Characters In The Correct Order

Put the characters C D M L X in the correct order (not alphabetical).

X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), M (1000). They’re Roman numerals in order from smallest to largest.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Twist and Dance

I love to twist and dance.
Though wingless, I fly high in the sky.

What am I?

A kite.

Posted in Riddles

Combine One-Third and Four-Fifths

How would you combine one-third of 12 and four-fifths of 7 to get 11?

Add EL (one-third of TWELVE) to EVEN (four-fifths of SEVEN) and get ELEVEN.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Can Always Go Up, Never Down

I can always go up, never down,
I can always turn left, never right,
I am always hot when I’m cold

A ski lift.

Posted in Riddles

O T T F F

What letter comes next?

O T T F F S S

E (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven eight)

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At Least One is a Boy

A couple has two children. At least one of them is a boy. Assuming the probability of having a boy or girl is 50%, what is the probability that both children are boys?

If you answered 1/2, you’re not without comrades, but the generally accepted answer by statisticians (though not without debate) is 1/3. This is because there are four possible combinations: boy-boy, boy-girl, girl-boy and girl-girl. Since we are told one of the children is a boy (but we don’t know if it’s the first or second child), we can rule out the girl-girl combination, leaving three remaining options. Only one out of 3 is boy-boy, so we get a 1/3 chance.

This is a well-known problem known as the Boy or Girl paradox. The other variation is this brain teaser.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Hundred Legs But Can’t Stand

I have a hundred legs, but cannot stand.
I have a long neck, but no head.
I cannot see, yet I help keep your house neat and tidy.

A broom.

Posted in Riddles

Its Own Past Tense

What common verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?

Eat (ate).

Posted in Riddles

Turn Nine Into Six

Here is the Roman numeral for nine: IX

By adding only one line or symbol, how can you turn it into six?

SIX.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Twice the Sum of Its Digits

What number is twice the sum of it’s digits?

18.

1 + 8 = 9
2 × 9 = 18

Posted in Brain Teasers