If You Look You Cannot See Me

If you look you cannot see me. If you see me you cannot see anything else. I can make anything you want happen, but later everything goes back to normal.

What am I?

Your imagination.

Posted in Riddles

Four Cards

Four cards are placed in front of you on the table, each with a number on one side and a color on the other. The visible cards show 3, 8, red and brown. Which cards should you turn over in order to test the truth of the statement that if a card shows an even number on one face, then its opposite face is red?

four-cards

You’d need to turn over only the 8 and brown card. Only a card with an even number on one face and which is not red on the other face can invalidate the stated rule. If you turn over the 3 card and it’s not red, it doesn’t invalidate the rule, nor does turning over the red card and finding it has the label 3.

This test was devised by Peter Cathcart Wason and is known as the Wason selection task. Less than 10% of test subjects got it correct in two separate studies.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Jim and Wanda’s Apples

Jim and Wanda both have some apples. If Jim gives Wanda an apple, they will both have the same number of apples. However, if Wanda gives Jim an apple, Jim will have twice as many as Wanda. How many apples do Jim and Wanda each have?

Jim has 7 apples and Wanda has 5 apples.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Can Only Be Given, Not Taken Or Bought

It may only be given,
Not taken or bought,
What the sinner desires,
But the saint does not.

Forgiveness.

Posted in Riddles

What Binds These?

What word binds all of these together?

Burglar
Fat
Copy
Bag
Nap

Cat.

Cat burglar
Fat cat
Copy cat
Let the cat out of the bag
Cat nap

Posted in Riddles

Take Away All My Letters

Take away my first letter and I remain the same. Take away my last letter and I remain unchanged. Remove all my letters and I’m still me.

What am I?

A mail carrier. Letters in this sense are envelopes rather than the letters of the alphabet.

Posted in Riddles

Loud Noise When Changing Its Jacket

What makes a loud noise when changing its jacket, becomes larger but weighs less?

Popcorn.

Posted in Riddles

Commonly Forgotten And Sometimes Rotten

I am always with you
But commonly forgotten.
You use me constantly,
And can sometimes be rotten.

What am I?

Air.

Posted in Riddles

Beam, Shine and Sparkle White

I beam, shine and sparkle white,
I brighten the day with a single light.
I charm and enchant one and all,
I can counter the darkest pall.

What am I?

A smile.

Posted in Riddles
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One Tooth To Bite

One tooth to bite,
He’s the forest’s foe.
One tooth to fight,
As all Norse know.

What is it?

An axe.

Posted in Riddles