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Another "What am I?"

  • I am a calculator, designer of zoos.
  • I know many answers, yet question them too.
  • I've read up on stones, red, blue, and gray.
  • I wonder 'bout people and the things that they say.
  • My answer is clearly glaringly obvious,
  • So now the comes the question: I am what?

If you answer, but don't know one or two of the clues, I'll fill them in for you.

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  • $\begingroup$ All of this refers to one single thing?? $\endgroup$
    – Sid
    Sep 30, 2016 at 11:20
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ It's better to wait for someone else to try to fill them in. Leave the fun to someone who want to solve it... :) $\endgroup$
    – Stewie Griffin
    Sep 30, 2016 at 13:03
  • $\begingroup$ @Sid Yep! They're all one thing! $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Sep 30, 2016 at 14:01
  • $\begingroup$ @StewieGriffin I'll see if there's just one clue nobody can figure out or something. Other than that, I agree it's interesting to see submissions and edits come in gradually. $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Sep 30, 2016 at 14:02
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    $\begingroup$ Is the typo in the last line (an extra 'the' between now and comes) intentional? $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Sep 30, 2016 at 16:06

6 Answers 6

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Leonardo Da Vinci

I am a calculator,

mathematics

designer of zoos.

zoölogy and architecture — rather flimsy, I admit, and Leonardo was noted for freeing birds from cages

I know many answers, yet question them too.

general philosophy

I've read up on stones, red, blue, and gray.

geology (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary?)

I wonder 'bout people and the things that they say.

you'd think psychology — but contemporary “psychology” did not exist in his time; history is the nearest fit

My answer is clearly glaringly obvious,

(Though it took me a year …)

So now the comes the question: I am what?

a Renaissance polymath

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Correct! But I'm looking for a specific example of one. If you get it, I'll accept it as answered. $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Oct 3, 2016 at 10:52
  • $\begingroup$ For the record: When I was considering Descartes for a candidate, that sixth line really fit well — indeed, that was the major reason for me to consider him. That fifth line, however, really bugs me as to how I can't think of a good match for it — not even with L da Vinci. $\endgroup$
    – can-ned_food
    Sep 23, 2017 at 6:20
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Are you

IBM's Watson

I am a calculator, designer of zoos

the calculator part is fairly obvious, since watson is an AI. The zoo part, after some quick googling, it turns out that the Cincinnati zoo is using some IBM analytics stuff? That might be a stretch though.

I know many answers, yet question them too.

This could be referring to the fact that Watson is well known for having competed on the show Jeopardy, where you are given a clue in the form of an 'answer' and you must reply in the form of a 'question'. What is Watson?

I've read up on stones, red, blue, and gray.

I don't have an answer for this one, sorry

I wonder 'bout people and the things that they say.

Watson is an AI and was designed to be able to parse and understand English sentences (and maybe other languages too, but human languages, not programming languages).

My answer is clearly glaringly obvious,

So now the comes the question: I am what?

This is just referring back to the second line again, where in Jeopardy the answer comes first followed by the question.

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  • $\begingroup$ First answer to give a good explanation to the last lines, but still no. Very creative though! $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Sep 30, 2016 at 22:47
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A possible answer:

A pencil

I am a calculator, designer of zoos.

You use a pencil to do sums and a pen is used to draw things in architecture

I know many answers, yet question them too.

A pencil is used to write answers, but also to question

I've read up on stones, red, blue, and gray.

Maybe referring to lead or graphite which can be red, blue, grey or any colour

I wonder 'bout people and the things that they say.

It could be strange to a pencil what is written

My answer is clearly glaringly obvious,

One may be in front of you

So now the comes the question: I am what?

A pencil

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1
  • $\begingroup$ No, sorry. The last line is actually a clue as well, which you don't have an answer for. $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Sep 30, 2016 at 15:41
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Are you

Google

Rationale:

Designer of zoos

Google Zoo

I know many answers, yet question them too.

It is a search engine so it would have answers.

I've read up on stones, red, blue, and gray.

These three seem to be the only colours on buttons on the various Google product UIs

So now the comes the question: I am what?

A possible reference to "I'm feeling lucky"?

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3
  • $\begingroup$ The colors in Google are green, yellow, blue, and red, and you don't have two of the clues. $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Oct 3, 2016 at 10:53
  • $\begingroup$ Thats why I mentioned buttons. But I still need to figure out the other w. $\endgroup$
    – shree.pat18
    Oct 3, 2016 at 10:59
  • $\begingroup$ OK, blue is most common in their buttons, but they don't have gray very prominently, and buttons certainly aren't stones. $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Oct 3, 2016 at 11:01
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You may be

Charles Darwin

I am a calculator, designer of zoos.

Darwin was a scientist and thought in terms of logic. His theories on biology (evolution, natural selection, etc) led to the framework for how we classify animals today. Animals are also categorized in a zoo.

I know many answers, yet question them too.

He was well-educated and knew much of natural science. He also wanted to learn more about the world, and joined an expedition (on the HMS Beagle) to learn about new species.

I've read up on stones, red, blue, and gray.

Darwin was also a geologist, and maybe knew about colorful rocks and gemstones.

I wonder about people and the things that they say.

When he originally published his theories, they caused some controversy. He was popular among the scientific community but unpopular with the general public.

My answer is clearly glaringly obvious,

Darwin's supporters say that his theories (such as evolution) are intuitive and easy to observe objectively, such as by studying animal life or land formations.

So now the comes the question: I am what?

This repeats the question. You are Charles Darwin.

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  • $\begingroup$ I feel like the last hint should fit better with your given answer. To him, the answer to the last question is "clearly glaringly obvious", but he's interested if other people come to the same conclusion about what we are as a species. (And history has shown us that a lot don't want to accept it or misinterpret it). $\endgroup$
    – Imus
    Jun 6, 2017 at 14:44
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Are you

The Who

?

The clues all match songs but one that gives it away is

Red blue and grey. "Blue red and grey" is a the Who song.

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I can't find any of their songs that match most of the clues. Can you give their names, please? $\endgroup$
    – Ethan Chapman
    Oct 5, 2016 at 11:01
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, please edit this answer to include more explanation as to how it fits the clues. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Oct 5, 2016 at 21:02

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