A Walk In The Desert Riddle
Four men walk into the desert. Suddenly all four are simultaneously knocked out. They awake buried to their heads in the sand unable to look anywhere but straight ahead. They are positioned so that each man sees another's head before him. However between the first and second man there is a separating wall.
So the first man sees only desert. The second man sees only wall. The third man sees another's head and a wall. The fourth man sees two heads and a wall. On top of each mans head is a hat. The underside of each cap is black, but the outside of each cap is either blue or white. Before any of the men can speak, their captors tell them if they speak, they die. However, if any of them can guess the color of their cap on the first try they go free. The captors tell them that there are two blue caps and two white caps.
Being an omniscient observer of the situation, we know that the order of the caps are: blue, white, blue, white. So knowing the perspective of each man in the sand, and that they can only see the color of caps/wall/desert in front of them, which of the four men knows for certain the color of his own cap. More importantly: why?
So the first man sees only desert. The second man sees only wall. The third man sees another's head and a wall. The fourth man sees two heads and a wall. On top of each mans head is a hat. The underside of each cap is black, but the outside of each cap is either blue or white. Before any of the men can speak, their captors tell them if they speak, they die. However, if any of them can guess the color of their cap on the first try they go free. The captors tell them that there are two blue caps and two white caps.
Being an omniscient observer of the situation, we know that the order of the caps are: blue, white, blue, white. So knowing the perspective of each man in the sand, and that they can only see the color of caps/wall/desert in front of them, which of the four men knows for certain the color of his own cap. More importantly: why?
Hint:
The third man. This is because he knows there are only two of each color cap. If the man behind him (the fourth man) saw two caps that were the same color in front of him, he would know that his own must be the opposite. However, because the caps alternate in color. The fourth man has only a 50% chance of getting his hat color correct, so therefore he stays quiet. The third man realizes that the fourth man is quiet because he must not see two caps of the same color in front of him, otherwise the fourth man would say the opposite of the caps in front of him. Therefore, the third man presumes his own cap must be the opposite of the mans in front of him, and his presumption is correct. Under this same logic, after the third man speaks his color hat, the second man, even though he sees only wall, would be the next to go free, because he knows his cap must be the opposite of whichever color the third mans cap was. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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Husband, Wife And Mailman Riddle
A married couple went to the hospital to have their baby delivered. Upon their arrival, the doctor said he had invented a new machine that would transfer a portion of the mother's labor pain to the baby's father. He was asked if they were willing to try it out. They were both very much in favor of it.
The doctor set the pain transfer to 10% for starters, explaining that even 10% was probably more pain than the father had ever experienced before. However, as the labor progressed, the husband felt fine and asked the doctor to go ahead and kick it up a notch. The doctor then adjusted the machine to 20% pain transfer. The husband was still feeling fine. The doctor checked the husband's blood pressure and was amazed at how well he was doing. At this point, they decided to try out for 50%. The husband continued to feel quite well.
Since the pain transfer was obviously helping out the wife considerably, the husband encouraged the doctor to transfer all the pain to him. The wife delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain. She and her husband were ecstatic. When they got home, the mailman was dead on the porch. What happened?
The doctor set the pain transfer to 10% for starters, explaining that even 10% was probably more pain than the father had ever experienced before. However, as the labor progressed, the husband felt fine and asked the doctor to go ahead and kick it up a notch. The doctor then adjusted the machine to 20% pain transfer. The husband was still feeling fine. The doctor checked the husband's blood pressure and was amazed at how well he was doing. At this point, they decided to try out for 50%. The husband continued to feel quite well.
Since the pain transfer was obviously helping out the wife considerably, the husband encouraged the doctor to transfer all the pain to him. The wife delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain. She and her husband were ecstatic. When they got home, the mailman was dead on the porch. What happened?
Hint:
The machine transfers the pain to the baby's father. The wife cheated on her husband with the mailman and it was his baby. It never mentions that the husband is the baby's father. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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Listens Yet Tells Riddle
Hint:
Writing a book. A book listens as you write, and tells your story when read. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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The Fireproof Stairs Riddle
There was a tornado. The power went out and the man went to his basement to take cover. As he was carrying the candles down the old, wooden stairs, he tripped and the candles dropped on the stairs. Why didn't the stairs catch fire?
Hint:
The Rainbow Neighborhood Riddle
There was a neighborhood of one-story houses.
One was red and everything in the house was red.
Another was purple and everything in the house was purple.
Yet another was yellow and everything in the house was yellow.
Still another was blue and everything in the house was blue.
In the green house everything was green,
and in the gray house everything was grey.
What color were the stairs in the yellow house?
One was red and everything in the house was red.
Another was purple and everything in the house was purple.
Yet another was yellow and everything in the house was yellow.
Still another was blue and everything in the house was blue.
In the green house everything was green,
and in the gray house everything was grey.
What color were the stairs in the yellow house?
Hint:
There are no stairs in any of the houses because they only have one story. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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Walking With A Nurse Riddle
One day a boy was walking with a nurse. The boy was the nurses son. But the nurse was not his father. How is this possible?
Hint:
The Hidden Country Riddle
Which country has been hidden in the paragraph below:
The local habitat around a railway track can be very interesting. For example, supporting the track is a sleeper, under which you can find the lesser spotted great weevil.
The local habitat around a railway track can be very interesting. For example, supporting the track is a sleeper, under which you can find the lesser spotted great weevil.
Hint:
Peru: The local habitat around a railway track can be very interesting. For example, supporting the track is a sleeper, under which you can find the lesser spotted great weevil. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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Haunted Halloween House Riddle
To spice up your Halloween, you decide to enter a haunted house with your girlfriend. As you enter, an eerie silence embraces you and you can see nothing because its dark. You fumble your way and try your luck to find the switches, but it turns out to be a waste as there is no electricity connection to the house.
When you decide to turn back, the door closes on you and you are trapped in the house with your girlfriend who has now started panicking.
While you are trying to console her, an evil laughter takes you by surprise. Then, you see a faint figure who tells you that you have three doors in front of you and you must take one of them; it is the only way to free yourself. The figure describes that the first door opens up to a compact space filled with a swarm of deadly bees and you will be stung endlessly by them. The second door opens up to the electricity chairs. You both will be strapped to the chairs for five minutes and exposed to high voltage electricity. The third door opens up with a pit that has no bottom and you will keep falling endlessly into nothingness.
While this leaves you all panicked, which door will you choose if you have no other choice?
When you decide to turn back, the door closes on you and you are trapped in the house with your girlfriend who has now started panicking.
While you are trying to console her, an evil laughter takes you by surprise. Then, you see a faint figure who tells you that you have three doors in front of you and you must take one of them; it is the only way to free yourself. The figure describes that the first door opens up to a compact space filled with a swarm of deadly bees and you will be stung endlessly by them. The second door opens up to the electricity chairs. You both will be strapped to the chairs for five minutes and exposed to high voltage electricity. The third door opens up with a pit that has no bottom and you will keep falling endlessly into nothingness.
While this leaves you all panicked, which door will you choose if you have no other choice?
Hint:
You must choose the door that opens with electric chairs. This is because there is no electricity in the house. Thus, you will just have to sit on the chairs for five minutes and then you will be free to go. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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The Falling Lady Riddle
A football player is running to get a net under a lady who looks like she might jump off the balcony of her 20 story apartment building. There is nothing below her except a 20 story fall. The player is still 100 yards away when she falls and can't nearly get there in time. The woman is not hurt more than a bruise. How is that possible?
Hint:
A Lizard With Wings Riddle
This is a scary reptile
A giant lizard with wings
Because it can breathe fire
Great fear is what it brings
What is this creature?
A giant lizard with wings
Because it can breathe fire
Great fear is what it brings
What is this creature?
Hint:
No More Pennies Riddle
A guy came around the corner of a square lot and found a coin sitting on the ground, but did not pick it up. He kept walking and came across a penny, but did not pick it up, yet again. He kept walking and found yet again, a penny. He picked it up. He continued his walk a and discovered there were no more pennies, even when he went backwards, why?
Hint:
He was walking around a SQUARE lot! It was like a circle. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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Birthday Traditions Riddle
On Mark's 21st birthday he rented a boat and rowed out into the middle of a lake. It had been a tradition that when his dad, grandfather, and great grandfather turned 21, they would walk across the lake to a cabin. But when Mark got out of the boat, he almost drowned. When Mark asked his mom why this had happened, what did she say?
Hint:
Mark's mom said, "Your father, grandfather, and great grandfather were all born in January. You were born in July." Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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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?
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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?
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Dropping Coconuts Riddle
You have two coconuts and you want to find out how high they can be dropped from a 100 story building before they break. But you only have $1.40 and the elevator costs a dime each time you ride it up (it's free for rides down).
How can you drop the coconuts to guarantee you will find the lowest floor they will break at, while starting and ending at floor 1?
How can you drop the coconuts to guarantee you will find the lowest floor they will break at, while starting and ending at floor 1?
Hint: They break when dropped from the same height and they don't weaken from getting dropped.
You could drop it at floor 1 first (because you start at floor 1). Then you would go to the floors: 14, 27, 39, 50, 60, 69, 77, 84, 90, 95, 99, and 100. Whatever floor your first coconut breaks at, go to the floor above the last floor the coconut survived and drop the second coconut from this floor. Then go up by one floor until the second coconut breaks and that is the lowest floor it will break at. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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The Same Birthday Riddle
How many people must be gathered together in a room, before you can be certain that there is a greater than 50/50 chance that at least two of them have the same birthday?
Hint:
Only twenty-three people need be in the room, a surprisingly small number. The probability that there will not be two matching birthdays is then, ignoring leap years, 365x364x363x...x343/365 over 23 which is approximately 0.493. this is less than half, and therefore the probability that a pair occurs is greater than 50-50. With as few as fourteen people in the room the chances are better than 50-50 that a pair will have birthdays on the same day or on consecutive days. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
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