I see. I come in all shapes and sizes. So tell me what I must be! What am I?
Think about something that reflects reality, without bias or distortion, and is found in various forms and dimensions...
You bury me when I'm alive, and dig me up when I die. What am I?
Think about something that's often planted or buried in the ground when it's "alive" or growing, but is later unearthed or dug up when it's "dead" or no longer useful...
Look at me I want to play. I'll move like you in every way. Be tricky, but the result is always a draw. Why? Because I'm an expert at response and call. Be tricky, but the result is always What am I?
Think about a game where every move is mirrored, and the outcome is always the same...
Mountains will crumble and temples will fall, and no man can survive its endless call. What is it?
Think about something that has been known to bring down even the strongest structures, and has been feared and respected by humans throughout history...
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'.
My name starts with "rain" and ends with the first letter of my name. I get mistaken for other things a lot. I am usually present in children's stories. I am usually flying in mid-air too. What am I?
Think about something that is often depicted in children's stories and is commonly mistaken for something else... and pay attention to the wordplay in the riddle, especially the part about the first letter of the name!
A certain number has three digits. The sum of the three digits equals 36 times this number. Seven times the left digit plus 9 is equal to 5 times the sum of the two other digits. 8 times the second digit minus 9 is equal to the sum of the first and third.
What is the number?
There are five acquaintances. One of them shot and killed one of the other five. Which man is the murderer? 1. Dan ran in N.Y. City marathon yesterday with one of the innocent men. 2. Mike considered being a farmer before he moved to the city. 3. Jeff is a top-notch computer consultant and wants to install Ben's new computer next week. 4. The murderer had his leg amputated last month. 5. Ben met Jack for the first time six months ago. 6. Jack has been in seclusion since the crime. 7. Dan used to drink heavily. 8. Ben and Jeff built their last computers together. 9. The murderer is Jack's brother; they grew up together in Seattle.
Here's a hint:
Focus on the clues that mention physical abilities or limitations, and think about how they might relate to each other.
1. Jack is not the murderer, because he is the brother of the murderer. 2. Dan can't be the murderer since he ran a marathon, and the murderer recently had his leg amputated, and wouldn't be running a marathon of any magnitude that quickly. 3. Ben is not the murderer if he just met Jack, since Jack and the murderer grew up together. 4. This leaves Jeff and Mike. Since Jeff is still alive (he wants to install a new computer next week, present tense) he must be the murderer. Mike also didn't grow up with Jack. It has been determined that Jack, Dan and Jeff are all alive. Ben must also be alive since Jeff plans to install Ben's computer next week. This means that Jeff killed Mike.
Two ladies were detained by security officers at an airport–one of whom claimed to be a computer scientist, and one of whom claimed to be a geographer. One of them was secretly a smuggler! A security officer asked the supposed computer scientist, "Do you know about the Gava computer program?". The woman answered, "Do you mean Java?". The security officer then asked the supposed geographer, "Have you ever been to the capital of Spain, that is, Granada?". The geographer said, "Yes! It's a beautiful city!". Who was the smuggler?
Think about the answers the women gave... did they really answer the questions they were asked?
The capital of Spain is Madrid, not Granada. If the second woman was really a geographer, she would know this; she must be the smuggler!