Skip to main content
108 votes

Separate the milk!

Jay's user avatar
  • 4,899
66 votes

Separate the milk!

Ergwun's user avatar
  • 2,780
53 votes
Accepted

Separate the milk!

You could
Tas's user avatar
  • 1,057
53 votes
Accepted

Release the "Q" ball

Here is one possible solution to this puzzle
caPNCApn's user avatar
  • 19.9k
41 votes

Why is the pavement wet?

I believe it's because
Matthew Jensen's user avatar
39 votes

Separate the milk!

Instead of inventing ice cream (which will definitely change the molecular make up of the milk, by the way), you could also venture deeper into the lateral thinking loophole abyss and Mission ...
Bass's user avatar
  • 80k
39 votes

The falling broom handle

xnor's user avatar
  • 28.8k
30 votes

Who is our nearest planetary neighbor, on average?

I must admit, I'm a bit rusty at calculus. So here's an attempt at an answer free of calculations, but with some more visual reasoning. Now, notice that: So: Here, you should note: So: So my ...
boboquack's user avatar
  • 22.1k
30 votes
Accepted

Who is our nearest planetary neighbor, on average?

The closest planet to Earth on average is: The other answers didn't give any calculations, so I'll provide some numbers. Hopefully they are correct! Earth to Mars: Earth to Venus: Earth to ...
Amorydai's user avatar
  • 2,973
30 votes
Accepted

Why is the pavement wet?

@MatthewJensen has provided a very reasonable possible explanation. The OP has however indicated that the car left the parking spot before the rain. This prompts the consideration of an alternative ...
Anon's user avatar
  • 5,470
28 votes

Why is the pavement wet?

Here's my explanation
chasly - supports Monica's user avatar
27 votes
Accepted

Quartum non datur

The expression can be written as The key insight is that $\sqrt[12]{2}$ is This means the seventh power of this corresponds to Therefore,
Ankoganit's user avatar
  • 20.3k
25 votes

Separate the milk!

Edit:
technosaurus's user avatar
24 votes
Accepted

Two Cannons - A Beginner's Physics Puzzle

Alain Remillard has given the mathematician's answer. Here's the physicist's one: Step 1: Obviously, in such a universe, regardless of their speed, the cannonballs will travel in a straight line and ...
Bass's user avatar
  • 80k
22 votes

Making a physicist

I'm going to go with because...
Jafe's user avatar
  • 80.9k
22 votes
Accepted

The Lazy Laser Physicist

Assuming only 45 degree mirrors, But since the detectors are omnidirectional, we can do better: First, take a look at the two mirrors nearest detector B. Mark the position B' as the location of the ...
Bass's user avatar
  • 80k
22 votes

The Lazy Laser Physicist

I think you can do it with two moves: one translation and one rotation:
l.bee's user avatar
  • 321
21 votes

Separate the milk!

Because there are no time constraints specified:
spacetyper's user avatar
21 votes
Accepted

Move a coin without touching it

ibanezplyr's user avatar
20 votes
Accepted

Perpetual Motion Machine

Simple explanation: Of course,
trolley813's user avatar
  • 11.4k
19 votes
Accepted

Martin Gardner's "The Twiddled Bolts"

Jaap Scherphuis's user avatar
19 votes
Accepted

Pulling the rope with one hand is as heavy as with two hands?

Below is my attempt at depicting this contraption.
noedne's user avatar
  • 19.1k
18 votes

Pulling the rope with one hand is as heavy as with two hands?

Maybe the ropes are When you pull only one rope, And when you pull on both ropes In both cases, the force on any pulled rope is the same, namely
Bass's user avatar
  • 80k
18 votes
Accepted

The falling broom handle

My instinct is that: This is based on:
AndyT's user avatar
  • 1,298
17 votes
Accepted

In which direction does the water flow?

You could try
Tom's user avatar
  • 73k
17 votes
Accepted

If the second hand goes backwards, starting from 12:00, how long does it take to meet with the minute hand?

The clockface is divided into $60$ segments.
Jaap Scherphuis's user avatar
15 votes

The Lazy Laser Physicist

Bass' answer is perfectly valid, but I just wanted to share another answer that works in the same way:
A. P.'s user avatar
  • 5,948
15 votes
Accepted

Make an equation from expression "1 4 9 100"

Hmm, let's see.
new Q Open Wid's user avatar
14 votes

If the second hand goes backwards, starting from 12:00, how long does it take to meet with the minute hand?

Assuming it's a regular retail clock (except for the fact that the second hand runs backwards),
Glorfindel's user avatar
  • 28.2k
13 votes
Accepted

Balancing Balls

There are more possibilities than one expects because Here is the full list, after removing symmetries; I have marked some of the more surprising ones: So there are A visual representation:
Gareth McCaughan's user avatar

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible