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A life inside the confining dark
Their work unseen, but try to hark
Hark to what they say, get steady
Go ahead and free one already

From my experience I can tell
I'm very close to my defeat
Maybe a clever mind can help
Which one is it I urgently need?

Hint for those who don't know what the riddle is asking:

The first verse describes a group of entities of which the second verse wants you to choose the right one.

Hint for those who need to narrow down their number of possible solutions:

Use your bright mind :P Plus, the solution is available in a figurative and obvious way in order to confirm or deny your guess.

Hint for everyone else:

I recommend using a computer for this.

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    $\begingroup$ Why are there so many downvotes on this one? $\endgroup$
    – Rohcana
    Commented Oct 2, 2015 at 22:27
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    $\begingroup$ It's unclear what the goal of the riddle is. Which one is [what exactly?] do you need? $\endgroup$
    – Hackiisan
    Commented Oct 3, 2015 at 8:53
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    $\begingroup$ Wow, you must be serious. Alright, I'll edit for you :) $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 3, 2015 at 10:16
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    $\begingroup$ Is using a computer necessary? Does it involve cryptography? Please use the required tag(s), if any. $\endgroup$
    – ghosts_in_the_code
    Commented Oct 4, 2015 at 12:02
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    $\begingroup$ I don't understand why the close vote. If you're voting it's too board plz provide some answers that support your vote. $\endgroup$
    – Alex
    Commented Oct 21, 2015 at 15:21

8 Answers 8

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The answer is

The heart


A life inside the confining dark
Their work unseen, but try to hark

The organs in the body. They are all "alive" and you can hear some of them if you hark.

Hark to what they say, get steady
Go ahead and free one already

The lines above tell us to hark the sound of the body.

From my experience I can tell
I'm very close to my defeat

In the pulse diagrams there are highs and lows and this is reference to a "low". Also note that one heartbeat a month is not enough for a living :D

Maybe a clever mind can help
Which one is it I urgently need?

A new/stronger heart is needed. Also we need to use a computer in order to solve the riddle. Like look in the profile of @Avigrail and there you can see a reputation diagram. It's quite the same:rep

Thanks for the great riddle :)

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  • $\begingroup$ If you see "experience" as "reputation on pse" you may find the last hint. RSS versions don't show the rep-history on the profile overview. That's why I recommended using a computer. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 20, 2015 at 8:14
  • $\begingroup$ Sooo... the way I see it the entities are the elements of the periodic table and the answer is one element?! :) $\endgroup$
    – Marin Takanov
    Commented Oct 20, 2015 at 10:11
  • $\begingroup$ Don't get confused. Your answer "heart" was just fine. I added my comment so you can find the last clue (if you want). $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 20, 2015 at 14:02
  • $\begingroup$ @Martin Takanov will you go look for thd last clue? $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 10:28
  • $\begingroup$ I'm searching for the answer, but no luck so far :/ I've favorited this riddle and come here every day. $\endgroup$
    – Marin Takanov
    Commented Oct 23, 2015 at 14:06
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The question relates to

Veins inside the body

A life inside the confining dark

Veins are keeping us alive in the dard

Their work unseen, but try to hark

The pulse you can hear through them

Hark to what they say, get steady

Go ahead and free one already

A reference to the jugular vein / carotid vein / some vein of which there is only one in the body

From my experience I can tell I'm very close to my defeat Maybe a clever mind can help Which one is it I urgently need?

You need the ulnar / radial artery, which if you "free" then you can overcome your defeat.

I sincerely hope that that answer is wrong, cos its just too dark for my tastes!

The hint

I needed to use a computer for the names of the veins, since I didn't know them.

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  • $\begingroup$ In what ways can Scrabble tiles be related to A life? $\endgroup$
    – S.C.
    Commented Oct 5, 2015 at 10:25
  • $\begingroup$ I agree with Seraph. Other than that, your attempt is not the intended one but very creative +1 $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 5, 2015 at 12:03
  • $\begingroup$ Hey @Avigrail, did you see the edit I made? $\endgroup$
    – Anees Rao
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 3:17
  • $\begingroup$ Geeting closer but still not the one. In what way would using a Computer be different here? $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 4:59
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I feel like this fits but is still a little bit of a stretch.

Firstly:

A computer program is what the riddle is referring to, and the program is controlling computer memory, the thing the second verse is asking about.

A life inside the confining dark
Their work unseen, but try to hark

Computer programs are "hidden in the dark" and can't be seen.

Hark to what they say, get steady

The program is executed and terminated by the user.

Go ahead and free one already

Free previously used memory.

From my experience I can tell
I'm very close to my defeat

The program is compiled and therefore "knows" when it will be terminated.

Maybe a clever mind can help
Which one is it I urgently need?

The human writing the program decides what to do with the memory.

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  • $\begingroup$ Close to what someone else here suggested. It fits well here and there but not overall, I agree. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 7, 2015 at 14:07
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My idea is

computer storage or degrading computer components

A life inside the confining dark

Computer enclosures are dark inside

Their work unseen, but try to hark

you do not see them working

Hark to what they say, get steady

For storage, the OS will warn you of running out of space. For computer components, they often give warning when failing. Disk drives overheat, get loud, or stop writing. Flash storage generally becomes readable but not writable. Fans will start working less optimally... etc.

Go ahead and free one already

Storage: free memory or drive space. When resources are no longer being used, it is often referred to as "freeing" or "releasing" the CPU/RAM/etc. Components: free the broken part

From my experience I can tell

Knowing about computers, or the computer knowing its own components

I'm very close to my defeat

Storage: defeat is a completely filled drive. Failing components: defeat is the end of the part's lifespan

Maybe a clever mind can help

a technician, or someone who can work on computers

Which one is it I urgently need?

Storage: what region of disk space or what files to delete... or which between disk/RAM. Components: which part needs to be replaced.

Regarding hint:

I suppose you must use the computer to find if you are out of space, and the computer can also run diagnostics on your hardware. But it seems like awkward phrasing that it was suggested to "use a computer to solve this". Alternatively, you may need to research all this information... but it was stated "the computer" and not "Google".

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  • $\begingroup$ Wow, a lot of this fits the riddle quite well! Good job. However, the title + the 'computer-hint' should actually lead to another solution. Also "A life" or alive doesn't work with computers really. Anyway +1 (would give more) $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 20:39
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    $\begingroup$ I don't know about you, but I like to think of my computer as alive ;) Thanks though, and honestly I didn't think this was correct, but it fit pretty well so I posted it! I'm still thinking $\endgroup$
    – papergodzilla
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 20:53
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A life inside the confining dark
Their work unseen...

Something working in a confined dark place. It lives is whole life inside this place.

...but try to hark
Hark to what they say, get steady
Go ahead and free one already

Something that communicates, acknowledges, makes itself present. Something that can be freed, released.

From my experience I can tell
I'm very close to my defeat
Maybe a clever mind can help
Which one is it I urgently need?

You need pulse.

Your arteries live their whole life inside your body (a confined dark place).

Their function is to carry the blood away from the hearth and to all your organs. They have a very important role on the human body, even though we can't see it.

You can hear/feel your pulse by pressing them. It is almost as if they are communicating with you. The sound you feel/hear is your heartbeat. The sound is released when the hearth pumps the blood through its valves. Without it, it means you're dead (defeated).

If you're feeling ill, dizzy or have any other symptoms like headaches, it could be hearth related, so you should check your pulse and make sure you're not having an hearth attack.

EDIT:

Verse one talks of organs, verse two talks of the heart. Having a "hard heart" is a common term. Regarding the computer, maybe you use the computer to talk to more people? The title fits, but I can't get the hint to fit so well.

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  • $\begingroup$ Conclusion 1 and 2 sound not bad - however, the last one is 'too creative' ;) $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 15:49
  • $\begingroup$ @Avigrail - is it an heartbeat? $\endgroup$
    – Pr-
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 15:56
  • $\begingroup$ That sounds very good/very close to me. But you would need more explanation I'm afraid. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 15:57
  • $\begingroup$ @Avigrail - is heartbeat correct? please acknowledge so i can edit my answer. $\endgroup$
    – Pr-
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 15:59
  • $\begingroup$ I would accept it altough it's not exactly the word I was looking for. I can tell you then ;) $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 16:00
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Is it:

Minesweeper?

A life inside the confining dark

Mines and numbers are hidden

Their work unseen, but try to hark
Hark to what they say, get steady

Numbers are the hints (hark) to nearby mines. Also when removing a mine one should stay steady

Go ahead and free one already

When you successfully uncover a mine.

From my experience I can tell
I'm very close to my defeat

Minesweeper's defeat = player close to win?

Maybe a clever mind can help
Which one is it I urgently need?

That one last mine hidden?

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I'm going to say it's

an idea.

A life inside the confining dark
Their work unseen, but try to hark

You cannot "see" ideas, they are inside your head. And with a little imagination, ideas have a "life" of their own.

Hark to what they say, get steady

You can listen to what your ideas (and intuition) are telling you.

Go ahead and free one already

You can free an idea by communicating it to others.

From my experience I can tell
I'm very close to my defeat

You know someone will solve the riddle, and "defeat" you, as the riddler.

Maybe a clever mind can help Which one is it I urgently need?

The "one" idea is the idea of "The answer is 'an idea'." And you "need" that one particular idea so that the riddle is solved (and completed).

And as far as the hint:

You need to use a computer to be able to access the website and post the answer to "solve" the riddle.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good idea and the first part is working in a way. But towards the end it feels a bit arty ;) $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 18:53
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The answer is a

biological virus.

Para 1:-

A biological virus or just a virus is considered to be living as well as dead(confined dark) at the same time.The damage they do to our body can't be seen as they are very small.Don't ignore them and try to adopt healthy habits in order to expel(=free) these viruses from the body.

Para 2:-

From hint 1,as a virus can also mean a computer virus,so we need to check whether it satisfies all conditions in this para.With passage of time(=experience),either the cure of a viral disease is found by an intelligent doctor or scientist or the almighty human body produces antibodies to tackle the antigens.A computer virus on the other hand might be impossible to destroy and can cause a lot of damage,unless blocked.So,it can't be a viable alternative.

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ It's valid in a way, yes. But the conclusions are a bit loose imo. I guess there would be no difference in solving it with a phone here. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 6, 2015 at 16:34
  • $\begingroup$ @Avigrail please check this $\endgroup$
    – Roby5
    Commented Oct 7, 2015 at 17:22
  • $\begingroup$ Like the first version, this one is about the same and hence not correct. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Commented Oct 7, 2015 at 17:27

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