Messy Math

What is the answer to this problem?

48 / 2(9 + 3) = ?

It depends. Usually, math has one right answer, but in this case, the order of operations can get a little quirky.

There are two ways to solve this. First, like so:
48 / 2 × (9 + 3) = ?
48 / 2 × (12) = ?
24 × 12 = 288

But another, arguably valid way is:
48 / 2 × (9 + 3) = ?
48 / 2 × (12) = ?
48 / 24 = 2

Thanks to KnowYourMeme for providing a great overview on this one. Math StackExchange has more discussion.

Posted in Brain Teasers

3661 Seconds Past Midnight

What is special about 3,661 seconds past midnight on January 1, 2001?

At the 3,661st second, the time and date can be written 01:01:01 01/01/01.

That is one cool date :)

Posted in Brain Teasers

Add Two To Eleven To Get One

When can you add two to eleven and get one as the correct answer?

When you add two hours to eleven o’clock to get one o’clock.

Posted in Riddles

What is HIJKLMNO?

HIJKLMNO

What 5-letter word does this represent?

Water. Or literally, H to O, which sounds the same as H2O.

Posted in Brain Teasers
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A Mile From End To End

A mile from end to end, yet as close to as a friend. A precious commodity, freely given. Seen on the dead and on the living. Found on the rich, poor, short and tall, but shared among children most of all. What is it?

A smile.

Posted in Riddles

Longest Word Without Repeating Letters

What is the longest word without any repeated letters?

Uncopyrightable, with 15 letters and not a single one repeated. Dermatoglyphics, the study of fingerprints, works too.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Never Dies Or Gets Worn Out

What is deep within you, never dies or gets worn out, and only needs some fire from time to time?

Your soul. Your soul is deep inside of you, it never dies and at various points in our lives we all get fired up about something.

Posted in Riddles

A Fox and Two Chickens

A man is traveling with a fox and two chickens, if he leaves the fox alone with the chickens the fox will eat the chickens. He comes to a river and needs to cross it, he finds a small boat that can carry only him and one animal, how does he get himself, the fox and two chickens across the river safely?

Take the fox over, return with nothing. Go over with one chicken, return with the fox. Go over with the second chicken, return with nothing. Finally, take the fox over.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Apples for Leather

Apples for leather,
leather for silk,
silk for tobacco,
all to get milk.

Bartering.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

What Word Could Be Added to Make New Words?

What word could be added to all of these words?

apple
cone
lake
tree
ridge
nuts

Pine.

Posted in Brain Teasers