Flip The Switch Riddle
There is a prison with 100 prisoners, each in separate cells with no form of contact. There is an area in the prison with a single light bulb in it. Each day, the warden picks one of the prisoners at random, even if they have been picked before, and takes them out to the lobby. The prisoner will have the choice to flip the switch if they want. The light bulb starts off.
When a prisoner is taken into the area with the light bulb, he can also say "Every prisoner has been brought to the light bulb." If this is true all prisoners will go free. However, if a prisoner chooses to say this and it's wrong, all the prisoners will be executed. So a prisoner should only say this if he knows it is true for sure.
Before the first day of this process begins, all the prisoners are allowed to get together to discuss a strategy to eventually save themselves.
What strategy could they use to ensure they will go free?
When a prisoner is taken into the area with the light bulb, he can also say "Every prisoner has been brought to the light bulb." If this is true all prisoners will go free. However, if a prisoner chooses to say this and it's wrong, all the prisoners will be executed. So a prisoner should only say this if he knows it is true for sure.
Before the first day of this process begins, all the prisoners are allowed to get together to discuss a strategy to eventually save themselves.
What strategy could they use to ensure they will go free?
Hint:
Only allow one prisoner to turn the light bulb off and all of the others turn it on if they have never turned it on before. If they have turned it on before they do nothing. The prisoner that can turn it off then knows they have all been there and saves them all when he has turned it off 99 times. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
How Do You Survive Riddle
Your father is a scientist who has invented a red pill which, if eaten with 1 blue pill which he has invented, will grant immortality. The night he invents it, he gives you 2 red and 2 blue pills just in case one of them is lost or substandard. He also warns you that an overdose will cause the opposite effect and kill you instead.
You put the pills in your pocket and leave his lab for home. On the way home, you are abducted by aliens who blindfold you and throw you into a singularity. At this point, you remember the pills your father gave you. You take them out (you can move and have enough oxygen in space for a short time), but realize that you can't tell the red pill from the blue pill. Even if you take off your blindfold, you can't see anything due to your proximity to the black hole. Given the circumstances, how do you successfully eat 1 red and 1 blue pill and survive?
You put the pills in your pocket and leave his lab for home. On the way home, you are abducted by aliens who blindfold you and throw you into a singularity. At this point, you remember the pills your father gave you. You take them out (you can move and have enough oxygen in space for a short time), but realize that you can't tell the red pill from the blue pill. Even if you take off your blindfold, you can't see anything due to your proximity to the black hole. Given the circumstances, how do you successfully eat 1 red and 1 blue pill and survive?
Hint:
He Is My Son Riddle
A patient is rushed into the emergency ward of the National Hospital after a horrific road crash, and is in urgent need of an operation to save his life. The surgeon on duty walks into the room and says "Oh my god! I can't operate on this boy. He is my SON!" but the surgeon was not the boy's father. How could this be?
Hint:
One Match Riddle
You walk into a room with only one match. You must light a lantern, a gas stove, the pilot light of a water heater and a fire in a fire place. What do you light first?
Hint:
The Detective Trap Riddle
Detective Sara Dunts was called in for an investigation on a Saturday morning. Mr. John Gooding had mysteriously vanished from his one story home, Sara was told. "I'll phone Mrs. Glen, the caretaker, and get you the address." Detective Chad Sandlers, Sara's partner, said. Sara stood waiting as he made the call. "Okay, everything's set. Mrs. Glen will be expecting you in half an hour at 232 Parker At." Detective Chad said.
Sara hopped out of her car and walked up the long path that led to the house. Right away she was ushered inside by Mrs. Glen. "Detective, I'm so glad you came. The last place I saw Mr. Gooding was in his room. I suspected that would be your first question." Mrs. Glen said somewhat nervously. She walked Sara into the other room. "Up here," Mrs. Glen called from a twisting flight of stairs. The front door banged shut just as Sara started up the steps. "Oh, I must have left the door open. The wind must have shut it." Mrs. Glen said. Again they started up the stairs.
They walked up the enormous stairway. Halfway up detective Sara noticed a weather vane through the window. She realized that the wind was blowing west and in order for it to have shut the door it would have to have been blowing east. Then Sara realized for the first time that there was a third set of footsteps on the stairs. Then it dawned on her and she realized she had walked into a trap. How did Sara know she had walked into a trap?
Sara hopped out of her car and walked up the long path that led to the house. Right away she was ushered inside by Mrs. Glen. "Detective, I'm so glad you came. The last place I saw Mr. Gooding was in his room. I suspected that would be your first question." Mrs. Glen said somewhat nervously. She walked Sara into the other room. "Up here," Mrs. Glen called from a twisting flight of stairs. The front door banged shut just as Sara started up the steps. "Oh, I must have left the door open. The wind must have shut it." Mrs. Glen said. Again they started up the stairs.
They walked up the enormous stairway. Halfway up detective Sara noticed a weather vane through the window. She realized that the wind was blowing west and in order for it to have shut the door it would have to have been blowing east. Then Sara realized for the first time that there was a third set of footsteps on the stairs. Then it dawned on her and she realized she had walked into a trap. How did Sara know she had walked into a trap?
Hint:
Detective Sara Dunts realized she had walked into a trap when she heard the extra set of footsteps. Hearing the footsteps on the stairs made her remember what her partner had said, "Mr. John Gooding had mysteriously vanished from his one story home." She then realized that this was not Mr. Goodings home because at that very moment she realized that she was climbing stairs in a supposedly one story house. Sara immediately called for backup and arrested Mrs. Glen. She then walked down the stairs to find Mr. Gooding near the bottom. The two had planned on kidnapping and killing Sara for putting Mr. Goodings niece and Mrs. Glens son in jail for murder. Both went to jail to serve their time. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Marrying The Princess Riddle
A king wants his daughter to marry the smartest of 3 extremely intelligent young princes, and so the king's wise men devised an intelligence test.
The princes are gathered into a room and seated, facing one another, and are shown 2 black hats and 3 white hats. They are blindfolded, and 1 hat is placed on each of their heads, with the remaining hats hidden in a different room.
The king tells them that the first prince to deduce the color of his hat without removing it or looking at it will marry his daughter. A wrong guess will mean death. The blindfolds are then removed.
You are one of the princes. You see 2 white hats on the other prince's heads. After some time you realize that the other prince's are unable to deduce the color of their hat, or are unwilling to guess. What color is your hat?
The princes are gathered into a room and seated, facing one another, and are shown 2 black hats and 3 white hats. They are blindfolded, and 1 hat is placed on each of their heads, with the remaining hats hidden in a different room.
The king tells them that the first prince to deduce the color of his hat without removing it or looking at it will marry his daughter. A wrong guess will mean death. The blindfolds are then removed.
You are one of the princes. You see 2 white hats on the other prince's heads. After some time you realize that the other prince's are unable to deduce the color of their hat, or are unwilling to guess. What color is your hat?
Hint: You know that your competitors are very intelligent and want nothing more than to marry the princess. You also know that the king is a man of his word, and he has said that the test is a fair test of intelligence and bravery.
Answer: White.
The king would not select two white hats and one black hat. This would mean two princes would see one black hat and one white hat. You would be at a disadvantage if you were the only prince wearing a black hat.
If you were wearing the black hat, it would not take long for one of the other princes to deduce he was wearing a white hat.
If an intelligent prince saw a white hat and a black hat, he would eventually realize that the king would never select two black hats and one white hat. Any prince seeing two black hats would instantly know he was wearing a white hat. Therefore if a prince can see one black hat, he can work out he is wearing white.
Therefore the only fair test is for all three princes to be wearing white hats. After waiting some time just to be sure, you can safely assert you are wearing a white hat. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The king would not select two white hats and one black hat. This would mean two princes would see one black hat and one white hat. You would be at a disadvantage if you were the only prince wearing a black hat.
If you were wearing the black hat, it would not take long for one of the other princes to deduce he was wearing a white hat.
If an intelligent prince saw a white hat and a black hat, he would eventually realize that the king would never select two black hats and one white hat. Any prince seeing two black hats would instantly know he was wearing a white hat. Therefore if a prince can see one black hat, he can work out he is wearing white.
Therefore the only fair test is for all three princes to be wearing white hats. After waiting some time just to be sure, you can safely assert you are wearing a white hat. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
1 Month Old Riddle
Hint:
Computer On The Moon Riddle
Hint:
The English Channel Riddle
You are in Italy for a holiday. You book a hotel. You go a room. It has only a pair of socks, a light bulb, a TV, a remote, a bag and a phone. You search for the English Channel. How do you find it?
Hint:
Turn the TV on and switch it to a channel originating in England. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Boxes Of Balls Riddle
The first box has two white balls. The second box has two black balls. The third box has a white and a black ball.
Boxes are labeled but all labels are wrong!
You are allowed to open one box, pick one ball at random, see its color and put it back into the box, without seeing the color of the other ball.
How many such operations are necessary to correctly label the boxes?
Boxes are labeled but all labels are wrong!
You are allowed to open one box, pick one ball at random, see its color and put it back into the box, without seeing the color of the other ball.
How many such operations are necessary to correctly label the boxes?
Hint:
Just One!
Because we know all labels are wrong.
So the BW box must be either BB or WW. Selecting one ball from BW will let you know which.
And the other two boxes can then be worked out logically. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Because we know all labels are wrong.
So the BW box must be either BB or WW. Selecting one ball from BW will let you know which.
And the other two boxes can then be worked out logically. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
How Many Balls Riddle
In the drawer beside your bed, you have three orange, two pink and five purple balls. There is no electricity and the room is completely dark. How many balls you must take out to make sure you have one ball of each color at least?
Hint:
9
2 < 3 < 5
To find out the required number of balls, take one in place of the least number (i.e. take one pink ball) and then add all the greater numbers (i.e. three orange and five purple balls) to it.
Required number of balls = 1 + 3 + 5 = 9. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
2 < 3 < 5
To find out the required number of balls, take one in place of the least number (i.e. take one pink ball) and then add all the greater numbers (i.e. three orange and five purple balls) to it.
Required number of balls = 1 + 3 + 5 = 9. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Light Years Away Riddle
Many light years away
Most are only seen at night
Although ones seen in the day
Hint:
A Small Step For Man Riddle
Saying Buzz Aldrin was first
To step foot here would be wrong
Because one small step for man
Was taken by Neil Armstrong
To step foot here would be wrong
Because one small step for man
Was taken by Neil Armstrong
Hint:
The Automobile Accident Riddle
A man and his son were in an automobile accident. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. The emergency room surgeon said "I can't operate, that's my son!" How is this possible?
Hint:
The Sunday Morning Murder Riddle
It was a Sunday morning. Father was getting the mail, mother was in the kitchen cooking breakfast, little brother was playing Nintendo, big brother was playing the guitar, little sister was playing with dolls, and big sister was listening to music. Then everyone went into big sisters room and she was murdered! Who murdered her?
Hint:
The father because it was a Sunday and no one gets mail on Sunday! Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.