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.
1,158
questions
26
votes
3answers
3k views
How many fingers do the inhabitants of this planet have?
Actual Puzzle
After crash-landing your spaceship on an uncharted planet, you run across the following drawing:
$\begin{matrix}
⊙ & × & × & ⊓ & ⊓ & ⊙ & & \\
⊙ & ∿ &...
1
vote
4answers
482 views
A big kid plays with other kids while everyone else is guessing about a kid. No I'm not kidding at all!
A little while ago my friends had an elaborate baby shower to celebrate my friend's first pregnancy. I admit that I'm a giant man-child who loves playing with kids more then pretending to be an adult ...
3
votes
1answer
308 views
SECRET PUZZLER EYES ONLY
Today is my 40th birthday and I will be celebrating by sharing a puzzle with you all. I recently stumbled upon an abstruse image, and apparently the words in main body of the image all have something ...
-5
votes
1answer
122 views
There are Colorados everywhere!
Deciding to go to Arizona, you go to the north part of it. But once as you arrive, you see a Colorado! We know that Colorado borders Arizona but you are far from Colorado!
Being confused, you are ...
-6
votes
5answers
173 views
Juan and Pedro agreed to race [closed]
Juan and Pedro agreed to race against each other. After arriving at the exact same moment at the finish line, Juan declared that he won. Pedro, as well as all their friends who watched, agreed.
How ...
19
votes
1answer
1k views
Weird Math: Said Grandpa
"You think my math can sometimes be crazy? Just look at this equation I received from my cousin! Very Weird", said Grandpa.
"We are going to need some creative thinking to prove this ...
16
votes
2answers
796 views
Winter Rebus? (W in box)
The answer is a phrase. (1 9 6 2 1 4 5) … (10 1 7)
Please provide an explanation justifying your answer. No computer needed.
Text Version of the image:
Across the top of the image is a single word: “...
2
votes
1answer
205 views
A puzzle in tribute to J. J. Sylvester
About the right time of the year I say, since Sylvester's Day is nigh. AFAIK the puzzle is original; comments welcome if you know any better.
(Edited)
Sylvester's theorem, also Sylvester-Gallai ...
13
votes
1answer
1k views
Cracking the Cryptic Logo
The well-known Cracking The Cryptic YouTube channel has a logo consisting of 12 circles joined by 16 straight lines running horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
What is the significance of this ...
2
votes
1answer
183 views
3 snails on a triangle. When will they all approach one another?
There are 3 snails at the vertices of an equilateral triangle of side length L.
Snail 1 crawls towards snail 2, snail 2 towards 3, and 3 towards 1. All snails crawl at the constant speed V.
If they ...
6
votes
1answer
479 views
The muddy water leaked into the campus
Sometimes, for whatever reason, you need to make a change.
Maybe something inside of you changed, and you want the outside to reflect it.
Maybe you want to change something from the outside in.
Maybe ...
1
vote
2answers
229 views
Aliens have landed!
Aliens from planet Stirwet have landed on earth! Being hyper-intelligent and possessing superior technology, they immediately took over.
After having a quick look around, they found humans and apes (...
17
votes
3answers
2k views
A cinematic masterpiece in matchsticks
Polanski's magnificent Chinatown (my all-time fourth favourite film) was produced among numerous other movies by Robert Evans, the second anniversary of whose death is today1.
What better excuse for a ...
8
votes
2answers
630 views
Terminator? Nah
Resonate me to leave me whole.
Tamper with me to leave me good.
Gather me to leave me alone.
Trim me to leave me empty.
What would happen if you retrieve me?
Subtle Hint:
Moderate Hint:
Decisive ...
3
votes
1answer
160 views
His ring and her digits
A young lady named Thea decided to change the traditional codes and asked her boyfriend to marry her at the Eiffel Tower.
As he loves puzzles, she said while showing him this text, "rightly ...
8
votes
1answer
639 views
What language am I learning?
I arrive at the location I've agreed with my European friend, who is teaching me their native language. Today we're learning some history of their country.
But to aid in my learning, I've been banned ...
8
votes
1answer
305 views
A poorly approximated crossword
Today's crossword topic is flowers:
Across
Daffodils, erica, dogbane, ursi, candytuft and tithonia.
Daphne, eustoma, dianthus, orchid, ixia and dietes.
Down
Alstroemeria, dianella and day.
...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
How does 100 1000 become 200?
Turn these characters into 200:
100 1000
Using only one bit of information.
11
votes
1answer
472 views
A Loooooong Sequence of Calculations
$53466+25123+16334+86556+5856\cdot 32454+8565+2235+7067-2345\cdot 1086+|23457|+4754\cdot 89510+9523-3458-9234+84233-|947\cdot 137\cdot 98\cdot 142-407119|\cdot (-1024)\cdot 5^{10}+645\cdot 9814\cdot ...
3
votes
1answer
155 views
It sounds all good until
If
4 + 4 = 8
10 - 5 = 5
5 x 1 = 5
8 - 1 = 7
2 + 4 = 7
Then,
8 / 1 = ?
Is it 6 or 7 ?
-3
votes
3answers
179 views
Twisted Timekeeping [closed]
Two office workers need to arrive at work at the exact same time. However that's not likely to happen because the only thing they use for telling the time is their watches and their timekeeping is a ...
3
votes
1answer
159 views
A box of mutating birds
What is evolution but the result of countless mutations to genetic structures over time. Some mutations provide benefits such as the gift of flight, while others can be harmful, such as the burden of ...
3
votes
3answers
489 views
They say that I am sexy - who am I?
Who am I?
They say that I am sexy
And that I'm a lady
I have four syllables
Only when said slowly
Hint #1
Hint #2
Hint #3
Hint #4
4
votes
2answers
260 views
Arrange the wooden blocks in the box
Little Johnny is the naughtiest child in the kindergarden today. The kind who always wants more than the other children. When he saw that little Tim was playing with the same set of wooden blocks as ...
4
votes
1answer
353 views
Hero Worms and The Minotaur
And so, Wormeus had a great time, eating every apple in sight, surviving several close calls with the Pink Lady Stickotaurs, respawning after the occasional horribly squishy death, exploring different ...
4
votes
5answers
325 views
Three riddles of a common (and repetitive) format
What do you call it when a historically discredited means of contraceptive is vindicated by new research?
I was just looking over my son's book report on speed reading strategies; what are you doing ...
2
votes
1answer
494 views
You should mind your P's first
This should be short and sweet.
Given his strength, he must be the almighty. Given his health, he must use ointments. Given his status, should we board his ark?
Hint 1:
Hint 2:
Hint 3:
Hint 4:
...
3
votes
0answers
367 views
A splash of Minecraft?
I was playing Minecraft the other day and came across a beautiful splash message. Subsequently, I was inspired to create a puzzle for it.
Svir, look out below!
Shorty's slang stays surprisingly stout....
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Political Bantering Puzzle
Simply Puns Or Cryptic Clues In BOLD:
Sitting atop a tall chair in the garden, one English Politician P was having his Evening Beverage,
His American Neighbour N was asking "Our Admiral can ...
4
votes
1answer
549 views
Four equations for the same number?
Using creative thinking can you show
9 = 4
9 = 8
9 = 14
9 = 24
All four equations follow the same logic/method.
While you are at it can you also show (same logic)
55 = 4
Hint:
6
votes
1answer
365 views
You see what I am a part of every day, yet you never see me! What am I?
You see what I am a part of every day, yet you never see me! What am I?
Some clues?
A5: The big, flying GG around me.
B3: Red, yellow, green or blue will all work.
B4: Hit my head too hard :(
(It's my ...
10
votes
1answer
301 views
A Standard English Daily Routine
At 10:30, I shear some fleece.
At 13:30, I grow a foot.
At 16:00, I strut.
At 16:30, I look at my palm.
At 19:30, I set a trap.
What am I?
My first riddle involving lateral thinking, enjoy!
Subtle ...
4
votes
3answers
965 views
Case of Punctured Tyre
A man drove his Innova car all the way from Shimla to Delhi only to discover at the end of the trip that he had a punctured tyre from the very start. Yet his Innova car was not at all affected by it. ...
6
votes
4answers
520 views
Generalization of the two-surgeons-two-patients-and-two-gloves puzzle
This is the original puzzle with $n=2$. I recommend solving it before this one to get acquainted with the mechanisms.
There are $n$ patients in an hospital (let's call them $p_1 \dots p_n$), each of ...
3
votes
1answer
163 views
A rhyming riddle: "Line them up in order..."
Line them up in order,
And into teams as well.
Each of them’s a character,
Under someone’s spell.
Some have foreign accents
And put on different things:
A cute hat, something grave,
Tails and dots and ...
19
votes
1answer
3k views
Grandpa's Crazy Math. Yes? No?
"This is really straightforward if you are from the other side of the pond", said Grandpa.
"Put your lateral thinking hat on and prove this to me:
Yes x No = VIIX
Being from US, this ...
4
votes
1answer
330 views
How to Balance?
You are given a scale which has 4kg and 2kg stones on the left side and an 8kg stone on the right side of the scale. You have an additional 1kg. How will you balance the scale?
-5
votes
6answers
780 views
Variation of 100 coins puzzle (no flipping) [closed]
You have 100 coins laying flat on a table, each with a head side and a tail side. 10 of them are heads up, 90 are tails up. You can't feel, see or in any other way find out which side is up. You ...
0
votes
4answers
454 views
Who has betrayed me?
Imagine my horror to discover that I'd been betrayed. I knew it was one among five of my most trusted inner circle, so I sent them this message:
Dear Anna, Bess, Chrissy, Diana, and Eva,
I know one ...
5
votes
1answer
269 views
How did the king pay the worker? [duplicate]
A humorous king pays his worker with one inch gold bar everyday. He had a $31$ inches gold bar and he paid the worker $31$ days of a month cutting it in just $4$ places. How is this possible?
Taken ...
24
votes
7answers
2k views
What is the minimum number of helpers that an explorer need to cross the desert?
There is a desert which can be crossed only by walking and this takes six days. The explorers of the desert can carry at most four days' water and food. If they want, they can take helpers with them. ...
7
votes
1answer
206 views
Scientific Discovery Rebus Puzzle
What scientific discovery is represented by the following image?
NOTE: Some tags have been deliberately omitted since I don't wanna reveal too much 😊
6
votes
1answer
614 views
A variant of the doctor's dilemma
This puzzle is a variant of the Doctor's Dilemma.
There are two patients in a hospital (let's call them A and B), both of them need an operation by two different doctors (let's call them X and Y) ...
-3
votes
6answers
285 views
Make 93 using 2, 0, 2, 2 and a least powerful set of operations [closed]
Use some mathematical operations to make an expression equal 93.
You must use each one of the digits 2, 0, 2, 2 exactly once, and no other digits.
To score the solutions, your set of operations used ...
8
votes
0answers
457 views
Connect The Wall-Words:-
Edit:- We have a group of words here:- (Go check Hint 1)
ACIDITY
TIME
MICROSCOPE
MARKS
LIGHT
SCALE
CHEMISTRY
CLAW
REAL
LEAD
INTEREST
BIOLOGY
DUCK
RADICAL
ACADEMY
LEAF
Goal:- Group these $16$ ...
17
votes
1answer
1k views
The Dispute at the Milky Way Restaurant
Fifteen related guests visited a restaurant and got into an argument about who was the greatest among them. To settle the dispute, they asked the owner to decide.
He thought for a moment, then said “...
10
votes
2answers
604 views
2
votes
1answer
105 views
"Physical" height of an infinitely distant joint point
When driving along long straight roads, this is what you would typically see:
Photo by Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash
As you're probably aware, the solid lines on the sides of the road are parallel, in ...
0
votes
1answer
210 views
Totally not spam; don't delete me
Thanks for registering for our super-not-spam mailing list! We'll let you unsubscribe if you can find a super-special password!
Here are the criteria for the password:
Matches the following regex ...
5
votes
2answers
209 views
Odd numbers to Even numbers
Remember the old puzzle?
"Can you take just one letter out of an odd number and make it even?"
Note the clever wording. It just says make it even; not "make it an even number"...
...