Death By Marbles

You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game. He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles and 2 empty bowls and instructs you to divide the 100 marbles into the two bowls. You can divide them however you want as long as all the marbles are in the bowls. You will be blindfolded and the bowls and marbles will be thoroughly mixed. You will then choose a single marble from one of the bowls. If the marble is white, you live. Black and you will be put to death.

How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a white marble?

Place one white marble in one bowl and place the rest of the marbles in the other bowl (49 whites, and 50 blacks).

This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with one white marble and living. Even if you choose the other bowl, you still have an almost 50% chance of picking one of the 49 white marbles. There are no guarantees in life, but this gives you the best change of surviving.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Hundred Legs But Can’t Stand

I have a hundred legs, but cannot stand.
I have a long neck, but no head.
I cannot see, yet I help keep your house neat and tidy.

A broom.

Posted in Riddles

Which Door First?

While driving his car a man slams on the brakes when he sees, in the middle of the street, a diamond studded door, a gold door and a silver door. Which door does he open first?

His car door

Posted in Brain Teasers

Find The Hidden Cities

Wallace died a wealthy, if somewhat odd, man without any living relatives. He left his money in four different cities for the first four people who could find it. The only clue he left was this poem:

Do not go solo,
Pairs up with a friend,
Though I hasten to add,
I’ll avenge my end.

What are the four cities?

Anagrams of four cities can be found in the poem.

Oslo (solo)
Paris (pairs)
Athens (hasten)
Geneva (avenge)

Posted in Brain Teasers

Turn Nine Into Six

Here is the Roman numeral for nine: IX

By adding only one line or symbol, how can you turn it into six?

SIX.

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A Problem In Many People’s Lives

I am a problem in many people’s lives. At times (even more than once) I’m useful. The older I grow, the less useful I become. Who am I?

Credit or debt. Debt is a problem in many people’s lives, but in order to go to school or make a large purchase, it can be useful. As your debt grows older, it’s more unpleasant than useful.

Posted in Riddles

When Is The Equation Correct?

When is the following equation correct?

14 + 1 = 3

When dealing with 24-hour time, 1400 hours plus 1 hour is 1500 hours, also known as 3 o’clock.

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What Goes In the Water Red?

What goes in the water red
And comes out black?

Iron

Posted in Riddles

In Times Of War He Burns Asunder

Man walks over, man walks under,
In times of war he burns asunder.

What is it?

A bridge.

Posted in Riddles

A Ring But No Finger

What has a ring but no finger?

A telephone or alarm.

Posted in Riddles