The Emperor's Proposition Riddle
You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game. He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles and 2 empty bowls. He then says, "Divide these 100 marbles into these 2 bowls. You can divide them any way you like as long as you use all the marbles. Then I will blindfold you and mix the bowls around. You then can choose one bowl and remove ONE marble. If the marble is WHITE you will live, but if the marble is BLACK... you will die."
How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?
How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?
Hint: The answer does not guarantee 100% you will chose a white marble, but you have a much better chance.
Place 1 white marble in one bowl, and place the rest of the marbles in the other bowl (49 whites, and 50 blacks).
This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with just one white marble, therefore life! BUT even if you choose the other bowl, you still have ALMOST a 50/50 chance at picking one of the 49 white marbles. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with just one white marble, therefore life! BUT even if you choose the other bowl, you still have ALMOST a 50/50 chance at picking one of the 49 white marbles. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
A Prisoner Escaped From A Prison Riddle
A prisoner escaped from a prison and began to make a dash on foot. He ran for about 3 miles with intermittent stops to catch his breath until he saw a police car coming towards him. Instead of turning in the opposite direction and making a run for it, the man ran towards the police car briefly before turning and running into a nearby woods to hide. Why did the man run towards the police car?
Hint:
The man was more than halfway across a bridge when he spotted the police car, so the quickest way to leave the bridge was to run towards the police car and then turn and run into the woods to hide. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The First Planet Riddle
Hint:
Surprise Birthday Party Riddle
David is throwing Robert a surprise birthday party but he has to stay within his budget. He spent half of his money plus $2.00 on the cake. Half of what he had left plus $2.00 was spent on balloons and streamers. Then he spent half of what he had left plus $1.00 on candy. Now he is out of money, how much did he start with?
Hint:
This one is best solved working backwards, the last part David spent half of what was left plus $1.00 on candy and then was out of money. That means he must have spent $2.00 on Candy as $1.00 was half of what he had using the same logic backwards: $2.00 on candy $6.00 on Balloons and Streamers $12.00 on the cake Total of $20.00. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Some Planets Have Many Riddle
Some planets have many of these
But for our planet there is only one
It causes a solar eclipse
When it gets between the Earth and the sun
What is it?
But for our planet there is only one
It causes a solar eclipse
When it gets between the Earth and the sun
What is it?
Hint:
I Have Mount Olympus Riddle
Im red but Im not a stop light
Im named after a Roman God but Im not Apollo
I have a Mount Olympus but Im not Greece
I have polar ice caps but Im not the Arctic Circle
Im a planet but Im not Jupiter
What am I?
Im named after a Roman God but Im not Apollo
I have a Mount Olympus but Im not Greece
I have polar ice caps but Im not the Arctic Circle
Im a planet but Im not Jupiter
What am I?
Hint:
Planet Leo 9 Riddle
Hint:
The Most Precious Commodity Riddle
What is the most precious commodity?
That which when needed seemingly is never enough,
Yet otherwise can be boringly plentiful.
While waking is oft dreamt of,
Whilst pining can scarcely be thought of.
For beings, is allotted in finite but indefinite quantity.
The more thats given, the more is wasted.
Freedom is akin though this is something more simple,
Not related to virtue or sin.
Unless perhaps, without freedom, or its limit.
What is it?
That which when needed seemingly is never enough,
Yet otherwise can be boringly plentiful.
While waking is oft dreamt of,
Whilst pining can scarcely be thought of.
For beings, is allotted in finite but indefinite quantity.
The more thats given, the more is wasted.
Freedom is akin though this is something more simple,
Not related to virtue or sin.
Unless perhaps, without freedom, or its limit.
What is it?
Hint:
One Right Place Riddle
I come in different shapes and sizes. Parts of me are curved, other parts are straight. You can put me anywhere you like, but there is only one right place for me. What am I?
Hint:
Three Philosophers Riddle
Three philosophers are taking a nap under a tree. While theyre asleep, a small boy smears their noses with red berries. When they awake, they each begin to laugh, thinking the other two are laughing at each other.
But then one philosopher stops laughing, realizing his nose is red too. How did he come to this conclusion?
But then one philosopher stops laughing, realizing his nose is red too. How did he come to this conclusion?
Hint:
Lets call the philosophers A, B and C. A reasoned that B was confident his nose wasnt red. If B saw As nose wasnt red, he would be surprised that C was laughing, because C would have nothing to laugh at. But B wasnt surprised, therefore, A correctly reasoned his nose was smeared. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Pajama Nurse Riddle
Hint:
The Broken Player Riddle
A professional football player was playing football at a picnic on a Saturday. While playing he broke his ribs, broke his thighs, busted his lip, and busted his ears. Despite this, he started and played in his next professional football that next day. How is this possible?
Hint:
The famous football player accidentally knocked over his plate while playing football at the picnic. He was eating ribs, pig lips, pig ears, and chicken thighs. After knocking his plate over, he busted his pig lips, busted his pig ears, broke his chicken thighs, and broke his ribs. He was still able to play because these injuries were not body injuries. They was just food on a plate that was knocked over. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Playing Chess Riddle
Two people are playing Chess. They play five games. They both win three games. With out any ties, draws, or surrenders, how is this possible?
Hint:
Pearl Problems Riddle
"I'm a very rich man, so I've decided to give you some of my fortune. Do you see this bag? I have 5001 pearls inside it. 2501 of them are white, and 2500 of them are black. No, I am not racist. I'll let you take out any number of pearls from the bag without looking. If you take out the same number of black and white pearls, I will reward you with a number of gold bars equivalent to the number of pearls you took."
How many pearls should you take out to give yourself a good number of gold bars while still retaining a good chance of actually getting them?
How many pearls should you take out to give yourself a good number of gold bars while still retaining a good chance of actually getting them?
Hint: If you took out 2 pearls, you would have about a 50% chance of getting 2 gold bars. However, you can take even more pearls and still retain the 50% chance.
Take out 5000 pearls. If the remaining pearl is white, then you've won 5000 gold bars! Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Three People In A Room
Three people enter a room and have a green or blue hat placed on their head. They cannot see their own hat, but can see the other hats.
The color of each hat is purely random. They could all be green, or blue, or any combination of green and blue.
They need to guess their own hat color by writing it on a piece of paper, or they can write 'pass'.
They cannot communicate with each other in any way once the game starts. But they can have a strategy meeting before the game.
If at least one of them guesses correctly they win $50,000 each, but if anyone guess incorrectly they all get nothing.
What is the best strategy?
The color of each hat is purely random. They could all be green, or blue, or any combination of green and blue.
They need to guess their own hat color by writing it on a piece of paper, or they can write 'pass'.
They cannot communicate with each other in any way once the game starts. But they can have a strategy meeting before the game.
If at least one of them guesses correctly they win $50,000 each, but if anyone guess incorrectly they all get nothing.
What is the best strategy?
Hint:
Simple strategy: Elect one person to be the guesser, the other two pass. The guesser chooses randomly 'green' or 'blue'. This gives them a 50% chance of winning.
Better strategy: If you see two blue or two green hats, then write down the opposite color, otherwise write down 'pass'.
It works like this ('-' means 'pass'):
Hats: GGG, Guess: BBB, Result: Lose
Hats: GGB, Guess: --B, Result: Win
Hats: GBG, Guess: -B-, Result: Win
Hats: GBB, Guess: G--, Result: Win
Hats: BGG, Guess: B--, Result: Win
Hats: BGB, Guess: -G-, Result: Win
Hats: BBG, Guess: --G, Result: Win
Hats: BBB, Guess: GGG, Result: Lose
Result: 75% chance of winning! Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Better strategy: If you see two blue or two green hats, then write down the opposite color, otherwise write down 'pass'.
It works like this ('-' means 'pass'):
Hats: GGG, Guess: BBB, Result: Lose
Hats: GGB, Guess: --B, Result: Win
Hats: GBG, Guess: -B-, Result: Win
Hats: GBB, Guess: G--, Result: Win
Hats: BGG, Guess: B--, Result: Win
Hats: BGB, Guess: -G-, Result: Win
Hats: BBG, Guess: --G, Result: Win
Hats: BBB, Guess: GGG, Result: Lose
Result: 75% chance of winning! Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.