Losing A New York Bet
You are hanging around in NYC when a person approaches you.
"Leaving the bald people aside, I can bet a hundred bucks that there are two people living in NYC who have same number of hairs on their heads," he says to you.
You say that you will take the bet. After talking to the man for a couple of minutes, you realize that you have lost the bet.
What did the person say to you that proved his statement ?
"Leaving the bald people aside, I can bet a hundred bucks that there are two people living in NYC who have same number of hairs on their heads," he says to you.
You say that you will take the bet. After talking to the man for a couple of minutes, you realize that you have lost the bet.
What did the person say to you that proved his statement ?
Hint:
This problem can be best solved using the pigeonhole principle.
The argument will go like this:
Assume that all the non-bald people in NYC have different number of hairs on their head. The population is about 9 million and let us assume that there are 8 million among them who are not bald.
Now, those 8 million people need to have different number of hairs. On an average, people have just 100, 000 hairs on their head. If we keep on assuming that there is someone with just one hair, someone with two, someone with three and so on, there will be 7, 900, 00 other people left who will have more than 100, 000 hairs on their head and need different number of hairs.
Now, as per this assumption, if we keep increasing one hair for each person, to make everybody hair different in numbers, we will come across someone with 8, 000, 000 hairs. But that is practically impossible (even 1, 000, 000 is impossible). Thus there must be two people who are having same number of hairs. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The argument will go like this:
Assume that all the non-bald people in NYC have different number of hairs on their head. The population is about 9 million and let us assume that there are 8 million among them who are not bald.
Now, those 8 million people need to have different number of hairs. On an average, people have just 100, 000 hairs on their head. If we keep on assuming that there is someone with just one hair, someone with two, someone with three and so on, there will be 7, 900, 00 other people left who will have more than 100, 000 hairs on their head and need different number of hairs.
Now, as per this assumption, if we keep increasing one hair for each person, to make everybody hair different in numbers, we will come across someone with 8, 000, 000 hairs. But that is practically impossible (even 1, 000, 000 is impossible). Thus there must be two people who are having same number of hairs. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Wooden People Riddle
Hint:
The German Spy Riddle
However the manager was suspicious and decided to test him with a question before he trusted him. So he asked, what would you be sure to find in the middle of Toronto?
The spy thought fast and came up with an answer for the manager.
What did he say?
Hint:
A Rickety Bridge Riddle
Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 min, 2 mins, 7 mins and 10 mins. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?
Hint:
17 mins.
The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.
Let's brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let's put all this together.
1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)
Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.
Let's brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let's put all this together.
1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)
Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Something You Might Eat Riddle
Im something you might eat, but I also kill.
I can cause blindness and burns.
Because of me, people lose limbs.
Ive even been known to crash cars.
And yet Im considered beautiful
Small children play with me and parents dont mind.
Some people even live inside of me.
What am I?
I can cause blindness and burns.
Because of me, people lose limbs.
Ive even been known to crash cars.
And yet Im considered beautiful
Small children play with me and parents dont mind.
Some people even live inside of me.
What am I?
Hint:
Magic Under Water Riddle
A magician was boasting one day at how long he could hold his breath under water. His record was 6 minutes. A kid that was listening said, "that's nothing, I can stay under water for 10 minutes using no types of equipment or air pockets!" The magician told the kid if he could do that, he'd give him $10,000. The kid did it and won the money. Can you figure out how?
Hint:
The kid filled a glass of water and held it over his head for 10 minutes. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Panning Gold Riddle
Before dying, a father left a will to his two sons telling of a gold-panning stream that had supported his father's family long and hard. The will said that the two sons could make one, only one trip to the stream to pan for gold, but for as long as they wanted, and that whoever carried the gold back got it. On their way to the stream, the two sons lost a big fraction of their supplies, reducing their stay to two months. All they had now were some food, a mule, and panning supplies. During their stay, they managed to pan and smelt a gold bar 5 inches in diameter and 5 inches in height. Back in their hometown, the two sons disputed long and hard in court over who should get the gold bar. Now, the judge was a wise one. Who did he say got the gold bar?
Hint:
The mule. A gold bar 5 inches in diameter and 5 inches in height would have weighed far too much for either of the sons to carry, only the mule could have. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Crossing The Bridge Riddle
There are two villages separated with a river. Each day, four people cross the river through a bridge to work on the other side and earn for their families. On one night when they were returning from work, they noticed that the bridge was about to collapse. Now all of them wanted to cross the bridge before it collapsed as no one wanted to be stuck on that end without their families.
They had just one torch with them and since it was the night time, they could not see without it. The bridge had become weak and it could only accommodate two people at a time. It was going to collapse in just 17 minutes.
The four people took different times to cross the bridge. First one took only a minute, second one took 2 minutes, third one took 5 minutes and the last one took 10 minutes.
How would all of them have managed to cross the bridge in time?
They had just one torch with them and since it was the night time, they could not see without it. The bridge had become weak and it could only accommodate two people at a time. It was going to collapse in just 17 minutes.
The four people took different times to cross the bridge. First one took only a minute, second one took 2 minutes, third one took 5 minutes and the last one took 10 minutes.
How would all of them have managed to cross the bridge in time?
Hint:
Let us denote the four people with A, B, C and D.
A takes 1 minute to cross, B takes 2, C takes 5 and D takes 10.
A and B cross first spending 2 minutes.
A comes back with torch taking 1 minute.
C and D cross taking 10 minutes.
B comes back with torch taking 2 minutes.
Finally, A and B cross the bridge taking 2 minutes.
2 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 2 = 17 minutes
Thus, this is the way they all managed to cross that bridge that night. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
A takes 1 minute to cross, B takes 2, C takes 5 and D takes 10.
A and B cross first spending 2 minutes.
A comes back with torch taking 1 minute.
C and D cross taking 10 minutes.
B comes back with torch taking 2 minutes.
Finally, A and B cross the bridge taking 2 minutes.
2 + 1 + 10 + 2 + 2 = 17 minutes
Thus, this is the way they all managed to cross that bridge that night. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The Burning Island
You are in the center of on an island that is a kilometer long and half a kilometer wide. The vegetation is very dry from a long drought. Suddenly it catches fire at one end of the island, and a strong wind is blowing it towards you, burning the whole width of the island. There's no beach, only steep cliffs, and the sea is full of sharks. What can you do?
Hint:
Set fire to the other half of the island then walk behind the fire on to the burnt ground Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Sweet 16 Riddle
There is a man who is very rich. He has a daughter who is turning 16 and he wants to throw a party for her. He invited all the men in the kingdom. At the party the man invites everyone out to the pool. The pool is infested with salt water crocodiles. The rich man says, "Whoever can swim across this pool and come out alive, can either have 1 million dollars or marry my daughter." Then there was a splash! They looked over to see a man swimming across the pool with his clothes getting ripped apart. He gets to the end and jumps out. "Congratulations! Do you want to marry my daughter or $1,000,000! What did the man say?
Hint:
Neither. He wanted the name of the person that pushed him in. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Unusual Gatsby Riddle
The paragraph below is very unusual. How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about it?
"Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honor got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ... "
"Gatsby was walking back from a visit down in Branton Hill's manufacturing district on a Saturday night. A busy day's traffic had its noisy run; and with not many folks in sight, His Honor got along without having to stop to grasp a hand, or talk; for a mayor out of City Hall is a shining mark for any politician. And so, coming to Broadway, a booming bass drum and sounds of singing, told of a small Salvation Army unit carrying on amidst Broadway's night shopping crowds. Gatsby, walking towards that group, saw a young girl, back toward him, just finishing a long, soulful oration ... "
Hint:
Letter "E" is the most commonly used letter in English language, yet in the whole passage, there is no "E" used. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
I Will Make You Cry Riddle
And I will make you cry.
I make guys have to pee
And girls comb their hair.
I make celebrities look stupid
And normal people look like celebrities.
I turn pancakes brown
And make your champagne bubble.
If you squeeze me, I'll pop.
If you look at me, you'll pop.
Can you answer this riddle?
Hint:
A Ponderous House Riddle
I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils O red fruit,
Ivory, fine timber!
The loaf's big with it's yeasty rising
Money's new minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples
Boarded the train there's no getting off.
What am I?
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils O red fruit,
Ivory, fine timber!
The loaf's big with it's yeasty rising
Money's new minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples
Boarded the train there's no getting off.
What am I?
Hint:
Week Long Vacation Riddle
Hint:
The Graveyard Of Ol' Man Jenkins
There was a girl who was extremely brave and always bragged about how brave she was. Many of her classmates got sick and tired of her boasting, so they decided to play a trick on her. One day, a group of boys and girls walked up to her and said, " If you're so brave, we all dare you to go to the old graveyard at the back of Ol' Man Jenkins mansion all alone at midnight. Stand in front of a tombstone, rumor has it that if you do, a bony hand will reach out and grab you, dragging you underground! You said you were brave so that shouldn't be so hard! To prove that you actually went, stick a knife in front of a tombstone so in the morning, we'll know you were there." Of course, the girl couldn't refuse and agreed to the dare. At midnight, she did just as her classmates asked and went to the graveyard with a pocketknife. The night was cold and windy, blowing her dress, chills went up her spine. She slowly walked up to a tombstone and quickly stuck the pocket knife into the ground. She was beginning to feel not as brave as she thought she was. Turning around as fast as she could, she just wanted to get out of there right away! But, there was a problem. Something was stopping her from moving. Was it a bony hand trying to drag her down? A shrill scream was heard. The next morning, the boys and girls went to the graveyard to see if the girl had been there. To their horror, she was there, dead.
1) What prevented the girl from escaping the graveyard?
2) How did the girl die?
1) What prevented the girl from escaping the graveyard?
2) How did the girl die?
Hint:
1) The girl was wearing a dress at the graveyard. It was dark, so she hadn't noticed where she stuck the knife in the ground. She accidently stuck it in her dress (and the girl DID NOT get hurt by the knife in any way). That is what prevented her from running away.
2) Since the knife had her stuck, she was frighted that the rumor of the bony hand was true and had grabbed her, trying to pull her into the ground. She was truly terrified and died of fright. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
2) Since the knife had her stuck, she was frighted that the rumor of the bony hand was true and had grabbed her, trying to pull her into the ground. She was truly terrified and died of fright. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
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