Mysterious Math

This problem can be solved by preschool children in five to ten minutes, by programmers in an hour and by people with higher education…well, check it yourself.

8809 = 6
7111 = 0
2172 = 0
6666 = 4
1111 = 0
3213 = 0
7662 = 2
9313 = 1
0000 = 4
2222 = 0
3333 = 0
5555 = 0
8193 = 3
8096 = 5
1012 = 1
7777 = 0
9999 = 4
7756 = 1
6855 = 3
9881 = 5
5531 = 0
2581 = ?

What is the missing number and why?

Two. The number is how many closed circles there are in the 4 digits. 0, 6 and 9 each have one, 8 has 2.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Live in Water

I live in water
If you cut my head I’m at your door,
If you cut my tail I’m fruit,
If you cut both I’m with you

What am I?

A pearl. They’re found underwater. Removing the head (p) leaves Earl, a guy who could be at your door. Removing the tail (l) leaves pear, a fruit and if you cut both off you’re left with ear, which is with you because it’s attached to your head.

Posted in Riddles

A Vowel-less Proverb

FLND HSMN YRSN PRTD

This is a well known proverb that has had all of its vowels removed. In addition, the letters have been broken up into groups of four while maintaining their correct order.

What is the proverb?

A fool and his money are soon parted.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A C F H K ?

What is the next letter in this sequence and why? A C F H K _

M. Skip 1 letter then 2 letters, alternating.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Money Is Right Above My Reach

Money is right above my reach, I’m barely staying out of The Emergency Room (It is right below me), Room #3 is to my left, Room #5 is to my right with a 5% interest rate.

What am I?

The number 4 key on a QWERTY keyboard. $ is money, ER (an abbreviation for Emergency Room) are the two letters immediately below the number 4 key, the #/3 key is to the left and the 5/% key is to the right.

Posted in Brain Teasers
Tagged with

Plane Crash

A plane with 50 passengers crashes and everyone is killed, but there were only 49 bodies. How is this possible?

Two of the passengers were siamese twins.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Feared By Most But Experienced By All

I am a five-letter word and am feared by most but experienced by all. If you remove my first and last letters I bring life. If you add an ‘r’ between the third and fourth letters I am almost nothing and if you remove the first letter from this new word, I am your home.

What am I?

Death (eat, dearth, earth). No one can escape death, but many fear it. Removing the first and last letters leaves eat, and we must eat to stay alive. Adding the ‘r’ turns death into dearth, which is scarcity and removing the first letter of dearth leaves earth, where you live, assuming this riddle hasn’t reached extraterrestrials.

Posted in Riddles

Old Mother Twitchet Had One Eye

Old Mother Twitchet had one eye
and a long tail that she let fly.
And every time she went through a gap,
she left some tail in the trap

A needle and thread.

Posted in Riddles

Cannot Hear or Even See

I cannot hear or even see,
But sense light and sounds there may be,
Sometimes I end up on a hook,
I can be combined with a book.

What am I?

A worm. Worms don’t have eyes or ears, but they can sense light and their bodies can detect vibrations in the ground. Fishers use worms as bait and the term bookwork is used for someone who loves to read.

Posted in Riddles

A Name Kebab

A Name Kebab (something I made up) is a series of first and last names that fit together like a delicious Shish Kebab.

For example, the names Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Pierce and Pierce Brosnan form a tasty three-name kebab.

What is a five-name kebab that starts with Chris and ends with Berlin?

1. Chris Paul
2. Paul George
3. George Washington
4. Washington Irving
5. Irving Berlin

Feel free to share others in the comments.

Posted in Brain Teasers