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My life is so short... too short, indeed.
However, I like using it to help people live better.
At least, this is what I was made for!
Since my countless brothers and I were born, we've been called fat :(
But the satisfaction of opening new doors wherever I go makes up for it!

Can you guess what I am?

Hint 1

Although you can't see us, you would normally find us in a rather spherical geometry. (That's why people say we are fat)

Hint 2

We hate thick obstacles, they make us feel tired!

Hint 3

We are a product of engineering advancements, we owe our existence to them.

Hint 4

I fly!

Hint 5

Tell me, Why 5?

Hint 6

Find the pattern to know what we help you with! find-pattern

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  • $\begingroup$ Added a second hint to make things easier. $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 2, 2016 at 20:49
  • $\begingroup$ Mr. Meeseeks is a little bit chubby I suppose $\endgroup$
    – Jared Goguen
    Jun 3, 2016 at 0:55
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Added hint number 3, let's see if it helps $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 3, 2016 at 11:16
  • $\begingroup$ Added a 4th hint, and started a bounty! $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 2:18
  • $\begingroup$ Is the answer something that can be guessed with common knowledge or might some degree of specialist knowledge be required to solve this? $\endgroup$
    – Brent Hackers
    Jun 4, 2016 at 9:45

7 Answers 7

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Is it:

A wifi signal/wifi waves

My life is so short... too short, indeed.

It's made up of short lived electronic waves that can't travel very far

However, I like using it to help people live better.

Internet makes the world a better place

At least, this is what I was made for!

Except for when it's used to spread lies

Since my countless brothers and I were born, we've been called fat :(

Wifi is sent out in an invisible "fat" circle

But the satisfaction of opening new doors wherever I go makes up for it!

Because so much information is at our fingertips, wifi opens metaphorical doors

We hate thick obstacles, they make us feel tired!

It doesn't travel well through thick walls

We are a product of engineering advancements, we owe our existence to them.

Wifi is definitely an engineering advancement

I fly!

Flying is an apt word to describe how it travels

Tell me, Why 5?

"Why five" is pronounced as Wifi

Find the pattern to know what we help you with! (Hint 6)

The only existing pattern is that they are all surfboards. "Surf". Wi-Fi clearly helps us "surf" the internet!

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  • $\begingroup$ Please, use spoiler tags so others can't mistakenly look at your answer. Also, why does the riddle say "since my countless brothers and I are born"? What are those countless brothers? You are on the right track. $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 10:07
  • $\begingroup$ This is the correct answer Molly, congratulations :) Try to fit hints 5 and 6, and I will accept the answer and reward you with +50 reputation! (Hint 5, "Why 5", you need to read it loud and fast! Hint 6, don't lose yourself in the details and see what they have in common) $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 10:38
  • $\begingroup$ By the way, thanks for the spoiler tags @BrentHackers $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 10:39
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    $\begingroup$ I don't understand the bit about fatness at all. Is it actually true that these things have always been called "fat" because of their circular propagation? I don't think that's something I have ever heard. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Jun 4, 2016 at 14:41
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    $\begingroup$ But the riddle doesn't say "you could kinda-sorta call us fat" (though I have to say even that feels like a stretch to me), it says "we have always been called fat", which is simply not true. Oh well, never mind. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Jun 5, 2016 at 13:20
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Even though it isn't a perfect fit, I think you might be talking about

chance (or opportunity)

My life is so short... too short, indeed.

A chance often doesn't last for very long and the person who has a chance must take it at the earliest.

However, I like using it to help people feel better. At least this is what I was made for!

We all rely in the hope of getting a chance to change our lives for the better, and this hope often keeps people going.

Since my countless brothers and I are born, we're called fat.

In a lottery, every person who buys a lottery ticket has a chance to win the lottery. However, it can be called a 'fat chance' since the probability of winning is very low.

We help people, yet they call us fat!

The chance to win the lottery gives some people hope, which can be helpful.

They are right though, and we hate it...

However, the people who dismiss the chances of winning the lottery calling it a 'fat chance' are right, statistically speaking.

... but this fact clearly compensates with the satisfaction of opening new doors wherever I go.

An opportunity is said to be like a new door which can lead to new and different things.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hi CodeNewbie! The solution I had in mind is far different from yours. However, your solution does make a lot of sense and is a nearly-perfect fit (although very different from the solution I was asking for). I am new to this site, should I accept it even if it doesn't match my solution? $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 2, 2016 at 13:08
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    $\begingroup$ @JoseLopez: No, if it isn't even close to what you were going for, don't accept it. Instead, post a hint or two that would point towards your intended answer, making sure that the new hints would clearly invalidate my answer. $\endgroup$
    – CodeNewbie
    Jun 2, 2016 at 13:12
  • $\begingroup$ @JoseLopez: I would encourage you to give an upvote if you liked this answer though. $\endgroup$
    – CodeNewbie
    Jun 2, 2016 at 13:17
  • $\begingroup$ Added a hint. I will add another one tomorrow if nobody dares to give it a try! $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 2, 2016 at 14:19
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I'm not sure it's a perfect fit but I'll try it

You're an Adipocyte, a cell specialized in storing energy as fat.

My life is so short... too short, indeed.

The life span of a cell if very short.

However, I like using it to help people feel better. At least this is what I was made for!

During its life, a fat cell keeps people warm.

Since my countless brothers and I are born, we're called fat.

If you have a lot of these cells, you may be overweight...

... but this fact clearly compensates with the satisfaction of opening new doors wherever I go.

I'm not sure about how it fits this one :(

Hint 1

These cells are spherical shaped

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  • $\begingroup$ Good try @Kalissar! The answer, however, is far different from what you suggested. In addition to this, your answer doesn't explain the "opening new doors" thing. With respect the redundancy: yes, you should treat the two sentences as one, since they are saying basically the same thing. $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 2, 2016 at 14:44
  • $\begingroup$ Ah ! I'll wait for another hint then :p $\endgroup$
    – Kalissar
    Jun 2, 2016 at 14:46
  • $\begingroup$ In fact, since you are right with the redundancy thing, I deleted it from the puzzle. Just in case you want to modify your answer accordingly! $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 2, 2016 at 15:36
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You are

Carbon ions, particularly in cancer treatment.

Your life is short because

The ion is created in the linear accelerator and destroyed when it reaches the patient.

You are called fat because

You are the heaviest radiation used in cancer treatment.

You open new doors because

Different trials with you could lead to previously undiscovered forms of cancer treatment.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good try but far from the solution. How do carbon ions fit both hints? $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 2, 2016 at 23:35
  • $\begingroup$ @JoseLopez, well the fatness would be because they are what's called "heavy ionizing radiation", and they hate thick targets because they can't penetrate thick layers of tissue (or anything) like neutrons or gammas. $\endgroup$
    – user1717828
    Jun 3, 2016 at 10:21
  • $\begingroup$ Again, good try! The solution I'm asking for is far different from what you suggested though, see Hint number 3. $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 3, 2016 at 11:18
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I will make a guess with

Bubble wrap

Short lived

They are burst for fun

Makes people's life better

Protects the goods and items

Countless brothers

Many bubbles in a wrap sheet

Spherical geometry

Well bubbles are spherical

Hate thick obstacles

That's what they are meant to protect from. And burst on collision

Engineering advancements

Simple but no less a feat of engineering

Not sure about the flight but

Packages are delivered all over the world enclosed in a bubble wrap

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Most original answer so far! If there was a button to "upvote for originality" you'd probably be in the first place. However, bubble wraps don't fly on their own! Also it doesn't fit with thick walls making them feel tired! $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 10:22
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You are a

muon

You are short lived

a half-life of 2.2 microseconds

You are fat

muon is a massive particle (207 times more massive than an electron)

You help people live better

muons are created by scientists and engineers for specific purposes

You open doors

One of the most common uses of muons is for imaging, such as finding hidden chambers in pyramids; i.e., making doors into opaque objects

Thick objects slow you down

Although muons penetrate deeper than most other particles, thicker objects slow them down more (as with most particles)

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  • $\begingroup$ Good try. I didn't know about the muon (had to Google it). Are you sure it is a product of Engineering, or can it be found on nature without human intervention? Anyway, doesn't fit too well with the hints and with what I was asking! But I'm sure your next try will be better!! $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 2:15
  • $\begingroup$ oh well. they do occur in nature (obviously, since they are an elementary particle), but quite a bit of engineering was required to make them for useful purposes. $\endgroup$
    – longestwayround
    Jun 4, 2016 at 2:59
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Maybe?:

You are a radiation particle of sorts?

My life is so short... too short, indeed.

Radioactive particles can have very short half lives

However, I like using it to help people live better.

Chemotherapy uses radiation to help cancer patients, X Ray's help see things we can't on the surface.

At least, this is what I was made for!

Not sure what is defined as made, because if the roots of radiation are traced back, then we see a rather destructive history, but I guess if we go with the medical side of things, it is produced for good.

Since my countless brothers and I were born, we've been called fat :(

Not sure, maybe the particles are rather spherical and large?

But the satisfaction of opening new doors wherever I go makes up for it!

Cured person is a new person, a new person which opens doors to a new life

Hint 1: Although you can't see us, you would normally find us in a rather spherical geometry. (That's why people say we are fat)

Radioactive particles are spherical

Hint 2: We hate thick obstacles, they make us feel tired!

Thick materials can slow down or completely block radioactive particles

Hint 3: We are a product of engineering advancements, we owe our existence to them.

Engineering advancements allowed for the creation and emission of radioactive particles

Hint 4: I fly!

I guess they fly?

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  • $\begingroup$ Good try Xylius, but not the answer I'm looking for. As you said, radiation was originally made to wreck destruction and not to help people. $\endgroup$
    – Jose Lopez Garcia
    Jun 4, 2016 at 10:10

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