Fix This Roman Numeral Equation

This Roman numeral equation is wrong, but you can fix it without changing any of the elements of the equation. How is this possible?

I + XI = X

Look at it upside down. Instead of changing the equation, you can change your perspective.

This is from Dan Brown’s novel, Origin.

Posted in Brain Teasers

The Most Impressive Boundary

The most impressive boundary’s not a wall.
It’s not a manufactured thing at all.
Moving towards it won’t reduce the gap
and nothing marks its presence on a map.

The horizon.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

Even Seven

How can you make seven even?

Remove the letter “s”, turning it into the word “even”.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Inscribed On My Face

Marking mortal privation when what’s under me is in place.
An enduring summation, inscribed on my face.

What am I?

A tombstone (or gravestone, headstone, monument, you get the idea).

Posted in Riddles
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Name That Song

James makes a bet with Laura that he can use any name she can think of in a song she will recognize with the original lyrics. Laura takes him up on the bet and loses. What song did James sing to win?

Happy Birthday. When you sing Happy Birthday, you say the person’s name as part of the song.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Snail Up The Wall

A snail creeps 10 feet up a wall during the daytime, then falls asleep. It wakes up the next morning and discovers it slipped down 6 feet. If this happens each day, how many days will it take to reach the top of a 20 foot wall?

Four days.

Day 1: up to 10, down to 4
Day 2: up to 14, down to 8
Day 3: up to 18, down to 12
Day 4: up to 22 (20 really) and done

Posted in Brain Teasers

Picking Red Balls

A bag contains 64 balls of eight different colors. There are eight of each color (including red).
What is the smallest number you would have to pick, without looking, to be sure of selecting 3 red balls?

59. The first 56 balls could all be non-red colors. If that happened, you’d have to choose from the 8 remaining balls, all of which would be red.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Going Down to the River

A zebra was going to the river. On the way the zebra encountered five giraffes. Each giraffe had five monkeys on their neck. How many animals were going to the river?

Just one – the zebra. The other 30 animals (5 giraffes and 25 monkeys) were going the other way.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Everyone Is Doing This Same Thing

Right now everyone in the world, no matter where they are, is doing the exactly same thing. What is it?

Getting older. Sad but true, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. If you thought of breathing, it’s not entirely accurate because not everyone takes a breath at the same time. Living is an arguably suitable alternate answer as well.

Posted in Riddles

I Turn Polar Bears White

I turn polar bears white
and I will make you cry.
I make guys have to pee
and girls comb their hair.
I make celebrities look stupid
and normal people look like celebrities.
I turn pancakes brown
and make your champagne bubble.
If you squeeze me, I’ll pop.
If you look at me, you’ll pop.
Can you guess the riddle?

The answer to this admittedly lame riddle is, “No.” The reason is that the question at the very end asks if you can guess the riddle and there is nothing that satisfies all of the riddles’ requirements.

Some say that pressure is the answer, but they can’t explain how it turns polar bears white or pancakes brown. Nothing turns polar bears white, any more than something turns a snowflake white and heat makes pancakes brown, not pressure.

Posted in Riddles