Balance Twelve Eggs

Suppose you have twelve eggs and a balance scale. All of the eggs are identical except for one whose only difference is its weight. Using the scale only three times, determine which egg is the odd egg out and whether it is heavier or lighter than the other eggs.

Weigh four against four. If they’re equal, weigh three of them against three you haven’t weighed. If they balance too, weigh the last remaining egg against any of the others to see if it is lighter or heavier. If the three suspects are heavier, weigh one of them against another and the one that goes down is it. If they balance the remaining suspect is heavy. Use the same process if they’re lighter. If the initial four vs four don’t balance, weigh two heavy eggs and a light egg against one heavy egg, one light one and a known normal egg. If they balance weigh the remaining two light eggs against each other. If they balance the unweighed heavy egg is the odd one out. If the side with two heavy eggs goes down weigh them against each other. If they balance it is the light egg on the other side. If the other side goes down it is either because of one heavy egg on that side or because the one light egg on the other side is lighter than the rest. Weigh one of them against a known normal egg to determine which is true.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Complete the Word Square

A word square is a combination of words that can be spelled horizontally and vertically.

The most well known is called the Sator Square (in Latin):

S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S

What five words complete this word square?

I T C H E S
T _ _ _ _ _
C _ _ _ _ _
H _ _ _ _ _
E _ _ _ _ _
S _ _ _ _ _

Thrust, Crisco, Hussar, Escape and Stores.

Making this lovely word square below:

I T C H E S
T H R U S T
C R I S C O
H U S S A R
E S C A P E
S T O R E S
Posted in Brain Teasers

One Strand Dangles

One strand dangles.
Two strands twist.
Three or more can
fashion this.

Braids

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

I Climb Higher When Hot

I climb higher when hot,
But beware my rage,
I’ll kill with a breath,
If I can escape my cage.

Mercury. It rises when encased in a thermometer when it’s hot and mercury poisoning results from inhaling mercury.

Posted in Riddles
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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

The Same Forward, Backwards or Upside Down

What word can be written forward, backward or upside down while still remaining the same word?

NOON.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Weighty Wine

How much does a bottle of wine weigh if it is 1 kilogram plus half its own weight?

2 kg.

If we let half of the bottle’s weight be “n”, then we get the following equation: n/2 + 1kg = n (the bottle’s weight).

Solve for n:
n/2 + 1 = n
1 = n/2
2 = n

Posted in Brain Teasers

Ten Men and Women

TEN = 20, 5, 14
MEN = 13, 5, 14

What do WOMEN equal using the same logic?

WOMEN = 23, 15, 13, 5, 14

The number is the letter’s position in the alphabet.

Posted in Brain Teasers

What House Weighs The Least?

What type of house weighs the least?

A lighthouse.

Posted in Riddles

Long Legs Crooked Thighs

Long legs, crooked thighs,
Little head and no eyes.
No burn, make a ting,
Use hands, but no ring.

What am I?

A pair of tongs.

Posted in Riddles