Knights Of The Round Table Riddle
King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and Guinevere decide to go to their favorite restaurant to share some mead and grilled meats. They sit down at a round table for five, and as soon as they do, Lancelot notes, "We sat down around the table in age order! What are the odds of that?"
Merlin smiles broadly. "This is easily solved without any magic." He then shared the answer. What did he say the odds were?
Merlin smiles broadly. "This is easily solved without any magic." He then shared the answer. What did he say the odds were?
Hint: Does it matter if they are sitting clockwise or counterclockwise? Or where the oldest sits?
The odds are 11:1. (The probability is 1/12.)
Imagine they sat down in age order, with each person randomly picking a seat. The first person is guaranteed to pick a seat that "works". The second oldest can sit to his right or left, since these five can sit either clockwise or counterclockwise. The probability of picking a seat that works is thus 2/4, or 1/2. The third oldest now has three chairs to choose from, one of which continues the progression in the order determined by the second person, for a probability of 1/3. This leaves two seats for the fourth oldest, or a 1/2 chance. The youngest would thus be guaranteed to sit in the right seat, since there is only one seat left. This gives 1 * 1/2 * 1/3 * 1/2 * 1 = 1/12, or 11:1 odds against. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Imagine they sat down in age order, with each person randomly picking a seat. The first person is guaranteed to pick a seat that "works". The second oldest can sit to his right or left, since these five can sit either clockwise or counterclockwise. The probability of picking a seat that works is thus 2/4, or 1/2. The third oldest now has three chairs to choose from, one of which continues the progression in the order determined by the second person, for a probability of 1/3. This leaves two seats for the fourth oldest, or a 1/2 chance. The youngest would thus be guaranteed to sit in the right seat, since there is only one seat left. This gives 1 * 1/2 * 1/3 * 1/2 * 1 = 1/12, or 11:1 odds against. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Little Billy's Calculator
Little Billy has a calculator with 15 buttons. He has 10 keys for 0-9, a key for addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction. Finally, he has an = sign. However, Mark the Meanie messed up the programming on Billy's calculator. Now, whenever Billy presses any of the number keys, it comes up with a random single-digit number. The same goes for the four operations keys (+,-,x, /). So whenever Billy tries to press the + button, the calculator chooses randomly between addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. The only key left untouched was the = sign.
Now, if Billy were to press one number key, one operation key, then another number key, then the = button, what are the chances the answer comes out to 6?
Now, if Billy were to press one number key, one operation key, then another number key, then the = button, what are the chances the answer comes out to 6?
Hint: Think about how many ways he could possibly get 6.
There is a 4% chance.
There are 16 possible ways to get 6.
0+6
1+5
2+4
3+3
6+0
5+1
4+2
9-3
8-2
7-1
6-0
1x6
2x3
6x1
3x2
6/1
There are 400 possible button combinations.
When Billy presses any number key, there are 10 possibilities; when he presses any operation key, there are 4 possibilities.
10(1st#)x4(Operation)x10(2nd#)=400
16 working combinations/400 possible combinations= .04 or 4% Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
There are 16 possible ways to get 6.
0+6
1+5
2+4
3+3
6+0
5+1
4+2
9-3
8-2
7-1
6-0
1x6
2x3
6x1
3x2
6/1
There are 400 possible button combinations.
When Billy presses any number key, there are 10 possibilities; when he presses any operation key, there are 4 possibilities.
10(1st#)x4(Operation)x10(2nd#)=400
16 working combinations/400 possible combinations= .04 or 4% Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The Coin Toss Riddle
You are in a bar having a drink with an old friend when he proposes a wager.
"Want to play a game?" he asks.
"Sure, why not?" you reply.
"Ok, here's how it works. You choose three possible outcomes of a coin toss, either HHH, TTT, HHT or whatever. I will do likewise. I will then start flipping the coin continuously until either one of our combinations comes up. The person whose combination comes up first is the winner. And to prove I'm not the cheating little weasel you're always making me out to be, I'll even let you go first so you have more combinations to choose from. So how about it? Is $10.00 a fair bet?"
You know that your friend is a skilled trickster and usually has a trick or two up his sleeve but maybe he's being honest this time. Maybe this is a fair bet. While you try and think of which combination is most likely to come up first, you suddenly hit upon a strategy which will be immensely beneficial to you. What is it?
"Want to play a game?" he asks.
"Sure, why not?" you reply.
"Ok, here's how it works. You choose three possible outcomes of a coin toss, either HHH, TTT, HHT or whatever. I will do likewise. I will then start flipping the coin continuously until either one of our combinations comes up. The person whose combination comes up first is the winner. And to prove I'm not the cheating little weasel you're always making me out to be, I'll even let you go first so you have more combinations to choose from. So how about it? Is $10.00 a fair bet?"
You know that your friend is a skilled trickster and usually has a trick or two up his sleeve but maybe he's being honest this time. Maybe this is a fair bet. While you try and think of which combination is most likely to come up first, you suddenly hit upon a strategy which will be immensely beneficial to you. What is it?
Hint: Think what would be most likely to happen if you chose HHH, would this be a good decision?
The answer is to let your friend go first. This puzzle is based on an old game/scam called Penny Ante. No matter what you picked, your friend would be able to come up with a combination which would be more likely to beat yours. For example, if you were to choose HHH, then unless HHH was the first combination to come up you would eventually lose since as soon as a Tails came up, the combination THH would inevitably come up before HHH. The basic formula you can use for working out which combination you should choose is as follows. Simply take his combination (eg. HHT) take the last term in his combination, put it at the front (in this case making THH) and your combination will be more likely to come up first. Try it on your friends! Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Blue Eyes Riddle
Both of my parents have brown eyes, as do I. My brother and my wife have blue eyes. Using the simple brown-blue model (two genes; a brown gene dominates blue gene), what are the chances of my first child having blue eyes?
Hint: Given my brother's blue eyes, what are the odds on my pair of eye-color genes?
1 in 3.
Since my brother has blue eyes (bb), both of my parents carry one brown and one blue gene (Bb). The three possibilities for my genotype, equally likely, are BB, Bb, and bB. Thus, there is a 2/3 chance that I carry a blue gene.
If I carry a blue gene, there is a 50% chance I will pass it on to my first child (and, obviously, 0% if I carry two brown genes).
Since my child will certainly get a blue gene from my wife, my gene will determine the eye color.
Multiplying the probabilities of those two independent events, there is a chance of 1/2 x 2/3 = 1/3 of my passing on a blue gene. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Since my brother has blue eyes (bb), both of my parents carry one brown and one blue gene (Bb). The three possibilities for my genotype, equally likely, are BB, Bb, and bB. Thus, there is a 2/3 chance that I carry a blue gene.
If I carry a blue gene, there is a 50% chance I will pass it on to my first child (and, obviously, 0% if I carry two brown genes).
Since my child will certainly get a blue gene from my wife, my gene will determine the eye color.
Multiplying the probabilities of those two independent events, there is a chance of 1/2 x 2/3 = 1/3 of my passing on a blue gene. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Favorite Christmas Carol
Hint:
Crossing Safety Riddle
Two boys and a man need to cross a river. They can only use the canoe. It will hold only the man OR the two boys' weight. How can they all get across safely?
Answer:
Answer:
Hint:
The two boys go across. One of them get out. The other one goes back. He gets out and the man gets in. He goes across. Then the man gets out and the other boy gets in and goes across. Then the boy that was left gets in and now they both go across together. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Dressed In All Black
A man dressed in all black is walking down a country lane. Suddenly, a large black car without any lights on comes round the corner and screeches to a halt. How did the car know he was there?
Hint:
Born In London Riddle
Simon Simpleton was born in London, England.
His mother was Welsh and his father Scottish.
When Simon was eight his mother died.
When Simon was ten his father married an Irish women and suddenly Simon had an Irish sister.
When Simon was twenty four he graduated as a lawyer and took a job in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He is now sixty six.
Why can he not be buried on the banks of Loch Lomond in his favorite village of Luss, in Bonnie Scotland?
His mother was Welsh and his father Scottish.
When Simon was eight his mother died.
When Simon was ten his father married an Irish women and suddenly Simon had an Irish sister.
When Simon was twenty four he graduated as a lawyer and took a job in Edinburgh, Scotland.
He is now sixty six.
Why can he not be buried on the banks of Loch Lomond in his favorite village of Luss, in Bonnie Scotland?
Hint:
An Island That Has 3 Gods
There is an Island that has 3 gods. One god always tells a lie, and the other always tells the truth. The third god has a random behavior. To top it off, these three gods, being jerks, answer in their own languages such that you are unable to tell which word, between "ja" or "da", means "no" or "yes". You have 3 questions to work out the True god, the false god, and the Random god.
Hint:
Question 1: (To any of the three gods) If I were to ask you "Is that the random god," would your answer be "ja?" (This questions, no matter the answer, will enable you to tell which god is not random i.e. the god who is either False or True)
Question 2: (To either the True or False god) If I asked you "are you false," would your answer be "ja?"
Question 3: (To the same god you asked the second question) If I asked you "whether the first god I spoke to is random," would your answer be "ja?" Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Question 2: (To either the True or False god) If I asked you "are you false," would your answer be "ja?"
Question 3: (To the same god you asked the second question) If I asked you "whether the first god I spoke to is random," would your answer be "ja?" Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Unwilling To Kiss
First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me whats always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me whats always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together, and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?
Hint:
Attending The Funeral
Hint:
A Sandwich Of Trouble Riddle
Hint:
I Grow On Trees Riddle
I grow on trees but I'm not a leaf
I'm spherical but I'm not a soccer ball
I provide juice but I'm not an apple
I'm sometimes naval but I'm not a sailor
I'm a color but Im not red
I am?
I'm spherical but I'm not a soccer ball
I provide juice but I'm not an apple
I'm sometimes naval but I'm not a sailor
I'm a color but Im not red
I am?
Hint:
Age Of Three Daughters Riddles
I was visiting a friend one evening and remembered that he had three daughters. I asked him how old they were. The product of their ages is 72, he answered. Quizzically, I asked, Is there anything else you can tell me? Yes, he replied, the sum of their ages is equal to the number of my house. I stepped outside to see what the house number was. Upon returning inside, I said to my host, Im sorry, but I still cant figure out their ages. He responded apologetically, Im sorry, I forgot to mention that my oldest daughter likes strawberry shortcake. With this information, I was able to determine all three of their ages. How old is each daughter?
Hint:
3, 3, and 8. The only groups of 3 factors of 72 to have non-unique sums are 2 6 6 and 3 3 8 (with a sum of 14). The rest have unique sums:
2 + 2 + 18 = 22
2 + 3 + 12 = 18
2 + 4 + 9 = 15
3 + 4 + 6 = 13
The house number alone would have identified any of these groups. Since more information was required, we know the sum left the answer unknown. The presence of a single oldest child eliminates 2 6 6, leaving 3 3 8 as the only possible answer. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
2 + 2 + 18 = 22
2 + 3 + 12 = 18
2 + 4 + 9 = 15
3 + 4 + 6 = 13
The house number alone would have identified any of these groups. Since more information was required, we know the sum left the answer unknown. The presence of a single oldest child eliminates 2 6 6, leaving 3 3 8 as the only possible answer. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Banana Clock Riddle
Hint: 1. Look closely at the clock.
2. Number of Bananas.
3. Some thing regarding the sides of the Shapes figure.
38
Logic :
From 1st the hexagon shape has value 15.
The shape has 15 edges(6 of hexagon,5 of Pentagon and 4 of Square)
From 2nd we get value of one bunch of bananas is 4.
So each banana has value of 1.
From 3rd we get that each clock has value of 3.
Which resembles the time on the clock which is 3.
Hence by using these insights, we get the last required values as
Clock = 2 (2 in the clock)
Bananas = 3 (3 bananas in the bunch)
Hexagon = 11 (Hexagon[6 sides] and pentagon[5 sides], so 6+5=11)
So required value is
2+3+3x11=?
2+3+33=? (Multiply first - Bodmas rule)
5+33=38 and hence the answer is 38. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Logic :
From 1st the hexagon shape has value 15.
The shape has 15 edges(6 of hexagon,5 of Pentagon and 4 of Square)
From 2nd we get value of one bunch of bananas is 4.
So each banana has value of 1.
From 3rd we get that each clock has value of 3.
Which resembles the time on the clock which is 3.
Hence by using these insights, we get the last required values as
Clock = 2 (2 in the clock)
Bananas = 3 (3 bananas in the bunch)
Hexagon = 11 (Hexagon[6 sides] and pentagon[5 sides], so 6+5=11)
So required value is
2+3+3x11=?
2+3+33=? (Multiply first - Bodmas rule)
5+33=38 and hence the answer is 38. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
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