How Good is Your... Brain?

[EuroTroll]

This is a(n) (experi)mental thread. ;) We've never tried a game like this before, so let's see if you folks like it! The idea is to post puzzles, and the rules (much like in the geo thread) are:
- The person who solves the puzzle posts the next one,
- Booble all you want! :D
- Oh yeah, and let's all be friendly and have fun!

------------------------

Now this first one is not difficult if you remember anything from high school maths. It's from a Soviet text book for 8th graders. I kid you not...

"In a psychiatric hospital, we had the Chief Physician and many lunatics. During one week, every lunatic bit someone (possibly himself) once a day. When the week ended, it was discovered that every lunatic had 2 bite marks and the Chief Physician had 100 bite marks. How many lunatics were there in the hospital?"

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Nope. Too hard.

[D-Type]

sixteen?

[EuroTroll]

sixteen?

Nope. :)

[D-Type]

Whoops! cockeyed reasoning - the answer is 20

[EuroTroll]

Whoops! cockeyed reasoning - the answer is 20

Bingo! :up:

An easy way to solve this:

x - no. of lunatics

7x = 2x + 100
5x = 100
x = 20

Your question, D-Type. :cool:

[Tazio]

Too late (and wrong).

[EuroTroll]

Too late (and wrong).

I commend your honesty, good sir. ;)

[gadjo_dilo]

It's from a Soviet text book for 8th graders. I kid you not...


:confused: Nice examples your soviet books gave. With lunatics and bites......
Can't believe you still have books for 8th graders.

Although I was able to guess the right answer I don't think I'll become a regular of this thread.
My brain works with only one neuron and I have to save it for work.

[EuroTroll]

:confused: Nice examples your soviet books gave. With lunatics and bites......
Can't believe you still have books for 8th graders.

It wasn't actually from a text book I ever used. It was from one used in Russia (I'm not sure when, exactly). If you read Russian, here is the original:

http://s3.postimage.org/t5dopv66b/textbook.jpg

But yeah, pretty amazing as a maths problem. I guess the idea was to ridicule the mentally ill and possibly those members of the opposition who had been confined to psychiatric hospitals.



Although I was able to guess the right answer I don't think I'll become a regular of this thread.
My brain works with only one neuron and I have to save it for work.

Oh, come on. ;) You know that exercising the brain encourages growth of new brain cells? You might even grow your 2nd neuron if you join in, once in a while. :p :p

[gadjo_dilo]

[quote="EuroTroll"]
If you read Russian, here is the original:

http://s3.postimage.org/t5dopv66b/textbook.jpg

Can't see it. But anyway my russian is limited to the verbal tics of the old witch who used to be the russian teacher. :laugh:

[EuroTroll]

Can't see it. But anyway my russian is limited to the verbal tics of the old witch who used to be the russian teacher. :laugh:

Mine is pretty limited, too. :( I decided, when I was a kid, that I was not going to learn it because at that time, Russia was very much the enemy. Dumbest decision I've ever made! My life would be so much richer if I could speak it properly, not least because 1/4 of our population speak it as their mother tongue.

[gadjo_dilo]

Mine is pretty limited, too. :( I decided, when I was a kid, that I was not going to learn it because at that time, Russia was very much the enemy. Dumbest decision I've ever made! My life would be so much richer if I could speak it properly, not least because 1/4 of our population speak it as their mother tongue.
I regret it too. At that time I thought it sounds bad but now I really like to listern to it. But even if I wanted to learn it the teacher wasn't serious and wasted time. It was a fatality that my class had to study it. Everywhere the second language was french but at my high school they had this old witch who had to justify her salary. It was probably the tribute I had to pay for attending that famous school.

[D-Type]

OK, next question. I've had to struggle to find a question, and then I remembered this one:

One-and-a-half chickens lay one-and-a-half eggs in one-and-a-half days. How many eggs will 40 chickens lay in 40 days?

Or, if you prefer:
One-and-a-half lunatics bite one-and-a-half doctors in one-and-a-half days. How many doctors will 40 lunatics bite in 40 days? ;)

Or, seeing this is a motor sport and rally orientated forum:
One-and-a-half rally drivers hit one-and-a-half trees in one-and-a-half rallies. How many trees will 40 drivers hit in 40 rallies? :D

[gadjo_dilo]

1600? :colour:

[gadjo_dilo]

My answer is definitely wrong. We have a fight on this issue at work. Even a colleague's sister from Israel is implied and assault us with emails..... :laugh:

[Tazio]

...to get to the other side? :confused: ;)

[gadjo_dilo]

I don't know. You never know with these people....

[EuroTroll]

Is the answer 1066.67? :)

[Mintexmemory]

1066 (since chickens only lay whole numbers of eggs ;) )

40/1.5 x 1.5 x 40/1.5

[D-Type]

Eurotroll and Mintexmemory both have it. Decide between you who asks the next question.

The key to the question is that one chicken will lay one egg but will still take one-and-a half days to do it, so the calculation is

40 (chickens) x 40 (days) / 1.5 (time to lay an egg)
= 1066 2/3

[Mintexmemory]

As ET posted while I was still pondering the 'trick' he should take the next question - though I'd like to know how you can fry an egg that is only 2/3 laid !!

[Starter]

As ET posted while I was still pondering the 'trick' he should take the next question - though I'd like to know how you can fry an egg that is only 2/3 laid !!
Used to know a girl who could only be 2/3 laid.

[EuroTroll]

As ET posted while I was still pondering the 'trick' he should take the next question - though I'd like to know how you can fry an egg that is only 2/3 laid !!

Since I asked the first question, I think the turn should be yours, Mintexmemory. Have you got a question for us? :cool:

[D-Type]

Used to know a girl who could only be 2/3 laid.
Do tell! ;)

[airshifter]

Do tell! ;)

Funny, that is the same girl other guys claim could be 3/2 laid. :)

[EuroTroll]

While we wait for the next question, here's a little demonstration of how poor our brain actually is, and how easily it can be deceived. :)

Think parts of this image are spinning? Well, they're not! ;)

link (http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/2800000/Illusions-puzzles-and-brain-teasers-2896749-1024-768.gif)

[Mintexmemory]

Funny, that is the same girl other guys claim could be 3/2 laid. :)

If all the girls that attended the Yale Prom were laid end to end, I shouldn't be at all surprised Dorothy Parker.

Working on my brain teaser

[Mintexmemory]

Davy Crockett had been captured by a Mexican general and sentenced to death by his 50-man firing squad.
Davy cringed, as he knew their reputation for being the worst firing squad in the Mexican military. They were such bad shots that they would often all miss their targets and simply maim their victims, leaving them to bleed to death, as the general’s tradition was to only allow one shot per man to save on ammunition. The thought of a slow painful death made Davy beg for mercy.
“Very well, I have some compassion. You may choose where the men stand when they shoot you and I will add 50 extra men to the squad to ensure someone will at least hit you. Perhaps if they stand closer they will kill you quicker, if you’re lucky,” snickered the general. “Oh, and just so you don’t get any funny ideas, they can’t stand more than 20 ft away, they must be facing you, and you must remain tied to the post in the middle of the yard. And to show I’m not totally heartless, if you aren’t dead by sundown I’ll release you so you can die peacefully outside the compound. I must go now but will return tomorrow and see to it that you are buried in a nice spot, though with 100 men, I doubt there will be much left of you to bury.”
After giving his instructions the general left. Upon his return the next day, he found that Davy had been set free alive and well. “How could this be?” demanded the general. “It was where Davy had us stand,” explained the captain of the squad.
Where did Davy tell them to stand?

[Sprocket]

As they are all rubbish shots, you get them to stand in a circle around the post - nobody shoots because they will most likely miss and hit one of the other firing squad members.

[airshifter]

Davy Crockett had been captured by a Mexican general and sentenced to death by his 50-man firing squad.
Davy cringed, as he knew their reputation for being the worst firing squad in the Mexican military. They were such bad shots that they would often all miss their targets and simply maim their victims, leaving them to bleed to death, as the general’s tradition was to only allow one shot per man to save on ammunition. The thought of a slow painful death made Davy beg for mercy.
“Very well, I have some compassion. You may choose where the men stand when they shoot you and I will add 50 extra men to the squad to ensure someone will at least hit you. Perhaps if they stand closer they will kill you quicker, if you’re lucky,” snickered the general. “Oh, and just so you don’t get any funny ideas, they can’t stand more than 20 ft away, they must be facing you, and you must remain tied to the post in the middle of the yard. And to show I’m not totally heartless, if you aren’t dead by sundown I’ll release you so you can die peacefully outside the compound. I must go now but will return tomorrow and see to it that you are buried in a nice spot, though with 100 men, I doubt there will be much left of you to bury.”
After giving his instructions the general left. Upon his return the next day, he found that Davy had been set free alive and well. “How could this be?” demanded the general. “It was where Davy had us stand,” explained the captain of the squad.
Where did Davy tell them to stand?

They were asked to stand so close that the end of the rifle barrels were passing his body?

[Mintexmemory]

They were asked to stand so close that the end of the rifle barrels were passing his body?

Nope how would you fit 100 men that close?
Sprocket has it so over to her :)

[Sprocket]

OK well it has to have a rally flavour :p

A recce car leaves a stage start the day before a rally at 07:35 and drives the stage slowly, taking 40 minutes to complete the stage.

The next day a rally car starts the same stage at 07:45 and completes the stage in half the time of the recce car.

What is the likelihood that both cars were at exactly the same point of the stage at exactly the same time on each day?

[EuroTroll]

100% :)

[Sprocket]

You got it EuroTroll, if one imagines both cars running on the same day, the faster car catches and overtakes the slower one, it is then that they are exactly at the same point at exactly the same time ;)

[EuroTroll]

OK, here's one: :cool:

You have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain. You must cross a river with only one of them at a time. If you leave the fox with the chicken he will eat it; if you leave the chicken with the grain he will eat it. How can you get all three across safely?

[Sprocket]

OK, here's one: :cool:

You have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain. You must cross a river with only one of them at a time. If you leave the fox with the chicken he will eat it; if you leave the chicken with the grain he will eat it. How can you get all three across safely?

Ah I know this one already, so I leave it for others to ponder ;)

[AndyL]

OK, here's one: :cool:

You have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain. You must cross a river with only one of them at a time. If you leave the fox with the chicken he will eat it; if you leave the chicken with the grain he will eat it. How can you get all three across safely?


XKCD had a good solution to this riddle recently, which I think is the most correct one I've seen:
xkcd: Logic Boat (http://xkcd.com/1134/)

[gadjo_dilo]

I have 2 alternatives ( although I know only the second is correct )
1.First take the chicken and return, , then take the sack and return with the chicken, then take the fox and return, then at last take the chicken.
2.You eat everything and full and happy cross the river.

[EuroTroll]

I have 2 alternatives ( although I know only the second is correct )
1.First take the chicken and return, , then take the sack and return with the chicken, then take the fox and return, then at last take the chicken.
2.You eat everything and full and happy cross the river.

No, I was thinking of the 1st solution. :)

Anyway, your question gadjo. :cool:

[gadjo_dilo]

I refuse as I still believe the second one is correct. Anybody's free to ask a Q.

[Firstgear]

Can I jump in?

I walked 100m south, then 100m east, then 100m north and ended up where I started. Where did I start/end. I'm looking for 2 locations (answers).

[schmenke]

I did the same walk once and saw a polar bear.

[Firstgear]

At both locations?

[schmenke]

No, just the one :p : . I'm not sure what the second location is tbh.

[Tazio]

Confusing question but I will take a stab at it. The north pole, and the magnetic N. pole? :confused:

[Firstgear]

The north pole is one of the locations (the one with polar bears), but the second is unique - nowhere close to the North pole.
Dr G when you say confusing, do you mean the way I phrased the question, or that it has you somewhat stumped? I could try rephrasing it, but I'm not really sure how I could make it clearer.

[Mintexmemory]

Mmmm depends on your definition of unique! the latitude line of 100m circumference (almost at the S pole) that would enable you to start 100m north of it walk 100m east (or west) end up where you arrived on that latitude then head 100m north to end up where you started has an infinite number of start points all the same distance from the S Pole

[Tazio]

I could try rephrasing it
Thanks, I think I have a handle on it, perplexing it is. I would say the equator but that (or any other latitude) is not unique....is it? :confused:

[AndyL]

Mmmm depends on your definition of unique! the latitude line of 100m circumference (almost at the S pole) that would enable you to start 100m north of it walk 100m east (or west) end up where you arrived on that latitude then head 100m north to end up where you started has an infinite number of start points all the same distance from the S Pole

I had heard the first answer to this problem before, but that one is a good bit of thinking! So you start anywhere roughly 116m from the South Pole. You walk 100m South, to 16m from the pole. Due East takes you in a circle around the pole, with a circumference of 2*pi*16=100m, so you circumnavigated the earth and ended up back on your starting longitude. Then just 100m North to finish off. I like it!

[Firstgear]

Mmmm depends on your definition of unique! the latitude line of 100m circumference (almost at the S pole) that would enable you to start 100m north of it walk 100m east (or west) end up where you arrived on that latitude then head 100m north to end up where you started has an infinite number of start points all the same distance from the S Pole
That's the second location I was looking for (115.9155m north of the south pole). Your Q Mintexmemory

[Firstgear]

Thanks, I think I have a handle on it, perplexing it is. I would say the equator but that (or any other latitude) is not unique....is it? :confused:
Sorry, I guess I did ask the question in a confusing fashion afterall. Should I have said "distinct" instead of "unique"?

[Tazio]

No worries it was a good Q. :up:

[EuroTroll]

No worries it was a good Q. :up:

Yup! :up:

[Mintexmemory]

Ok quick one - Andy L gave this amplification of my solution
I had heard the first answer to this problem before, but that one is a good bit of thinking! So you start anywhere roughly 116m from the South Pole. You walk 100m South, to 16m from the pole. Due East takes you in a circle around the pole, with a circumference of 2*pi*16=100m, so you circumnavigated the earth and ended up back on your starting longitude. Then just 100m North to finish off. I like it!

What is the major error (which is a matter of cms) in his explanation

[Tazio]

2 x pi x 16=~100.5m?

[Mintexmemory]

No that's just an issue over approximating the maths, not a fundamental error of reasoning (although that too is a matter of cms)

[Firstgear]

Geezz - I thought his explanation was good. First I ask the question in a confusing fashion, and now I don't even know the correct answer to my own question.

Does it have something to do with the earth not being a perfect sphere?

[Mintexmemory]

Geezz - I thought his explanation was good. First I ask the question in a confusing fashion, and now I don't even know the correct answer to my own question.

Does it have something to do with the earth not being a perfect sphere?

It has something to do with some of the words in your last sentence ;)
The effect would be more pronounced if you'd used 10km as the distance walked in each direction

[Firstgear]

To do with my last sentence, and more pronounced at 10km.

So I'm going to have to use either spell check or calculus, eh? :p :

I'll have to think about it.

[Mintexmemory]

To do with my last sentence, and more pronounced at 10km.

So I'm going to have to use either spell check or calculus, eh? :p :

I'll have to think about it.

A different technique but neither spelling or calculus. But it is the basis of all terrestrial navigation

[EuroTroll]

Another good question! :up: I'm intrigued to find out the answer, as I also thought AndyL's explanation was good...

PS. You're wanted on the geo thread as well, Mintexmemory. ;)

[Mintexmemory]

Another clue - think of the first slice of an orange

[Koz]

Coriolis effect?

[Mintexmemory]

No that's why water goes down the plug one way or the other

[AndyL]

Do you mean the fact that my explanation was based on Euclidean (plane) geometry, when in fact we are talking about the surface of a sphere? On the surface of a sphere, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter will be less than pi.

Of course, the earth is not a perfect sphere and if you're going to approximate its surface as a plane anywhere, then near the poles would be the most accurate place to do it :)

[Mintexmemory]

Do you mean the fact that my explanation was based on Euclidean (plane) geometry, when in fact we are talking about the surface of a sphere? On the surface of a sphere, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter will be less than pi.

Of course, the earth is not a perfect sphere and if you're going to approximate its surface as a plane anywhere, then near the poles would be the most accurate place to do it :)


Exactly so AndyL - it is a spherical geometry formula that is required. Why did this occur to me? - Because I had to endlessly calculate latitude and longitude by spherical geometry using 7-figure Log tables at school as part of my marine navigation studies (I have UK navigation GCE O-level!!!).
Anyone who needs to see the difference cut an orange in half at right angles to the core axis then measure the half the diameter of the flat face and see how it differs from the measurement on the skin from core centre to edge (the latter should be greater)
Over to you AL

[AndyL]

OK!
Well as it happens I went up to London for a job interview last week. The interviewer rather caught me by surprise with this unexpected question: "Why are manhole covers round?" What was my answer?

And for a bonus point - did I get the job? :)

[airshifter]

So the cover won't fall into the hole?

[dj_bytedisaster]

That question doesn't have an answer. It's psychological trolling, once introduced by Microsoft. There are square and hexagonal Manholecovers, too and they don't fall in either.

[AndyL]

dj_bytedisaster pretty much has it. The correct answer is "Look out of the window! They're not round, they're square!" We were in London remember, almost all manholes here are square or rectangular. Apparently the cover falling down the hole is not a major problem. (A better question might be, why aren't they round. I have heard an apocryphal answer to that!)

The answer to the bonus question was that being a smart-arse doesn't endear you to interviewers :)

Over to you dj_bytedisaster...

[Firstgear]

Actually that was a trick question. They're no longer called manholes because that would be gender discrimination. They're Maintenance Holes. :p :

[dj_bytedisaster]

Ok, mine is laughingly easy, but it still amazes me how many of my friends didn't know the answer at first.

I claimed that in a flighsimulator I once flew from Berlin, Germany to America in a single day. The Airvan is a small one-engined airplane that doesn't fly any faster than 120 knots. How did I do that or was I kidding them?

[Sprocket]

I think you can theoretically do that. All you need is a tailwind.

The distance from say Berlin to New York is 4218.27 miles according to the web.

Which is 3663.2 Nautical miles

Which would take a theoretical 30.5 hours to fly at 120 knots.

To complete the flight in a day would need an average speed of approximately 176 knots.

That is an average tailwind of 56 kts throughout the flight. Which is not impossible at higher altitudes - today's F214 (UK Low-Level Sot Wind Chart) shows wind speeds of 55 knots over the UK at 24,000 feet at several sample points for example.


In reality, in a light aircraft no way. You would most likely fly the Northern route, hopping from Germany to UK, then Greenland and on to Alaska for refueling and to reduce time over the open sea in a single engine piston plane. You would be looking at at least a 4 - 5 day trip if the weather was kind to you! (Which it won't be).


But yes I think you could do it on a flightsimulator for sure.

[Firstgear]

Laughingly easy you say?
The simulator was inside a jet or you flew to the American Embassy.

[EuroTroll]

As in this game we're allowed to booble, I boobled. :D There is a town called America in the Netherlands. :)

[Sprocket]

LOL if either the above are correct I'll be exposed as total aviation anorak :D

[dj_bytedisaster]

Nope, there is a bit of 'trickery' involved, but not as FirstGear and EuroTroll said. In fact, I'll give you part of the solution - it actually is possible in a flightsimultor. The route I flew was Berlin -> Rotterdam -> Bristol -> Stornoway -> Reykjavik -> Kullusuq -> Nuuk -> Iqualuit

So there we have a few pieces of the puzzle. Due to the limited range of the plane you need to be Island hopping. But how is it still possible within a day? And no Sprocket, no ungodly tailwinds involved ;)

[AndyL]

The east coast of the US is 6 hours behind Berlin, so that would effectively make your day 30 hours long - if you defined "in a day" as leaving and arriving on the same date. Is that part of it?

Not sure that helps enough if you have to stop 7 times to fuel up. Presumably you'd have to spend the minimum possible amount of time browsing the magazine rack at each petrol station.

[Sprocket]

55kts is not that ungodly a tailwind, I've landed in 30 kts crosswinds at ground level! In a flighsimulator you could fly 100% fuel the whole trip too. If we go with realistic fuel and looking at your route, I think AndyL is on the money. It's crossing the time zones along the way.

[dj_bytedisaster]

AndyL's got it :D The day is actually longer as you fly west, which is why it wouldn't work by flying across russia, even though there's less water involved. In fact you get a few additional hours to reach the USA, if you take that as the definition of america (although Canada is part of the American continent already), I continued from Iqaluit via Rankin Inlet, Yellowknife and Inuvik to Fairbanks, Alaska. Landed there at 1am, which is of course the next day, but the US border was crossed before midnight.

If you want avoid major time over open water, fly across Russia: Berlin -> Lviv -> Brest -> Bryansk -> Samara -> Yekaterinburg -> Omsk -> Novosibirsk -> Khabarovsk -> Bratsk -> Mirny -> Yakutsk -> Magadan -> Markovo -> Nome -> Fairbanks does the trick in three days :D

So, AndyL got the major clue - your turn, sir :D

[AndyL]

Again? OK try this.

Ron turns up to Bernie's party, drinks some punch and then leaves early. Later, several other guests at the party die. The police arrive and discover that there is poison in the punch. Witnesses agree that from the start of the party, the only people who went anywhere near the punch were those who were drinking from it - and they are all dead apart from Ron.

So Ron goes down for the murder. But some years later, Bernie publishes an autobiography revealing that Ron did not spike the punch: it was Bernie himself who was the poisoner. A cunning plan to eliminate his enemies. How is it that Ron survived?

[Tazio]

The poison was in the ice which hadn't yet melted when Ron swilled it? :confused: :)

[Firstgear]

If we're talking about F1 and Ron Dennis here, the answer is obvious.
Ron is a robot. :p

[AndyL]

Firstgear's answer is good, but in this case the Dr got the right answer straight away. Bernie knew that if he put the poison in the ice, then Ron's love of free punch, combined with his insistence on always going to bed early on a school night, would make him the perfect patsy.

Another acceptable answer would have been that Bernie spiked the punch after Ron left, but the witnesses didn't see him because the punch bowl was taller than him ;)

Over to you Dr Rappaccini

[Tazio]

I'll pass. Anyone else feel free to jump in.

[EuroTroll]

Ok, here's a pretty difficult one, I think. Let's see if youse guys figure it out. :cool:

Here's a series of numbers:

1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221

What is the next number in the sequence?

[gadjo_dilo]

1113213211
31131211131221
13211311123113112211
.......
:crazy:

[EuroTroll]

Well done! :up:

The rule for creating the next number is to simply describe the previous number. The first number is 1, or 1 (one) 1, so you get 11. To describe 11, you have two 1's, or 21, etc. You simply continue describing the previous number using only numbers.

Your Q. :s mokin:

[gadjo_dilo]

I'll leave in 15 min so anybody's free to ask on my behalf.

[EuroTroll]

Ok... Which letter should replace the question mark?

O - W - L - :?: - R - T- Q - M

[donKey jote]

S :dozey:

[EuroTroll]

S :dozey:

Yup! :up: I know that was ridiculously easy, but perhaps you've got something better for us, Donks? ;)

[donKey jote]

no, sorry :cheese: :(

[EuroTroll]

Anyone? :)

[teamleader]

Hahaha my brain hurts seeing all those numbers >_<

[EuroTroll]

Hahaha my brain hurts seeing all those numbers >_<

Growing pains! ;)

[teamleader]

Haha i dont like to use my brain that much on a sunday afternoon :D
I alrdy use it to much during the week hehe

[D-Type]

Ok... Which letter should replace the question mark?

O - W - L - :?: - R - T- Q - M


S :dozey:


Yup! :up: I know that was ridiculously easy, but perhaps you've got something better for us, Donks? ;)

I still can't see it. Please explain the answer.

[EuroTroll]

I still can't see it. Please explain the answer.

You simply take the first letter of every word in the text. Ok - O, Which - W, etc. :)

[D-Type]

Doh! :mad:

[donKey jote]

TMYL,TMYRHLYK ;) :p

[EuroTroll]

TMYL,TMYRHLYK ;) :p

"To me, your love. To me, your respect, honesty, love... your kindness." :?: :cheese:

:laugh:

[EuroTroll]

Doh! :mad:

I thought you might say that. :D

[EuroTroll]

"To me, your love. To me, your respect, honesty, love... your kindness." :?: :cheese:

Or, alternatively, D-Type's signature. :D

[gadjo_dilo]

Here's another classic:

A snail falls down a well ...the well is 30 meters deep .... the snail can climb only 3 metres a day up the side of the well but slides down 2 meters of a night .. how long will it take the snail to exit the well?

[EuroTroll]

30 days? :)

[Joey Zyla]

Twenty-eight days?

[EuroTroll]

Twenty-eight days?

I see the error of my ways and repent! :D I bet Joey is right. :)

[gadjo_dilo]

Yeah. 28 is correct.
Every day it climbs 3-2=1 m but in the last day it has not to slide down.

Joey, your Q please

[steveaki13]

My answer was 3 days. As a nice "Well" cleaning person saw the snail in trouble and bought it back to the surface.

[Joey Zyla]

This one is from "The Little Book of Big Brain Games" by Ivan Moscovich.

Two Russian mathematicians meet on a plane.
"If I remember correctly, you have three sons," says Ivan. "What are their ages today?"
"The product of their ages is thirty-six," says Igor, "and the sum of their ages is exactly today's date."
"I'm sorry, Igor," Ivan says after a minute, "but that doesn't tell me the ages of your boys."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, my youngest son has red hair."
"Ah, now it's clear," Ivan says. "I now know exactly how old your three sons are."

What are the ages of Igor's three sons?

[gadjo_dilo]

36= 1*2*2*3*3
Since it must be something tricky I think two are twins and are 6y.o. and the youngest is 1 y.o.

[Joey Zyla]

That was fast. Too fast. :(

Your go. ;)

[EuroTroll]

Wait a minute... :confused: ;) 36 is also the product of 2, 3 and 6. Why couldn't that be the answer?

I was thinking that since we have 3 variables - say x, y and z - we also need three equations to solve it. Based on what Igor told him, Ivan could only make two equations. Until the red hair... which somehow gave him the third equation.

What am I missing? :)

[Joey Zyla]

Wait a minute... :confused: ;) 36 is also the product of 2, 3 and 6. Why couldn't that be the answer?

I was thinking that since we have 3 variables - say x, y and z - we also need three equations to solve it. Based on what Igor told him, Ivan could only make two equations. Until the red hair... which somehow gave him the third equation.

What am I missing? :)

After Ivan was told "The product of their ages is thirty-six and the sum of their ages is exactly today's date." it was still not possible to find the answer, which means there must be at least two sets of three numbers where the above is true. From that, you can figure out that the date is the 13th, and the two possible answers are 2-2-9 and 1-6-6. Since Igor said that his youngest son has red hair, the first one is no longer valid because Igor would have two youngest sons rather than one.

[EuroTroll]

After Ivan was told "The product of their ages is thirty-six and the sum of their ages is exactly today's date." it was still not possible to find the answer, which means there must be at least two sets of three numbers where the above is true. From that, you can figure out that the date is the 13th, and the two possible answers are 2-2-9 and 1-6-6. Since Igor said that his youngest son has red hair, the first one is no longer valid because Igor would have two youngest sons rather than one.

I see! :) A superb question. :up: And gadjo's neuron is working brilliantly, I must say. :up: :D

[gadjo_dilo]

Lol. What about Einstein's test?

Facts:
There are 5 houses in 5 different colours
In each house lives a person with a different nationality..
These 5 owners drink a certain beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar and keep a certain pet.
No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar or drink the same drink.
Hints:
The Brit lives in a red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the left of the white house.
The green house owner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
The man living in the house right in the centre drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.
The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
The German smokes Prince.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The man who smokes Blend has a neighbour who drinks water.

The question for the Einstein test is ... WHO KEEPS THE FISH?

I remember it took me about 2 hours to do it. :laugh:

[gadjo_dilo]

I see! :) And gadjo's neuron is working brilliantly, I must say. :up: :D
Not at all. I only thought that if the third kid has a distinctive sign the other two are alike. Quite rudimentary I dare say.....

[EuroTroll]

Not at all. I only thought that if the third kid has a distinctive sign the other two are alike. Quite rudimentary I dare say.....

Well, it beat the crap out of me... ;)

[EuroTroll]

I remember it took me about 2 hours to do it. :laugh:

I'll get back to you in 2+ hours, since my neuron isn't as brilliant as gadjo's neuron. :)

[gadjo_dilo]

I'll get back to you in 2+ hours, since my neuron isn't as brilliant as gadjo's neuron. :)
Dom' Coco, aren't your ears long enough? :vampire:

[EuroTroll]

Dom' Coco, aren't your ears long enough? :vampire:

I don't get it.. :confused: :) Blasted neuron, work better! :p

[gadjo_dilo]

Naughty boys are pulled by the ears. You're so mischievous that I presume yours are already long enough to get this treatment again. :devil:

[EuroTroll]

Naughty boys are pulled by the ears. You're so mischievous that I presume yours are already long enough to get this treatment again. :devil:

:laugh:

[EuroTroll]

Facts:
There are 5 houses in 5 different colours
In each house lives a person with a different nationality..
These 5 owners drink a certain beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar and keep a certain pet.
No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar or drink the same drink.
Hints:
The Brit lives in a red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the left of the white house.
The green house owner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
The man living in the house right in the centre drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.
The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
The German smokes Prince.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The man who smokes Blend has a neighbour who drinks water.

The question for the Einstein test is ... WHO KEEPS THE FISH?

I think the answer is: the German keeps the fish! :)

Based on the facts, I came up with this table:


house 1 house 2 house 3 house 4 house 5
colour yellow blue red green white
nationality norwegian dane brit german swede
beverage water tea milk coffee beer
cigar dunhill blend pall mall prince blue master
pet cats horses birds FISH dogs

[donKey jote]

Troll is correct.
That was a fun Sudoku :up: :p

[Spafranco]

Actually Gadjo, your answer is correct as per the question asked.

[gadjo_dilo]

Ok ET, your A is correct and you're definitely on the good way.
Now it's time for us to enjoy another of your old soviet problems. :laugh:

[EuroTroll]

Now it's time for us to enjoy another of your old soviet problems. :laugh:

Absolutely! :D

You are Brezhnev's cook in his dacha. There are no clocks or other ways of keeping time other than a four-minute and a seven-minute hourglass. On the stove is a pot of boiling water. Brezhnev asks you to cook a nine-minute egg in exactly 9 minutes, and you know he is a perfectionist and can tell if you undercook or overcook the egg by even a few seconds. How can you cook the egg for exactly 9 minutes?


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Leonid_Bre%C5%BEn%C4%9Bv_%28Bundesarchiv%29.jpg

[gadjo_dilo]

That's not a Q for me. Kitchens aren't my territory.....

:z

[donKey jote]

must the egg cook for 9 consecutive minutes? :cheese:

[Firstgear]

- start both timers
- after 4 min's, the 4 min timer will be empty & the 7 min. will have 3 minutes left. Flip the 4 min timer.
- after 3 min's, the 7 min timer will be empty & the 4 min. will have 1 minute left. At this point put egg in water.
- after 1 min 4 min will be empty & egg has been in water 1 min, flip 4 min timer.
- after 4 min 4 min timer is empty & egg has been in water 5 min, flip 4 min timer.
- after 4 more min 4 min timer is empty & egg is in water 9 min.
- done

[donKey jote]

or start both timers simultaneously and restart each one immediatly after it ends.
Put the egg in after 12 minutes (third start of T4) and keep it cooking until 21 minutes (third T7).
:)
firstgear's is quicker :p

[EuroTroll]

Well done, guys! :up: As we see, there are several possible solutions to this.

Your Q, Firstgear. :bandit:

[Tazio]

too slow

[EuroTroll]

too slow

But you were right as well. :up:

[Tazio]

yea' that was a pretty easy Q ;)

[Firstgear]

If one of the others has a Q ready, please go ahead as I don't have one at the moment.

[Firstgear]

yea' that was a pretty easy Q ;)
Yea, I have to jump on those or I don't have a chance. :D

[D-Type]

Here's an old one.

Joe and Hank are two motorcycle traffic cops who decide to hide behind a hoarding and trap speeding motorists with their radar gun. They decide that one will look up the road and one will look the opposite way.
After about 10 minutes Joe says to Hank "What are you smiling at?"
If they were looking in opposite directions how did he know Joe was smiling?

[donKey jote]

it was a one-way road? :crazy: :p

[D-Type]

No. It was a two-way road.

[donKey jote]

they were looking in opposite directions but facing each other ? :andrea: :p

[D-Type]

:champion: You've got it.

[EuroTroll]

Here's a quickie while we wait for Donks's slowie. ;)

By moving one of the following digits, make the equation correct. 62 - 63 = 1

[donKey jote]

you could turn the "-" into an "=" by moving one of the "-" from the "=" over, except "-" isn't a digit :p

[EuroTroll]

you could turn the "-" into an "=" by moving one of the "-" from the "=" over, except "-" isn't a digit :p

Yup, this is not the answer I'm looking for. :)

[gadjo_dilo]

Moves in first number but I can't write it, I'll tell it in words.. :laugh:

So 62 becomes 2 at power 6 = 64

2*(power)6 - 63 = 1

[EuroTroll]

Moves in first number but I can't write it, I'll tell it in words.. :laugh:

So 62 becomes 2 at power 6 = 64

2*(power)6 - 63 = 1

Yup! :up:

[gadjo_dilo]

Ha!
There's an easy one for the weekend:

A very far away country is inhabited by 2 tribes: A and B.
Those in tribe A say only lies, those in B always say the truth.
A british ( :devil: ) explorer comes there and met 3 natives. He asks to which tribe they belong.
The first guy is whispering something unclear and the explorer can’t understand it.
The second says: “ He said he belongs to tribe A”.
The third says to the second guy: “You’re a liar”.

Q: to which tribe belong the third guy?

[D-Type]

(i) If 1st is A 2nd is A will say "1" is truthful
(ii) If 1st is B 2nd is B will say "1" is truthful
(iii) If 1st is B 2nd is A will say "1" is lying
(iv) If 1st is a 2nd is B will say "1" is lying
So it must be one of (i) or (ii)

Now,
if 3rd man is A and case (i) he'd say telling the truth
if 3rd man is B and case (i) he'd say lying
if 3rd man is A and case (ii) he'd say lying
if 3rd man is B and case (ii) he'd say telling the truth

So we can't use strict Boolian logic

The first man must have a speech impediment in which case only one of his tribe would understand him which means it must be case (i)

So the 3rd native is from tribe B

[gadjo_dilo]

solution: no matter the tribe the first man would say he is a B. that means that the second lies and is an A.
So the third is a b.
New q please.

[EuroTroll]

Good stuff! :up:

[EuroTroll]

Donks's turn, is it? ;) Some tyre-related puzzle, perhaps? ;) :p

[donKey jote]

No tyres, but in which direction (left or right) is this bus driving and why?
http://i50.tinypic.com/10wjf5w.jpg

[EuroTroll]

On the continent or in the UK? ;)

[donKey jote]

Yep :up: , over to you :p

(you have the brain of a pre-schooler ;) )

[EuroTroll]

Righty-ho! :)

What is special about the following sequence of numbers?
8 5 4 9 1 7 6 10 3 2 0

[gadjo_dilo]

For me it looks like the front of the bus but it's fair to say I had a few glasses of red wine. hic!

[donKey jote]

Righty-ho! :)

What is special about the following sequence of numbers?
8 5 4 9 1 7 6 10 3 2 0

In which language? ;)

[EuroTroll]

In which language? ;)

английский! :laugh:

Over to you. ;)

[donKey jote]

your mudda is 21 years older than your youngest sister, and in 6 years time she'll 5 times older...
where is Eki ? :s ailor: :andrea:

[EuroTroll]

your mudda is 21 years older than your youngest sister, and in 6 years time she'll 5 times older...
where is Eki ? :s ailor: :andrea:

Eki lives in Finland. :cheese:

Did I win? :s ailor:

[donKey jote]

no, you didn't :andrea:

[The Black Knight]

Righty-ho! :)

What is special about the following sequence of numbers?
8 5 4 9 1 7 6 10 3 2 0

I'm a bit drunk, but alphabetical order?

[EuroTroll]

I'm a bit drunk, but alphabetical order?

Yup. :up:

[EuroTroll]

your mudda is 21 years older than your youngest sister, and in 6 years time she'll 5 times older...
where is Eki ? :s ailor: :andrea:

x = mother's age
x - 21 = youngest sister's age

(x + 6) = 5(x - 21 + 6)
x + 6 = 5x - 105 + 30
4x = 81
x = 20.25

So the mother is 20.25 years old and the youngest sister hasn't been born yet, since she is -0.75 years old.

Eki has left Finland to live in Tahiti where he has 15 girlfriends who worship him like a God, but no internet connection?

[gadjo_dilo]

)

Eki has left Finland to live in Tahiti where he has 15 girlfriends who worship him like a God, but no internet connection?So he did "Gauguin" a.d now he's waiting for you to do a "Van Gogh' in some primitive paradise..... :laugh:




"

[EuroTroll]

So he did "Gauguin" a.d now he's waiting for you to do a "Van Gogh' in some primitive paradise..... :laugh:

What, get wasted on Absinth every single day until I go nuts and cut off my ear? :)

[gadjo_dilo]

Your ears are already too long, remember? :devil:

[EuroTroll]

Your ears are already too long, remember? :devil:

How could I forget? :D

[gadjo_dilo]

And donks may join you. His ears can be adjusted too. :devil:

[donKey jote]

x = mother's age
x - 21 = youngest sister's age

(x + 6) = 5(x - 21 + 6)
x + 6 = 5x - 105 + 30
4x = 81
x = 20.25

So the mother is 20.25 years old and the youngest sister hasn't been born yet, since she is -0.75 years old.

Eki has left Finland to live in Tahiti where he has 15 girlfriends who worship him like a God, but no internet connection?

-.75 years = 9 months is correct and Eki is shagging your mudda as we speak :p :devil: :andrea:

[donKey jote]

And donks may join you. His ears can be adjusted too. :devil:

not just his ears :devil:

[EuroTroll]

-.75 years = 9 months is correct and Eki is shagging your mudda as we speak

Well, when he's finished, I do hope he rejoins the forum! :laugh:

But here's a difficult one. Difficult if you're really smart, not so difficult if you're simple-minded like a child. :)

8809 = 6
7111 = 0
2172 = 0
1111 = 0
3213 = 0
7662 = 2
9313 = 1
7756 = :?:

[gadjo_dilo]

not just his ears :devil:

Really? Never thought you're long haired....

[EuroTroll]

But here's a difficult one. Difficult if you're really smart, not so difficult if you're simple-minded like a child. :)


I see now that I did a really bad job with selling the question. :laugh:

Here's another try - Who among you is clever enough to see this from the perspective of a child? ;)

[D-Type]

Got it! (I think)

1 - it's the number of circles

[EuroTroll]

Got it! (I think)

1 - it's the number of circles

That's right! :up: :)

[D-Type]

Now I've got to post a question :confused:

I can only think of this old one:

A man's body was found in the middle of a freshly ploughed field. He had been killed by a blow to the head. There were no footprints in the field other than the man's. How had he met his death?

[gadjo_dilo]

Hit by a meteorite? :devil:

[donKey jote]

He got hit on the head and then walked into the field, where he died ?
Got hit on the head by the farmer who was ploughing the field, stumbled around a bit (leaving footprints) before dying?

[Tazio]

....or while ploughing his own field he kicked up a rock and dealt himself the coup de grâce :arrows: :angel:

[D-Type]

All answers are about as plausible as the one I have. But they aren't the right one. And you are all equally close.

[Sprocket]

I was going to say he fell out of an aeroplane, but it doesn't explain his footprints being in the field, as he would have landed on his head!

Maybe he was hit by a low flying one ;)

[donKey jote]

Now I've got to post a question :confused:

I can only think of this old one:

A man's body was found in the middle of a freshly ploughed field. He had been killed by a blow to the head. There were no footprints in the field other than the man's. How had he met his death?
by a blow to the head...
skull trauma ? :p
bled dry ? :p
cardiac arrest ? :p

[D-Type]

I was going to say he fell out of an aeroplane, but it doesn't explain his footprints being in the field, as he would have landed on his head!

Maybe he was hit by a low flying one ;)

He was hit by the wheel of a cropdusting aircraft.

Andif you want to be pedantic, donKey jote is also correct, but not the answer I had in mind.

[Sprocket]

Well as there were so many good possible answers, I'll make it open house

[Firstgear]

Here's one my son asked me yesterday: Add one line to make the following equation true

1+1+1=142

I told him, put a line thru the equal (=) sign so that it's not equal.
He was looking for another answer.
What's the/an other answer.

[EuroTroll]

"+" -> "4"
141+1=142

:)

[Firstgear]

Too easy, eh?

Your turn EuroTroll :)

[EuroTroll]

Too easy, eh?

No, not at all. :) Took me a good long while staring at it, before I got it. :)

Ok, here's one: A Petri dish hosts a healthy colony of bacteria. Once a minute every bacterium divides into two. The colony was founded by a single cell at noon. At exactly 12:43 (43 minutes later) the Petri dish was half full.

At what time will the dish be full?

[donKey jote]

between 12:43 and 12:44, unless every bacterium divides at exactly the same time after exactly 1 minute, in which case it would be full at 12:44 exactly, give or take the size of 1 bacterium :p

[EuroTroll]

between 12:43 and 12:44, unless every bacterium divides at exactly the same time after exactly 1 minute, in which case it would be full at 12:44 exactly, give or take the size of 1 bacterium :p

Yup, that's a pretty good answer I think. :up:

Your turn. :)

[donKey jote]

Two black cars are heading towards an unlit crossing without their headlamps or any other lights in or on the cars turned on. No moonlight either. The road is also black. Both cars are the same distance from the crossing and are travelling at the same speed, but at the last second, one of the cars stops. How did it avoid the collision?

[Tazio]

They were driving at perpendicular angles

[donKey jote]

Sure, they weren't driving head-on or both would probably have stopped in time...
But how would the driver(s) have known when to stop ?

[Tazio]

:s ailor: One or both were leaning on their horns :dozey:

[D-Type]

They were driving side by side - and there's nothing to say that it wasn't broad daylight.

[donKey jote]

D-Type has it... it was broad daylight :s ailor:

[D-Type]

I'm away for a few days, so can someone else ask the next one?

[The Black Knight]

Here's an old classic, some of you might have heard it already.

A man walks into a bar and asks for a glass of water.


The bartender pulls out a shotgun and points it at him.


The man says, thank you and leaves.


Why?

[airshifter]

Errr... I don't know. But if someone points a shotgun at me at close range I would leave... and possibly thank them for not pulling the trigger.

[Sprocket]

hiccups! Two way to cure them, drinking a glass of water and a shock. He walks in the bartender hears the hiccups and pulls out the gun to shock the man. As the hiccups are cured the man thanks the bartender and leaves.

[gadjo_dilo]

It's night and you're driving your 2 seat car during a terrible storm.
You're passing by a bus station where 3 persons are waiting for the bus:

1. a sick old lady who's dying
2. an old friend who once saved your life
3. the woman/man of your dreams

Which one you'd take on your car taking into account it's just one vacant seat?

This is an ethical and moral dilemma, which is used for job interviews at work.

There were 200 applicants for the job but only one gave the right answer.
Do you know it?

[D-Type]

Pick up the 'dream person' and leave your old friend with the old lady as he/she is 'good at that sort of thing'.

Or pick up the old friend as fulfilling obligations is the most important thing. The old lady is probably going to die anyway and 'there's plenty more fish in the sea'.

Get out of the car and get the old friend to take the old lady to hospital in it. This gives you the opportunity to meet your 'dream person'.

[gadjo_dilo]

Well, the third alternative is the right one but I'm surprised you also considered the other 2 rather cynical ones. :devil:

[D-Type]

It all depends on what job the interview is for doesn't it? Which character would you want to employ as, say, a traffic warden or a debt collector?
I suppose I've got to think of a question now. :confused:

[D-Type]

A proper mathematics one.

There are two trains on one straight railway track heading towards each other.
Each is doing 15 kph.
The trains are exactly 1 km apart
A fly that flies at 120 kph starts flying from the front of one train and flies towards the other.
When he gets to the other train he turns round and flies back etc etc.

How far does the fly fly before he is flattened when the two trains collide?

[donKey jote]

4km, supposing the superfly can mantain it's 120kph speed when it changes direction, by decelerating and accelerating instantly.

[gadjo_dilo]

Following the reasoning and the calculations of old ladies I think donkey is right. The fly flies with its own speed as long as a train needs to arrive at half distance between the two trains.

[D-Type]

Yup, correct. A real mathematician can develop an expression for an infinite series and then develop another to summate it and finally arrive at the answer of 4km.

[donKey jote]

... while a real donkey prefers the path of least energy :)

[D-Type]

So now the real donkey has to think of a question ... ;)

[donKey jote]

813 213 ??? :andrea:

[gadjo_dilo]

Looks like a phone number to an erotic line.....

[donKey jote]

I wouldn't know :kiss: :andrea:

[gadjo_dilo]

What number gives the same result when it is added to 1,5 as when it's multiplied by 1,5?

[schmenke]

3

[gadjo_dilo]

3
Right.

[donKey jote]

813 213 ??? :andrea:

0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 ... Fibonacci :dozey:

[gadjo_dilo]

11x11=4
22x22=16
33x33=?

[Starter]

11x11=4
22x22=16
33x33=?
256

[donKey jote]

36

[gadjo_dilo]

There are more answers to the Q but I don't think 256 is among them. Maybe if you say how you got it....( 16**2? ).

[donKey jote]

512

[donKey jote]

(1+1) *(1+1) = 4
(2+2) *(2+2) = 16
(3+3) *(3+3) = 36

4^1=4
4^2=16
4^3=64

2^(1+1)=4
2^(2+2)=16
3^(3+3)=512

:p :andrea: :bandit: :kiss:

[gadjo_dilo]

36 is one of the solutions

Smart Donkey!!!!!!

Don't think that 64 and 512 are too logical.
Waiting for other 2 possibilities.

[Rudy Tamasz]

0.111111111111...

[gadjo_dilo]

0.111111111111...

Why? :confused:

[Starter]

There are more answers to the Q but I don't think 256 is among them. Maybe if you say how you got it....( 16**2? ).
11x11=4
22x22=16
33x33=?
If 11x11= 4 and 22x22=16 (16=4x4), then 33x33= 256 (16x16).

You needed one more progression in your example to eliminate many of the possibilities.

[gadjo_dilo]

Well, the results are generated by the relations of figures on the left.
Other posibility:

11×11=121 1+2+1=4

22×22=484 4+8+4=16
Then
33×33=1089 1+8+9=18

[airshifter]

Well, the results are generated by the relations of figures on the left.
Other posibility:

11×11=121 1+2+1=4

22×22=484 4+8+4=16
Then
33×33=1089 1+8+9=18

Based on such strange relationships the answer could be 81


11x11=4
22x22=16
33x33=?

1(+)1 x 1(+)1 = 4


2x2=4
4x4=16
9x9=81

[gadjo_dilo]

1(+)1 x 1(+)1 = 4


:confused:

[airshifter]

1(+)1 x 1(+)1 = 4


:confused:

Haha... I went brain dead on the 3rd one. My answer should have been the same as donkeys. For some reason with the 3's I multiplied and then did the square. But illogical math is not a strength of mine.

Dare I say women are better at illogical thinking? It seems you have more answers than anyone else.... hmmm (scatches chin)

[gadjo_dilo]

Haha... I went brain dead on the 3rd one. My answer should have been the same as donkeys. )
The weird thing is that 81 was also on my mind as a good solution. Only when I saw your demonstation I realised it's wrong. :laugh:



Dare I say women are better at illogical thinking? It seems you have more answers than anyone else.... hmmm (scatches chin)

Dare to say what you want as long as you are about 10000 km far away from me and can easily avoid :arrows:

But on this you're right.
Because our ways to think and solve problems can get a man out of his mind. But it's only men's fault that thier heavy minds turns only and only around us. :p


PS I think it's useless to ask Donkey for a new Q....

[Rudy Tamasz]

Why? :confused:

Because. I based my twist of logic on the progression of arithmetic operations that I saw in your task.

11x11=4
22x22=16
33x33=?

I.e. the operation that returns the needed result in the first line seems to be addition (1+1+1+1=4). In the second line it is multiplication (2x2x2x2=16). Then logically, in the third line it must be division. Then 3/3/3/3=0.111111111...

[gadjo_dilo]

Then 44x44 = .......? :devil:

[Rudy Tamasz]

Then it's deduction. 4-4-4-4=-8. Easy. :)

[gadjo_dilo]

Here's a new one:

Characters in a computer game are robots of red, black and
green colour, which may have between 2 and 4 hands and between 3-7 buttons.
What is the smallest number of robots to be selected
so that we are sure that we have 10 identical robots?
Justify.

[Starter]

Here's a new one:

Characters in a computer game are robots of red, black and
green colour, which may have between 2 and 4 hands and between 3-7 buttons.
What is the smallest number of robots to be selected
so that we are sure that we have 10 identical robots?
Justify.
12. Ten of one color and one each of the other two. The operative word for the hands and buttons is "may".

[gadjo_dilo]

Noooooooooooooooo......................

[Firstgear]

3 color variations * 3 hand variations * 5 button variations = 3*3*5 = 45 different types of robots. Multiply this by 9 = 405 and you have 9 of each type. Add 1 = 406. 406 guarantees you'd have at least 10 of one type. so my answer is 406

[gadjo_dilo]

Good answer. Congrats. Even if they say it's a problem for the 3rd grade.

[Starter]

Noooooooooooooooo......................
Sorry, have to protest your answer. Your question clearly says "may have" and not "have" which implys that there is not necessarily more than one number of hands or buttons and you asked for the smallest number of robots, so 12 is correct.

[gadjo_dilo]

Ok, if it makes you happy........

I know I have major problems in using Shakespeare's language.

[Starter]

Ok, if it makes you happy........

I know I have major problems in using Shakespeare's language.
Don't feel bad. The difference between "shall" and "will" trip English speakers all the time and I just threw "may" into the hat too.

[airshifter]

Sorry, have to protest your answer. Your question clearly says "may have" and not "have" which implys that there is not necessarily more than one number of hands or buttons and you asked for the smallest number of robots, so 12 is correct.

That math still doesn't add up for me as it assumes the variables as stated are minimized. The use of the words "to ensure" in the original problem would require us to account for all variables.

If you don't account for the variables it's possible to have only 10 robots and they happen to be identical.

[Starter]

That math still doesn't add up for me as it assumes the variables as stated are minimized. The use of the words "to ensure" in the original problem would require us to account for all variables.

If you don't account for the variables it's possible to have only 10 robots and they happen to be identical.
Here is the original question:
Characters in a computer game are robots of red, black and
green colour, which may have between 2 and 4 hands and between 3-7 buttons.
What is the smallest number of robots to be selected
so that we are sure that we have 10 identical robots?
Justify.

You are correct. 10 is the answer and I was wrong. There is no requirement in the question that there must be a robot of each color included. Just that you need a minimum of ten of one color. And the question does specify that we are looking for the smallest number necessary.