A soccer fan, upset by the defeat of his favorite team, slept restlessly. In his dream a goalkeeper was practicing in a large unfurnished room, tossing a soccer ball against the wall and then catching it. But the goalkeeper grew smaller and smaller and then changed into a ping-pong ball while the soccer ball was swelled up into a huge cast-iron ball. The iron ball circled round madly, trying to crush the ping-pong ball, how did the ping-pong find safety whithout leaving the floor?
Think about the physical properties of a ping-pong ball and how it might interact with a large, heavy object on a flat surface...
If the ping-pong ball rolls flush against the wall, the cast-iron ball cannot crush it. Those who know geometry can determine that if the diameter of a large ball is at least 5.83 (3+2(square root of 2) times as large as the diameter of a little ball, then the little ball will be safe if it hugs the wall. A cast-iron ball that is larger than a soccer ball is more than 4.83 times as large in diameter as a ping-pong ball.
I am something people love or hate. I change people's appearances and thoughts. If a person takes care of them self I will go up even higher. To some people, I will fool them. To others, I am a mystery. Some people might want to try and hide me but I will show. No matter how hard people try I will Never go down. What am I?
Only one color, but not one size, Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain, Doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it?
Who is that with a neck and no head, two arms and no hands? What is it?
If eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equal?
How can you write down eight eights so that they add up to one thousand?
It can't be seen, can't be felt, can't be heard, and can't be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, Ends life, and kills laughter. What is it?
What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?
Three playing cards in a row. Can you name them with these clues? There is a two to the right of a king. A diamond will be found to the left of a spade. An ace is to the left of a heart. A heart is to the left of a spade. Now, identify all three cards.
What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?
George, Helen, and Steve are drinking coffee. Bert, Karen, and Dave are drinking soda. Using logic, is Elizabeth drinking coffee or soda?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height. Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was. If the tree grew by five centimeters each year, how much higher would the nail be?
I am four times as old as my daughter. In 20 years time I shall be twice as old as her. How old are we now?
Which of the following words don't belong in the group and why? CORSET, COSTER, SECTOR, ESCORT, COURTS
Lily is a lilypad in a small pond. Lilly doubles her size each day, On the 20th day she covers the whole pond. On what day was Lily half the size of the pond?
What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?
The ages of a father and son add up to 66. The father's age is the son's age reversed. How old could they be? (3 possible solutions).
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?
There are two sisters; one gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to the first. Who are they?
What two whole, positive numbers have a one-digit answer when multiplied and a two-digit answer when added?
Which word is the odd one out: Seventy, Brawl, Clover, Proper, Carrot, Swing, Change, Travel, Sacred, Stone?