The Floating Cork

If a cork is placed into a glass of water, it will almost always drift to the side of the glass. There is one simple way, however, to get the cork to float in the center of the glass. What is it?

Water, the glass, and the cork are all that is required.

The reason that a cork drifts to the side of a glass is that it floats to the highest point. Since water “clings” to the glass, the highest point is around the edge of the water. To get the cork to float in the middle of the glass, all you have to do is fill the glass as much as possible. The water will form a convex shape above the glass, with the highest point at its center. This is where the cork will settle.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Buying Chickens

You must buy 100 chickens for exactly $100, and purchase at least one chicken from each store. The first store charges 5 cents/chicken, the second charges $1/chicken and the third charges $5/chicken. How many chickens should you buy from each store?

80 from store 1 = $4
1 from store 2 = $1
19 from store 3 = $95

Posted in Brain Teasers

The Honest and Dishonest Guards

You’re in a room with two doors. There’s a guard at each door. One door is the exit, but behind the other door is something that will kill you. You’re told that one guard always tells the truth and the other guard always lies. You don’t know which guard is which. You are allowed to ask one question to either of the guards to determine which door is the exit.

What question should you ask?

Ask either guard what door the other guard would say is the exit, then choose the opposite door.

If you ask the guard who always tells the truth, he knows the other guard would lie, so he’ll point you to the door leading to death. If you ask the guard who always lies, he knows the other guard would truthfully show you the exit, so he’ll lie and point you to the door leading to death.

An alternate solution is to ask a guard what they would answer if you were to ask them which door was the exit, then choose that door. The truthful guard will point to the correct exit, but the lying guard will too. Here’s why. If you asked him what door was the exit, he would normally lie and point to the death door, but you asked him what he would say if you asked what door was the exit, and in order to lie to that question, he will point you to the exit.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Sometimes I Get Stronger From The Sun

I can help you have some fun,
Sometimes I get stronger from the sun,
If you never give me a break,
You will find I never wake,
I am optimistic on one side,
I can be short, fat, tall or wide,
Rectangle and cylinder are two of my shapes,
And I can even help you make video tapes,
Sometimes you must wait for me to get ready,
Just hold on for a few hours and be steady,
I can help you get around the mall,
Or help you make a telephone call.

What am I?

A battery. Games and other entertainment devices run on batteries. Batteries can be charged using solar power, which is from the sun. If you use a battery-powered device long enough, the battery will die. Batteries have a plus side and can be all shapes and sizes. They can power scooters and Segways commonly used in malls and your cell phone requires a battery to function.

Posted in Riddles

To Make In a Burning House

I am the best thing to make if you’re in a burning house. And you’d better make me quickly before the fire’s too hot to take.

Haste.  You need to make haste to get out of the burning house as soon as possible.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

I Am What Remains

I am what remains of what
was once a living whole,
dug in deep, protruding, though,
and unobtainable.

A stump.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

More You Take Away, The Bigger I Get

The more you take from me, the bigger I get. What am I?

A hole.

This is quite similar to It Cannot Be Seen and Weighs Nothing.

Posted in Riddles

One Three Five

What word comes next?

one three five four ______

Four. Each word is the number of letters in the previous word. And since four has four letters, it would continue with four forever after.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Two Days After

What is two days after the day after the day before yesterday?

Tomorrow.

The day before yesterday is two days ago.

The day after the day before yesterday (2 days ago) is yesterday.

And two days after yesterday is tomorrow.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Early Ages The Iron Boot Tread

Early ages the iron boot tread,
with Europe at her command.
Through time power slipped and fled,
’til the creation of new holy land.
Who am I?

Italy / Rome.

Posted in Riddles