Well since we are on a joke slowdown, how about something else to get your gray matter flowing.

Some here have probably seen this but for those who haven't it's a good exercise.





This is a standard question asked of Microsoft prospective employees. If you can solve it in under 3 minutes, you are considered extremely intelligent. One group of Motorola employees took an entire day to solve it and were unsuccessful. This is NOT made up. It is for real. You can do it too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

There are 4 guys who need to cross a bridge. ONLY 2 can cross at once, and they have to have the flashlight while crossing because it is dark. In other words, 2 can cross and one must come back to return the flashlight, and then 2 more can cross. Each guy crosses in a different amount of time as follows:

A. 1 minute
B. 2 minutes
C. 5 minutes
D. 10 minutes

Remember, if a faster guy walks with a slower guy they must move at the speed of the slower walker. For example, if A and D walk across together, it will take them 10 minutes to cross. They must all be on the other side of the bridge in 17 minutes or less. In what order do they cross?

Time yourself and be honest now.
Droptine

A and B cross and A returns = 3 minutes
C and D cross and B returns = 12 minutes
A and B cross = 2 minutes

Sum = 17 minutes

I believe I have seen this elsewhere as a brain teaser for computer code folks. There are always challenges to write efficient problem solving programs that do not simply explore every potential solution.

19?

30 sec.

What do I win?

AB,AC,AD total 17 minutes took me all of 30 seconds if I AM RIGHT.

If you burn the bridge there will be enough light for them all to cross at the same time. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Also the slower guy would have some motivation to get the lead out. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

here's a good (but potentially frustrating) one:
"petals around the rose"

http://crux.baker.edu/cdavis09/roses.html

You are not allowing any time for A to go back across for the next partner.

TILT!!!!!

Can't be done in 17 minutes within those constraints.


Can it? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Wait "1 minute" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
--Mike

I've seen the same problem, from sheep and wolves ect.
One of the benefits of being a military brat is I got to see a lot of different schools. We got a test once, instruction following with a whole list of things to do. We would be timed. The number one thing said, "read all the instructions first".
So instruction # 2 was write your name...tear off the top left corner of the test ect.

The LAST instruction was to disregard all instructions and sit quietly at your desk. See instruction one.

Only I'd seen it in California and they are trying that same stunt here in NC. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

First saw that same test as ironically, Campers around the Campfire!

--Mike

The second solution in which A and B initially depart but B returns,
followed by C & D crossing with A returning to help B produces an indentical time. It can't be done in under 17, however.

A favorite one I like to try on kids (and we're all kids here) involves drawing 3 squares on a sheet of paper (call them houses). Next, write down 3 letters: G, W, and E for gas, water, and electricty in any postion desired. Now, by drawing any shaped line from each utility to each house, get all 3 utilities to all 3 houses without crossing another line or passing through a house or utility. Can't be done, but don't tell the kids. There will never be an open path for the very last line. To save paper, open up Paint or Paintbrush and use the pencil. 1Minute

These remind me of the stumper that my Dad taught me many years ago.

A man had seventeen horses and three sons. He died and left a will that gave one son half his horses, another son got one third of the horses and the last son got one nineth. They were forbidden to kill a horse and divide that way.

How was the division done?


BCR

O I C .....1minute got it...kewl

Thats too easy ....

A+B cross together with the flashlight (2 minutes)
They open up their laptop and play with Windows until it crashes (30 seconds) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
They then turn the laptop so the bridge is illuminated by the light from the Windows blue screen-of-death ...
C+D walk across to the blue light (10 minutes) ....
Total time = 12 minutes 30 seconds !!

Do I Get the job ?? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

... Silver Bullet

Lux et Veritas

My father also told me this same riddle saying his father had told him.

It's a fairly good one and enjoyable.


The answer to the initial one in this thread is also interesting but fairly simple.



This one was pretty good too.


ALBERT EINSTEIN'S RIDDLE

There are no tricks, just pure logic, so good luck and don't give up.

1. In a street there are five houses, painted five different colours.
2. In each house lives a person of different nationality
3. These five homeowners each drink a different kind of beverage, smoke
different brand of cigar and keep a different pet.

THE QUESTION: WHO OWNS THE FISH?

HINTS

1. The Brit lives in a red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The Green house is on the left of the White house.
5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
12. The man who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes Blends has a neighbour who drinks water.

if you think 3 D on this one you can do it.

Just draw it in 3-D. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I dunno how they split the horses, but who gets the left over one eighteenth of the fathers property ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Scott

P.S. The actual division is 9/6/2.

Here is a real brain teaser. It doesn't have a simple solution, but it does have a solution:

You have twelve balls that look identical, except they all have a numeral scribed on them. Eleven of the balls are identical, but the twelfth is a different weight than the rest. It could be heavier, it could be lighter. You also have a balance, so you can compare the weight of one ball against another, or two balls against two others, three against three etc...

The puzzle, is to determine which ball is the "oddball", and if it is lighter or heavier, with only 3 comparisons total.

Regards,
Scott

My brain hurts!! Tell a joke, even a bad one!

DaveKing,
This has stumped me!
Anymore hints? I don't get it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Bart185

No more hints..it's all there. I really enjoyed it and once you get a start on it you'll probably get it quick enough.

I've been trying for an hour <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />.
Come on,one little hint? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

Bart185

Okay... Only think about #4, #9 and #14 for a while... there is something there to get you going a bit.

Sorry Dave, I'm gonna punt <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />.
Anyone else wanna give it a shot?
Good luck!

OK ... My wife and I solved DaveKing's "Einstein" thingy... I will tell you who owns the fish, but I wont tell you the full breakdown of each household... you need to do that for yourself...

The German owns the fish...

Scott, you're right on the division of the horses. 9-6-2 the way it my Dad explained it to me is this:

They didn't know how to divide the horses either so they asked a stranger riding by.

He told them to turn his horse in the lot and for the first boy to take his half (9) of the now 18 horses and leave his horse alone.

Same for the one third (6)

And for the one nineth (2)

Then he got back on his horse and rode on.

The fun comes watching the expression as the addition is done in the head and the puzzlement as to where the extra horse showed up from. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />



BCR

Boggy Creek Ranger...

Please do not think I'm being rude, but if the answer to your riddle involves a mystery passer-by with a horse, then the answer to the bridge crossing riddle might as well be what someone else stated - which is "set the bridge on fire and everyone run across in 10 minutes before it burns down". I always thought the point of these brain teasers was to have all the information you need in front of you... not to fabricate things to happen to make it easier. As far as I'm concerned, your brain teaser is not possible - your "solution" is bunk.

BCR

This riddle as told to me by my father involved a lawyer rather than a stranger (perhaps one in the same). This additional horse in the corral information was relayed during the initial telling of the riddle.

Is short: Father dies, boys try to divide horses at 1/2, 1/6th, 1/9th buy fail, summon a lawyer whose horse is put into the corral, lawyer makes the required division, lawyer retrieves horse from corral and leaves, boys happy. Question is, how many horses did each boy get??





The Microsoft Bridge

Mr. 1 min
Mr. 2 min
Mr. 5 min
Mr. 10 min

First trip: Mr. 1 min & Mr. 2 min. 2 minutes across
First return: Mr. 1 min 1 minute return
Second trip: Mr. 5 min & Mr. 10 min 10 minutes across
Second return: Mr. 2 min 2 minutes return
Third trip: Mr. 1 min & Mr. 2 min 2 minutes across

17 Minutes



WGM

The Einstein's Riddle.

Glad you perhaps enjoyed it.



The 3 houses and 3 utilities.

I first recall solving this one many years ago as blammer suggested. Draw the puzzle on a torus (doughnut/donut) shaped object and solve it in 3-D.






One I haven't heard from anyone other than my father.


A young boy is walking home carrying a bag containing apples (oranges,peaches,pomegranates,whatever).

He has NO method to cut the apples and MUST always give away a whole apple. He can not eat the apples nor throw some away and they must always be carried in the bag (not in his pockets or such)

He meets a elderly woman he knows and decides to give her some apples. He gives her half the apples plus half an apple she thanks him and he continues on his way.
A short while later he meets a young girl and decides to give her some apples. He gives her half the remaining apples plus half an apple and continues on his way.


He arrives home with one apple remaining in the bag. How many apples did his give the elderly woman and how many did he give the young girl?

I think Bubba can just carry that slow dude on his back, Dunno but, I wouldn't want to mess with the guy with twelve balls.

Scott: You've got me on this one. If one knew whether he was sorting for a heavy or light individual it would be a snap. Assuming we were looking for a light one The answer would be first balance of 6 against 6. Take the light side set and balance 3 against 3. Take that light side and go 1 on 1, if those two are even it's the odd one out. With no knowledge of whether we are seeking a light or heavy. I don't think it can be accomplished in 3 weighings. Please enlighten us. 1Minute

1minute... that's precisely what I found out. I'm quite certain that as-is, there's no way to figure it out in only 3 weighings. I've heard that same riddle, but with the knowlege of the odd ball being either lighter, or heavier... but never where it could be either.

Boggy: That's a crock! I suppose we could have a bunch of foaling mares too and really screw stuff up. Nothing should be added to the pot by those accomplishing the solution. 1Minute

Here's one I taught my daughter. She got lots of mileage out of it and we both took great delight in the look on faces when people think "oh no, fractions!" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

How do you split seven potatoes among 11 people?





Mash 'em!

I know...dumb, but the look on faces relieved to not have to do fractions is priceless!

--Mike

Dave - that's a good one. He starts with 7, gives the old woman 4, the young girl 2 and has one for himself.


1Minute and WGM - here are a couple of hints: 1) Think in base 3 arithmatic, and 2) you will always compare the same number of balls e.g. 3 and 3 or 4 and 4 etc...

Chew on that for a bit, and let me know if you want the solution.

Scott

WGM and 1 minute

1. I suppose it is a riddle and a very very old one more than a brain teaser. So then take it for a riddle.

2. Unwad thy panties. The whole deal is of absolutely no consequence on a cosmic scale.

3. Try to imagine how little I care what anyone else thinks of the merits of the old story.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


BCR

Boggy ... for what it's worth, I really could care less myself. As long as you know your "riddle" is whacked out, that's all that I care about. And since you seem to like those open ended riddles, here's one for you:

How many pancakes does it take to shingle a purple elephant?

Please, feel free to make up whatever you like in order to answer it, since that's basically how your "riddle" works... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

WOW! Your wound kinda tight buddy.

Actually, I'm not wound tight at all... Just being kind enough to point out the facts in a way the BCR can understand 'em... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You would be amazed at what BCR understands Sir, truly amazed.

T LEE ... You may be right. Most likely you are. However, that still has nothing to do with the "riddle" and the fact that it's an impossible riddle that leaves itself open to having someone "make up" something else to add to the "riddle" so that it can be solved. Had BCR replied by saying something like "sorry, I typed out the riddle wrong.. I was supposed to tell you that they called in their elder who rode in to help them" ... then at least you would be able to say "ahhh... he RODE IN... ON A HORSE ... and they could use that horse, etc etc etc... But, he didn't reply that way, did he?

Anyway, I wasn't meaning to be critical... just simply pointing out the fact that it is not possible to solve the riddle in any logical way as it was presented in the first place. I don't think anyone can dispute that. No hard feelings, seriously. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Well to someone like me, riddles might as well be the secret of the universe anyway, never was good at them. Just that I know BCR, he ain't nobodys fool and is a true gentelman.

T LEE ... as I said... I'm sure you're right about him. I haven't had the pleasure to get to know him and can only comment on what I see... which is what I did. Didn't mean to offend anyone if I did... never was my intention.

No sweat man, just let her sink to the bottom.

Got it, but an explanation is way too lengthly. Basically one uses a first balance of 2 of the 3 groups of 4 to establish that either group 1 and 2 are equal and 3 is odd or that group 1 or 2 have an odd ball. One then compares 3 known equals against 3 of the 4 from the suspect group. If they are equal the 4th is odd. If the 3 equals vs 3 suspects is different then third balance involes 2 of the three from the suspect group. If they are equal the 3rd ball is odd. Here's a web site where one can practice. http://members.aol.com/kmgames/oddball/12balls.htm

WGM - no need to have another horse. Heck, do it with a circle drawn on the ground with the word "horse" written in it. The idea is that there is only 17/18ths of a legacy accounted for.

Besides, you should be devoting your free time to solving the 12 ball problem <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

These problems aren't supposed to be the last word in reality either. They're just supposed to get you thinking either analytically or creatively. Here's the one that is supposedly the origin of "thinking outside the box".


Arrange 9 dots in a square 3x3 matrix like so:


. . .
. . .
. . .


Now, take a pen/pencil, and 1) without lifting it from the paper 2) draw 4 straight lines that 3) do not retrace themselves but 4) connect all 9 dots.


Regards,
Scott

I hear ya man... it's all good. And I do know the matrix one... you must " think outside the box " ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

WGM I sort of sense that my answer to you sort of give you offense. Sorry about that as I just didn't think how it might have read. Reading it again I see it was sort of sharp.

The 17 horse deal was just an old old old story. Lord, Moses might have thought it up on a slow day and used jackasses or something.

Now if I remember the way I wrote it I believe I said they asked a stranger riding by.

I see how I can fix it to answer your objection and when I tell it again I'll do her. You want me to do it now? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Here's a hand across the campfire to my coonass fellow poster. How's about we shake on it and just forget the whole deal? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


BCR

BCR ... don't worry about a thing. Me and my coonass self are no worse for the wear, and neither should you be. The fact that I took issue with the way you posted the riddle means nothing of you. Likewise, I should infer nothing about you from the way you posted. Flip that 'round, and apply that to me, and we're back to where we should be. Here's my hand right back to ya... all is well at the campfire. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Here is the method I came up with. Blame it on too much Computer Science instruction. After thinking in binary and hex, jumping to trinary wasn't that big of a leap. I'd never heard of the other method of solving this. But I first was presented with this in the early 90's. Prior to having the ability to look up everything on "tah interweb".



Weigh the balls like so:

______________Unweighed_______Left Pan (1)_______Right Pan (2)

First weighing____9,10,11,12_________1,2,3,4_______5,6,7,8
Second weighing__3,5,6,11___________1,2,8,10______4,7,9,12
Third weighing____2,5,8,9____________1,4,7,11______3,6,10,12


Now For each weighing, you will have a result of:

0 - the pans are even.
1 - the left pan is heavier
2 - the right pan is heavier

You are essentially creating a three digit, base three, number.

If the weighings go Even, Even, Left, we'll write this as 001, if the weighings go Right, Left, Even, we'll write this as 210, etc..

Here's the matrix for results, just for the particular combination of weighings that I devised.

001 11 is heavy
002 11 is light
010 9 is light
011 12 is light
012 10 is heavy
020 9 is light
021 10 is light
022 12 is heavy
100 5 is light
101 6 is light
102 3 is heavy
110 2 is heavy
111 1 is heavy
112 unused
120 8 is light
121 4 is heavy
122 7 is light
200 5 is heavy
201 3 is light
202 6 is heavy
210 8 is heavy
211 unused
212 4 is light
220 2 is light
221 7 is heavy
222 1 is light


Now if you look, each ball has a unique number, and also uses its' "opposite" ie ball four uses 121 and 212. If it appears as 121, the ball is heavy, if it appears as 212, the ball is light...


At any rate, it appears there are multiple methods to solving the problem. I like this one because all the logic is done in devising the table, and none of it needs to be done during the weighing.

Regards,
Scott

(edited for formatting)

I think my head isgonnaesplode! You guys are making me dizzy, think I'll go find some jokes. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Pardon me,Scott, but is you speaking English?

BCR

Kinda. Sorta. Mostly....

Here's an old one, that is somewhat timely. You CAN answer this one with the information provided, but you have to be aware of your surroundings...

There is a man. He wants to go home, but he cannot, because there is a masked man there... Who is the man in blue?

The umpire?
--Bob

Hey - good thinking. But wouldn't the umpire be the man in black?

Scott

Scott-
The umpire clothing emporiums (emporia?) that advertise on the web have navy blue and black shirts for sale.
officialsupplies.com

Maybe I'm wrong about the ump. We'll wait patiently for Bug to reveal all.
--Bob