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.
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?
What weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of stones?
A logician with some time to kill in a small town decided to get a haircut. The town had only two barbers, each with his own shop. The logician glanced into one shop and saw that it was extremely untidy. The barber needed a shave, his clothes were unkempt, and his hair was badly cut. The other shop was extremely neat. The barber was freshly shaved and spotlessly dressed, his hair neatly trimmed. Why did the logician return to the first shop for his haircut?
George, Helen, and Steve are drinking coffee. Bert, Karen, and Dave are drinking soda. Using logic, is Elizabeth drinking coffee or soda?
Little Tommy Tittletat took two Ts, to tie two ups to two tall trees, to torment the terrible little tat. How many T's in all of that?
A man went on a trip with a fox, a goose, and a sack of corn. He came upon a stream that 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 - one at a time. He could not leave the fox alone with the goose or the goose with the corn. How does he get all safely over the stream?
81 x 9 = 801. What must you do to make the this equation true?
One of the four words does not belong with the other three. Which word does not belong? What is it that the others have in common? 1. Green, yellow, red, blue. 2. April, December, November, June. 3. Cirrus, calculus, cumulus, stratus. 4. Carrots, radishes, potatoes, cabbages. 5. Fork, comb, rake, shovel.
If you have two coins which total 35 cents and one of the coins is not a dime, what are the two coins?
Open me, and you can't see me without a mirror. Close me and you can't see me at all. What am I?
I am a 5-letter word. Take away the first letter and I am a place's name. Take away the first two letters and I become the opposite of the 5 letter word. What am I?
You buy me taken apart, To redo what has been undone; Four of my pieces have one sharp corner, The rest of them have none. What am I?
What only works the first time you use it?
Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
It's raining, and you pass a bus stop. There are three people there; your trustworthy friend, the love of your life, and a woman about to go into labor. Your smart car only has two seats. What do you do?
What's the least number of chairs you would need around a table to sit four fathers, two grandfathers, and four sons?
What's 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?
I can hold you prisoner Or set you free I can swing with ease (Though not from a tree) I have many shapes I have many sizes Yet, 'til we shake hands I'll hide my surprises. What am I?
Many years ago, a wealthy old man was near death. He wished to leave his fortune to one of his three children. The old man wanted to know that his fortune would be in wise hands. He stipulated that his estate would be left to the child who would sing him half as many songs as days that he had left to live. The eldest son said he couldn't comply because he didn't know how many days his father had left to live, and besides he was too busy. The youngest son said the same thing. The man ended up leaving his money to his third child, a daughter. What did his daughter do?
If you see me, I see you. If you move, then I'll move too. When you touch me, I touch you. I do everything you do except for one thing. No matter how hard I try, I can never speak. What am I?