Questions tagged [lateral-thinking]
A puzzle solved through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable only using logic.
6
votes
0answers
143 views
The P̷̱̚ ȁ̶͈ r̵͝ͅ å̷̡ d̷̹̑ o̸̙̓ x̵̀ͅ i̵͜͠ u̵̼̓ m̷̬̏ // Lock I
You walk into the cave. Strangely enough, you don't know why you walked into the cave. . . Wait second,
What is "the cave" anyways? Where is "here"? Why are you "here"?
And ...
13
votes
3answers
943 views
Shannon O'Hannan Public School Puzzle Contest Winner 2019
This puzzle won the Shannon O'Hannanan Public School's Puzzle Club contest. As the prize, we are letting the winner type out his puzzle on the Puzzling Stack Exchange for all of you to solve. Our ...
7
votes
3answers
242 views
Are these numbers unique?
Grandpa loves numbers. He is always asking me riddles about them. (Annoying if you ask me)
He says:
"These numbers are different than others. Even unique you might say.
There may be others in ...
32
votes
1answer
1k views
A Morse Conundrum
Yesterday, I intercepted a message encoded in Morse code, but, because I was extremely tired, decided to wait until today to decode it to plain text. However, when I looked at the piece of paper I had ...
7
votes
1answer
224 views
Extremely 'Fair' Rip-Off Meal
Recently I decided to dine at the X lodge in Y country. Its reviews comprehensively praised the excellent menu and the extremely fair prices. After being seated, I ordered a soda water.
"Mildly ...
6
votes
2answers
490 views
A silly silly question
Grandpa and I went on a nice camping trip away from it all for hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, kayaking you name it.
After a rather adventurous yet successful day we were walking back to the tent ...
24
votes
1answer
2k views
A Difficult Job
My plumber gave me a perilous job--his figurines had been stolen (3). I had to endure Ian's sobbing before he would tell me the problem under his feet (2). It turns out the girl he dated had taken his ...
12
votes
4answers
843 views
Say My Name Please
People, demons, deities--
These three love to follow me.
Starving, penniless--where reside thee?
I may satiate or be half your need.
Cupboards, crumbs, committees--
Those are different ...
14
votes
4answers
583 views
Is this equation correct?
Grandpa tells me that the following equation is correct.
CIX = FV - CLX
I don't get it.
Do you?
4
votes
2answers
398 views
The Grand Heist
One day, the police receive an anonymous tip that a robbery is about to occur on the fortieth story of a tall building. They grab a car and drive as fast as they can to the site. On arrival, they ...
-2
votes
2answers
131 views
Pattern recognition question [closed]
Here is a number sequence with a missing term:
$22$, $44$, $186$, $1458$, $11680$, $?$
The first thing I noticed is that if you take the first term ($22$) do $2 \times 2 = 4$ and that's the ...
0
votes
2answers
114 views
Puzzle related question about iq test 9876, 5555, 1234,? [closed]
Here is a number series puzzle from an IQ test.
$9876$, $5555$, $1234$, $?$
I would like to know what the next number, ($?$), is. I notice the pattern that all the digits are used in the series; ...
-4
votes
2answers
155 views
Come on people! what am I? [closed]
You are in a store when out of nowhere you hear a voice. It asks.
what am I?
It follows the question with a story.
I asked a lady before and she said “I think you are a banana?”
then I ...
6
votes
14answers
2k views
Rapid Weight Loss, what am I? [closed]
I came up with a new puzzle taken from every day life. See if you can figure it out!
...
-1
votes
2answers
214 views
An interesting mathematical question
If a gas station is 1 mile away from my house and the average person walks 5mph. Its a sunny day and no wind. Why does it take my dad 15 years to come back from the gas station?
9
votes
2answers
232 views
Name that place!
An easy puzzle, but I hope it brings some fun (especially if you are a programmer).
What's the name of the place?
9
votes
2answers
597 views
I'm not a brilliant mathematician
I'm not great at mathematics. Mental arithmetic I can do, but not algebra or calculus or anything like that... Anyway, here's a little puzzle I came up with in my spare time.
I got where I am today ...
14
votes
6answers
763 views
Help with this riddle please
What can you take but not give?
What takes hours to do but it’s over in an instant?
You can get it but never save it.
What gives you sight without seeing?
Run without legs.
Travel the world ...
6
votes
3answers
393 views
Might be early but here we go
Gleefully, we played together in this winter season
Up until now, we have thought this fun will last forever
Ultimately, everything is not unlimited but has a start and end.
Grinning ...
1
vote
0answers
64 views
What are some good resources to practice logical puzzle-solving? [closed]
I currently own this book called "Algorithmic Puzzles" by Anany and Maria Levitin, and I am having a hard time getting through the higher level problems.
I have always been interested in logical ...
1
vote
2answers
192 views
Older sister's get to celebrate their birthday first right? [closed]
A man taking his daughter to her new friends birthday party one Saturday in spring when he happened to overhear his daughter's friend explaining her party to his daughter. saying:
...
20
votes
1answer
411 views
Can you Solve for $x$?
$x=a+b+c^{1}+d^{2}+ \large e ^{\normalsize67}+ \large f \large^{\normalsize62}+ \large g^{\normalsize27}+ \large h^{\normalsize14}+\small i \normalsize^5+\small j \normalsize^1+\small k \normalsize^2+\...
30
votes
4answers
1k views
What ARE they talking about?
The other day I was in a group chat on that brilliant messaging app WhatsGoinOn? when some banter between a few of my friends totally baffled me.
We had been getting nostalgic - talking about all the ...
4
votes
4answers
127 views
Lucky thumbtack
You have a lucky thumbtack and a pencil in your pocket at an amusement park and you want to ride a roller coaster. How do you make sure not to lose your lucky thumbtack on the ride, without holding ...
9
votes
1answer
324 views
Mr. Mouse Goes Shopping
I had a perfect preface to this story, I swear, but now it escapes me. Oh well! It mustn't matter much, must it?
'Twas the night before Black Friday and all through the house, not a creature was ...
2
votes
2answers
168 views
The Cryptic Lab ~3~
SPOILER ALERT PLEASE READ The Cryptic Lab * 1 * AND The Cryptic Lab +2+ BEFORE READING PART 3!
The series is getting less and less attention, so I might close it sooner than I think; after part 5 is ...
1
vote
2answers
128 views
The Cryptic Lab +2+
SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU HAVEN'T LOOKED AT MY QUESTION BEFORE, The Cryptic Lab *1*, YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND MUCH HERE!
I'm glad people enjoyed the first part of the puzzle. I didn't think any of you would, ...
3
votes
1answer
181 views
The Cryptic Lab *1*
Once you've finished this puzzle, you can go to The Cryptic Lab +2+
This is a remake of the old puzzle, which was too broad (and I made such a terrible puzzle, lol). This is a harder yet simpler ...
-3
votes
7answers
66 views
Cryptic Chamber *1* (discontinued) [closed]
(discontinued puzzle)
The remake for this puzzle is out.
You wake up. Eyes wide open, you sit up, with a terrible pain in your stomach. You're inside a dark room, and you see a light above a light ...
6
votes
2answers
203 views
Time To Fix The Machine
Yesterday, I received a call from Mr. X who asked for my assistance in fixing his time machine, which he suspected had been damaged during one of his adventures. Since an initial inspection revealed ...
-3
votes
4answers
133 views
A Strange Way to Purchase [closed]
A person asks for an item or service, and is told that if they want 2, it'll be free and it would be much faster. The person did not have any medical disorder, nor were they asking for a task to be ...
18
votes
2answers
2k views
Where is Jimmy's father? [duplicate]
(It's an old soviet math problem, no tricks or anything here)
Jimmy is 21 years younger than his mother.
Six years from now, Jimmy's mother will be five times as old as Jimmy.
Where is Jimmy's ...
27
votes
6answers
7k views
Noughty Mathematics Question
Use your imagination to follow these instructions:
Take out an imaginary piece of paper.
Turn it 90° clockwise.
Make a mental note to use right-justification and nice, tight kerning and leading.
In ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
How does this equation hold true?
The other day, I found this puzzle laying on a floor:
This holds true. Why? $$w=2u$$
There was nothing else on it. It looked like an equation of some sort, although I had no clue about the $w$ and ...
7
votes
2answers
462 views
A strange message from space?
I was listening to AM radio (frequency 1480) the other day and an odd message came through in what seemed like an infinite loop.
Drop 5.
Echo 0.
Negate 0.
Split 4.
Enter 1.
A ...
10
votes
1answer
863 views
Fill in the number. Not as straight as it looks
The square below is missing a number:
You have four options:
32
4
16
22
Please explain your answer.
HINT:
8
votes
13answers
3k views
A Matchstick puzzle with a little twist
Here is a matchstick puzzle with TWO (possibly more) solutions.
There are two types of matchsticks.
1 Short (eight and = sign) Total 9
2 Long ( All ones) Total 4
Please move 3 matchsticks and ...
14
votes
13answers
4k views
What is my favorite color?
Oh the sweet joys of favoritism! I have another puzzle for the community; as always good luck to you all, and I hope you enjoy it!
Go to the bottom you'll see.
Rounded but right there with me.
...
8
votes
8answers
1k views
How to solve this statement? [closed]
How to solve this equation by removing one element? (one element is one spatially finished item.)
hint :
-1
votes
1answer
217 views
Why does 12/2 = 7? [duplicate]
Here's a quickie while I work on the fourth floor of the Puzzle Dungeon. It's going to be here within the next two days, probably.
Find a way to divide 12 by 2 so you get 7. There are several rules:
...
6
votes
4answers
406 views
True for one, Not for the other [closed]
I came up with puzzle, I think it's clever.
Two women, Eve and Amy, sit at a table. After a bit of casual chit chat. Amy, writes on a piece of paper and says “I wrote five words. It is a true ...
14
votes
2answers
891 views
Alphabets and Numbers? : Another Grandpa Mystery
Now we all know how crazy Grandpa is when it comes to Math. He says to me:
"Use your imagination and tell me,
If
Seven + L = Zero
And
Zero - C = One
Then
Three + I = ?
I have no ...
11
votes
4answers
489 views
Do exactly what I tell you!
A short and simple one for the community while I work on the next big one!
Do exactly what I tell you.
Stop.
Ask me if you see the moon.
That, over there; pick it up.
...
9
votes
5answers
2k views
A word with four numbers
This is a "mythical" five letter word.
It has 4 numbers in it.
All the 4 numbers are different.
All the letters in the word are part of those numbers. (no extra letters)
Hint
Think ...
1
vote
2answers
85 views
-6
votes
4answers
188 views
What was the police officer's idea? [closed]
Two police officers suspected a man of kidnapping. Without sufficient evidence they couldn't search his car or his home. They also couldn't interrogate him. One officer had an idea which later led to ...
9
votes
1answer
225 views
Six gems, six shelves, and far too many puzzle rhymes
An entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #39: Deep Down in the Dungeon 1.
You enter a well-lit, round chamber. As the party enters the room, the door behind you slams shut. No amount of effort can ...
-5
votes
3answers
136 views
Jacob's Video Game fix [closed]
Jacob would not stop playing video games no matter what his father said. Angry at Jacob's disobedience, the father decided he could fix the problem permanently with a hammer and a little elbow grease. ...
2
votes
1answer
128 views
Some Really Confusing Math
I was talking to a co-worker this morning and he stated that he was able to make both of these statements true using only $1, 3, 5,$ or $ 7$. He then proceeded to tell me:
$1 = 5$
$2 = 4 + 7$
$3 = 1$
...
3
votes
5answers
1k views
A Chess Puzzle in Reverse
Here with a quick chess puzzle one of my friends gave me.
The puzzle is a bit interesting; it is White to move and not mate in 1, which is the reverse objective of the usual puzzle (hence the title)....
