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.
913
questions
1
vote
6answers
156 views
Two untrusted traders [on hold]
I'm sure this has been asked before, but I tried searching and couldn't find it. I don't know the solution, and it is possible there isn't one.
There is unsavoury pirate and an unscrupulous merchant....
10
votes
1answer
330 views
Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the richest of them all? (I make billions #7)
Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the richest of them all? (I make billions #7)
Clue group 1:
This spa provides a great relaxation rub. Earbuds are included too.
I compared virtual machines, and ...
-6
votes
2answers
124 views
Who doesn’t belong in the group? [closed]
Identify the ones that are oddballs
B
C
Ba
W
H
Fe
Si
Br
Rn
I
N
O
P
12
votes
8answers
4k views
Four ships at the ocean with the same distance
Four ships are located at the ocean, such that the distance between all four ships is the same.
How are the ships positioned?
3
votes
1answer
167 views
Holy Alphabet Arithmetic
$Given$:
$A$+$B$+$C$=3
$B$+$C$+$D$=3
$C$+$D$+$E$=1
$D$+$E$+$F$=1
What is
$E$+$F$+$G$=?
12
votes
5answers
675 views
I make billions (#5)
I make bullions balloons billions (#5)
Main clues:
These statues are wonderful! I'm going to invest in the sculptor.
Move faster! I need to finish the 18th hole and return this golf ...
-3
votes
1answer
71 views
Strange? Primes and Palindromes have no business being in this Place?
$1$
$1$,$2$ Good easy start
$1$,$2$,$4$ As expected
$1$,$2$,$4$,$8$ I know it is going to be easy
$1$,$2$,$4$,$8$,$16$ why is he giving this? I got it!
$1$,$2$,$4$,$8$,$16$,Prime ...oops!.....
5
votes
2answers
213 views
I make billions (#4)
I make billions (#4)
For years did a sharp little verse,
Grow fast in our ears like a curse,
A tune on TV,
Did subconsciously,
Cause all to spend much from their purse,
Who / what am ...
5
votes
0answers
227 views
What causes these signs to follow this relation?
Can you find why does the below relation hold true?
Hint 1
Hint 2
4
votes
1answer
107 views
Deduce the Missing Terms in the Sequence
$NINE$ + $5$
$EIGHT$ + $3$
$SEVEN$ + $2$
$???$ + $?$
$FIVE$ + $1$
$????$ + $?$
$?????$ -$?$
$???$ - $?$
10
votes
1answer
205 views
Welcome to my kitchen
Today I mixed some food products and saw interesting outcomes.
Silverbeet + Gelatin $\equiv$ Snickers
Lime + Nacho $\equiv$ Kiwi
Sesame + Tea $\equiv$ Popcorn
Can you find how these ...
6
votes
5answers
732 views
The Starks, Parks, Clarks and their kids
Inspired by Martin Gardner's puzzle from his book
John,a new student at the Math Department of the College, was invited to a get-together at one of the Professor's house.
Professor Stark welcomed ...
11
votes
1answer
499 views
Professor Roman gives unusual math quiz ahead of
His usual Monday Morning 8am class.
This is for extra AAA credits.
$A$, $B$, $C$ are distinct digits.
$AA$, $BA$, $BBAAA$, $CBBBAB$ are distinct numbers.
Please deduce these with concise reasoning ...
-4
votes
2answers
258 views
On Fri morning I was racing to work and took usual NYC train from Princeton and
I found a piece of paper with these scribbled on it
Dark Thunder. X P X ...with P circled
Silver Lightning. X X X...
What could those X s possibly represent?
Hint 1: Given yesterday
Hint 2: ...
3
votes
1answer
208 views
Tom travels extensively all over. He was trying to figure out
The missing members in the following sequence.
$A$, $A$, $A$, $A$, $?$, $?$, $?$
Please help him out.
6
votes
2answers
307 views
Unorthodox Prof. Roman’s Chemistry Class Quiz
Prof. Roman of Chemistry department as you all know is quite unorthodox..here is his Quiz. It is Monday Morning and it is time for Prof. Roman’s unusual quizzes to his chemistry class.
What is the ...
1
vote
1answer
194 views
A sentence with all numbers [closed]
Crazy thought.
Can you make an (grammatically correct) english sentence using english words which are all
numbers? Each word in that sentence must represent a number. I am
expecting a minimum 6 ...
4
votes
3answers
235 views
What are the missing members in this sequence based on the digits 0 to 9?
Find the missing members?
0, 0, 2, 0, 2, 3, 0, ?, ?, ?
Hint 1
14
votes
1answer
304 views
A simple association between letters and numbers
$X$ is 5.
$U$ is 9.
$O$ is 0 or 7.
$I$ is 4 or 5 or 7.
What is $V$? And what is $K$ (two options)?
15
votes
2answers
3k views
Grandpa has another non math question
Grandpa says, " This is not algebra or may be it is!
IF
X = 2
R + C = 6
B + P = 5 or 6
Then
What is
I + T ?
There are, with my logic, three different answers!"
14
votes
1answer
328 views
What's up with my calculator?
As I am wont to do, I got a new calculator the other day. Obviously it needed a few test calculations:
5 + 6 = 11
22 - 17 = 5
10 + 3 = 13
4 * 6 = 24
OK, so ...
3
votes
1answer
599 views
Find my name from this list of symbols
From the symbols below, find my name?
# ! # @ * @ & \$ ^ # * # \$ #
16
votes
1answer
921 views
Kara's bitmap picture
Kara recently received a puzzling bitmap image by email in the shape of a trapezoid. She didn't recognize the email address, and she doesn't know why she would be receiving such a picture. She ...
18
votes
3answers
2k views
Bookshelves: the intruder
Somebody has messed up my bookshelf by shoving a book into completely the wrong place.
Which is the intruder?
4
votes
1answer
159 views
Can you solve this numerical puzzle
Puzzle goes like:
3, 2, 12
10, 4, 9
8, 6, 3
9, 6, 2
7, 4, (?)
Can you answer what can be the (?) mark, with explanation
13
votes
2answers
803 views
Roman Numerals Equation 2
This is a follow up for
Roman Numerals equation 1
With your creativity and lateral thinking and any ways you can think of (except the restrictions below), make the following equation correct moving ...
4
votes
1answer
190 views
Help Aunt Nora solve this puzzle
Aunt Nora has the following images which contain hints to objects used in the production of a specific substance. What is the substance?
4
votes
1answer
265 views
Crazy for revenge
@Brandon_J recently asked us in Can't Even Sit Down to identify a movie based on the words
tart con arc host
I've also been to see a fun movie from a few years ago, just a short one
buck ...
3
votes
2answers
223 views
Find the cipher used
Each of the following lines were said by various famous personalities. Each line corresponds to one person. There is no relation between these lines. After obtaining the names of these people, A 6 ...
2
votes
2answers
108 views
Find the set of letters corresponding to a set of words
Each word in the following list corresponds to one letter:
rôle résumé Jalapeño xoriço ö führer
The combination of letters can be represented as ----uu
Here, the -'s represent the missing letters. ...
-3
votes
1answer
152 views
Duel of Four Knights
Four knights are preparing to duel. Each has a different weapon, and will start with it sheathed in his own corner of the square 10 by 10 meter chamber. Each knight moves 5 meters per second.
The ...
14
votes
2answers
394 views
Maybe you should Chew on This for a while!
I looked into a big black bag and found some dip.
I chewed on it.
When I got to the end I spit out towards a light that never seems to move.
As I traveled towards this light, I noticed that the ...
5
votes
7answers
634 views
The selling of the sheep [closed]
I do not know the answer to this puzzle, and I found it in some old files I had
Many years ago, there was a shepherd with 3 children. One day, while talking to the owner of the herd, the shepherd ...
-4
votes
2answers
111 views
Not breaking the egg [closed]
What is the simplest approach to make an raw egg fall for 2 meter and not breaking it?
*You can't catch it.
Hint 1:
Hint 2:
Hint 3:
Hint 4:
19
votes
1answer
332 views
Is it a word? Really?
Grandpa says:
show that the following number equals a 5 letter word with multiple meanings
(one of them not good)
I I I X I I X I I X I I I X I I X I I
I was wondering if that silly thing ...
4
votes
3answers
293 views
Alphabet I: Prove it!
The sentence below is out of alphabetical order, but can you prove it? As always, good luck!
All because blue cheese fell happily.
Hints
The language tag is used to denote that the puzzle has ...
5
votes
2answers
602 views
Can you complete the sequence?
Well, can you?
Q, W, R, I, ?
Make sure you provide your reasoning. I can ensure you there is a pattern here.
This is probably a simple one, but good luck as always!
6
votes
0answers
181 views
My drunken formula?
I know that today is an important day, but I can't remember why... All I have in my possession is this formula I wrote last night in my drunken stupor:
You go here:
$$B = 25 + \biggl(\frac{O}{...
5
votes
1answer
224 views
84
votes
1answer
5k views
A strange hotel
Entering the lobby, I requested a room. The clerk handed me my key and I took the elevator to my floor. To my surprise there was a sign on the door of my room telling me I should try a different room ...
13
votes
6answers
1k views
Sally's older brother
Sally smiles at her older brother and says, "Happy 30th birthday!"
He shakes his head and replies, "I'm not 30 yet, but you are!"
How is this possible?
11
votes
6answers
613 views
Temple Password
You and your friends Brutus and April are exploring an ancient temple when you encounter a locked door with a stone keypad next to it numbering 0, 1, 2 and 3.
Out of curiosity you decide to type in ...
2
votes
4answers
221 views
“Thinking of ” question for Comics readers [closed]
I am thinking of one of the following three comics characters
Hellboy
Captain Marvel
Spiderman
You can ask me one question starting with
"Does the character you are ...
21
votes
9answers
1k views
What's his horse name?
You're an adventurer looking for treasures.
During one of your journeys, you encounter a knight riding a horse who agrees to tell you informations about a huge treasure he has heard of.
Only if you'...
55
votes
4answers
13k views
Go Pregnant or Go Home
A love story:
First, we met on the dance floor at this place playing loud music.
Soon after we were madly in love!
Before I knew it, we were engaged to be married.
Now, here I am in the backyard ...
10
votes
1answer
354 views
Greco-Roman egalitarianism
Athenian democracy
is a cornerstone of egalitarianism. One person, one vote. Everyone.
Here's something, though, Athenians mightn't've imagined:
I = II = III
IV ...
22
votes
5answers
1k views
Some numbers are more equivalent than others
ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
...
11
votes
0answers
347 views
Rethinking this series on the syllabus
I assigned each person in my class the task of creating a number-sequence, however, 4 of the guys I usually consider to be leaders came back with baffling results.
Can you make sense of their work ...
10
votes
9answers
7k views
Why would five hundred and five be same as one?
Grandpa was in his crazy math mood again.
"using rot13 and your math knowledge prove to me that
505 = 1"
He said.
Really? Can you?
HINT
9
votes
2answers
746 views
How will you save Mike?
A direct hint: this question.
Question starts from here:
You are Dr. Nathaniel - a renowned archaeologist, and involved in a research about an ancient site. But, there is only one problem - the ...
