A riddle

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A riddle

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RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

A riddle

Ok. You are given four pills. Two are blue and two are green. In all other respects they are identical. You happen to be blind. If you take one pill of each colour at noon on day one, and the remaining two at noon on day two your sight will be restored. If you end up taking two of the same colour, it will not.

How can you ensure that you will take one blue and one green pill each day?

There is a totally logical answer to this and when you get it you’ll end up feeling pretty clever for at least the rest of the day. Or until somebody tells you to shut up about it. I only ended up feeling clever for about twenty minutes because of that.

OK, ready…set…go…

P.S. This is for fun. Nothing about this riddle has anything to do with politics, current events, triggering, or anything negative whatsoever, except for the abject shame you’ll feel if you can’t figure it out. Just good old-fashioned clean fun, so if you look up the answer somewhere, please don’t spoil it for the rest of us by posting it. Matter of fact, once you get the answer you will know it is correct so no need to post it here, at all. But feel free to brag about it…

I’ll start…I got it! Hahaha! Shut up, Rob.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:03:41

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

I got it, I got it....
Lo and behold I can SEE

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:21:07

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

Shut up, Ed.

(You got it faster than than I did, though)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:23:25

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

Along the same line:

You have a cupboard with 999 socks. They are either jet black or grey with stripes. How many must you grab in the dark, to make sure you have at least one matching pair when the light goes on?

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:27:04

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

I think I have it, but it almost seems too easy, so I better think about it for a bit…

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:31:13

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

Here’s another:

There is a room. The only thing in the room is a 100W incandescent light bulb in a socket dangling from a wire in the centre of the room. There are no windows. The door to the room is sealed and no air or light can escape. The door is closed.

Outside the room, on the wall beside the door, are three light switches, all in the OFF position. One of the switches controls the light bulb, while the other two are not wired to anything. You cannot disassemble the switches. What you can do, however, is toggle the switches ON or OFF in any combination you choose, for as long as you want. When you feel ready you must stop playing with the switches and you may then open the door and observe the state of the light. Once the door has been opened you cannot touch or manipulate the light switches.

You have one chance and only one to identify which one of the three switches controls the light.

As with the first riddle, once you determine the answer you will know you are correct. I might give clues for this one, but only a limited amount.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:40:43

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

quote:

I think I have it,

But it has to work for 1024 socks as well

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:47:31

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

If my answer’s correct I think that’s a red herring

and if you say yes, then I’ll know I’ve got it, lol.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:49:19

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

We don't have incandescent light bulbs over here ...

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:54:21

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

It'll work with a box with 4 red and 4 white herrings

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 17:56:00

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

quote:

We don't have incandescent light bulbs over here ...

Clever…

quote:

It'll work with a box with 4 red and 4 white herrings

Then….I got it!

My sock drawer is weird because I have pairs with socks that don’t match. Funnily enough I always seem to have two identical pairs like that.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 25 2022 18:02:03

chester

Posts: 891
Joined: Oct. 29 2010

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

those were great!

i didn't get any of them

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 26 2022 2:35:16

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to chester)

quote:

i didn't get any of them

Did you feel shame?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 27 2022 10:55:10

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

Do you know the riddle with the Thanksgiving turkey and the five boxes?

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 28 2022 16:58:37

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

OK, I have one:

There are two buckets - one with wine and one with water. You scoop 1 cup of wine and add it to the water bucket, and mix it. Then you scoop 1 cup of that mixture and add it to the wine bucket.

Is there more wine in the water bucket, or more water in the wine bucket?

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Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 28 2022 18:21:09

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

quote:

Do you know the riddle with the Thanksgiving turkey and the five boxes?

Ed, as long as I’m not the turkey I’m all ears.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 28 2022 21:39:08

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to kitarist)

quote:

OK, I have one:

There are two buckets - one with wine and one with water. You scoop 1 cup of wine and add it to the water bucket, and mix it. Then you scoop 1 cup of that mixture and add it to the wine bucket.

Is there more wine in the water bucket, or more water in the wine bucket?

This is a good one…

I saw your post as I was sitting in the endodontist’s chair waiting for the freezing to take hold for a root canal on a molar. Knowing it was coming from you, I figured this one would be all about the math. About ten - fifteen minutes into pondering the problem and turning it around in my mind I realized that no, this isn’t all about the math, it’s about logic and rules.* That was my “ah-ha” moment and I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this one.

Memo to self: do not slap one’s forehead during “ah-ha” moments while undergoing root canal surgery.

* There also appears to be a “trick” answer to this riddle, but it’s still going to be the same.

On another note, it’s been about a week so, if no one objects, I can post the answers to the first two riddles. I’ll wait until tomorrow, however, just in case anyone is still working on them. Just to give Chester a second chance at it so he doesn’t spend the rest of his days in abject shame…I will say that I think Ed got them both, and I realized after the fact that the clue I promised for the second one was already buried in the riddle (which, in itself, is another clue).

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 28 2022 21:53:37

chester

Posts: 891
Joined: Oct. 29 2010

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

Thanks for the consideration but I already looked them up after giving my family five minutes to not come up with an answer.
Pretty sure my son beat me to it as he burst in the room explaining the first answer with a guilty grin. and then he got sent to the penalty box.

I think I got the wine one. Looking forward to seeing if I was correct.

You know the one about the door that's not a door, right? (sorry I'll see myself out)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 29 2022 3:40:57

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to chester)

Family time, that’s the important thing. No need to see yourself out.

Besides, last time you did that you left the door ajar.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 29 2022 4:05:27

edguerin

Posts: 1589
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

So here's the turkey riddle, way in time for Thanksgiving:

A week before Thanksgiving, a clever turkey is hiding from the Joneses that want to cook it for the holiday dinner.
There are five boxes in a row, and the turkey hides in one of these boxes.
Each night, the turkey moves one box to the left or right, hiding in an adjacent box the next day.
Each morning, the family can look in one box to try to find the turkey.

Can the Joneses ensure their feast day roast and catch the turkey in time for Thanksgiving, and if so how?

Oh, and I'm pretty sure I've solved the wine/water riddle. 🍷🤪

_____________________________

Ed

El aficionado solitario
Alemania

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 29 2022 16:29:06

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

I suspect that being clever is going to lead to the turkey’s downfall. That being said, I haven’t figured it out yet.

I’m going to ponder it for a few hours and then, either way, I’ll post the answers to my two riddles.* But, unless there’s some kind of trick to it, this is a tough one, I feel a bout of abject shame coming on…

*edit* I decided not to post the answers unless somebody specifically requests it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 29 2022 17:17:29

chester

Posts: 891
Joined: Oct. 29 2010

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

quote:

the turkey moves one box to the left or right

so the turkey can alternate between left and right and effectively only use two boxes?

edit - i think i (my wife) got it

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 29 2022 19:03:58

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to edguerin)

I’m ready to throw in the towel on this one. I can’t seem to find a way to completely remove the element of chance. Unless it’s a reading comprehension issue, but more likely I’m just stumped.

*edit* I looked up the answer. Now I’m mad at myself because I was on the right track but gave up too soon.

I’ve got to say, that’s a good riddle, though. I don’t know how other sites explain it but I found it on Popular Mechanics, of all places. Their explanation is very well done, showing the train of thought required to arrive at the solution, including the essential logical connection that I missed when trying to solve it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 30 2022 1:16:45

Ricardo

Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

When posting riddles the person giving the riddle info needs to be careful with wording. I looked up some of these and, for example, if the standard pill solution is correct for yours, the phrase “take ONE PILL of EACH COLOR” does not permit the standard solution.

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CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 30 2022 14:01:56

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to Ricardo)

That’s a good point. When I was trying to figure it out I was stumped until I asked the person giving the riddle if I was allowed to cut the pills in half.

My bad.

Hopefully the second one is better. The solution is just short of being gift wrapped and presented on a silver platter in the clues. Also, there’s no harm in asking for hints, it’s all for fun, after all. Except the Turkey one, I’m still mad at myself for not getting that.

*edit* One could argue, however, that two halves of one pill is still one pill. It’s just a question of semantics.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 30 2022 14:56:58

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

OK, looks like the water and wine riddle was easy for people, should I post the answer now or wait a few more days?

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Konstantin

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 30 2022 18:22:42

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to kitarist)

I think wait.

But it will be interesting to see the explanation of how to arrive at the the solution, when you do post it. Once I saw it as a logic puzzle I arrived at the correct answer pretty well immediately, but then spent some time afterwards trying to find corner cases to disprove it. I never did bother to try and verify it with math, although when I found the solution on the web the site did use math in their explanation.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 31 2022 2:14:00

Ricardo

Posts: 14797
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: A riddle (in reply to RobF)

quote:

edit* One could argue, however, that two halves of one pill is still one pill. It’s just a question of semantics.

Hate to be the jerk about this fun stuff…but it is impossible to know that you have cut the constituents by milligrams of each differing pill PERFECTLY that you get, say, 100 milligrams of A (taken) and 100 milligrams of B (saved for tomorrow). So the wording has to be changed or the concept is that one EVENTUALLY has taken both pills by day two, yet it is impossible to know exactly what happened in terms of intake on day 1, but most likely some violation of the terms.

And the wine for kitarist….define “wine” ingredients.

_____________________________

CD's and transcriptions available here:
www.ricardomarlow.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 31 2022 14:02:17

RobF

Posts: 1611
Joined: Aug. 24 2017

RE: A riddle (in reply to Ricardo)

Why, Ricardo. I do believe you are being persnickety.

Fortunately, there is a remedy for this condition. Here are four pills, two are gree…

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Oct. 31 2022 14:56:11

kitarist

Posts: 1715
Joined: Dec. 4 2012

RE: A riddle (in reply to Ricardo)

quote:

And the wine for kitarist….define “wine” ingredients.

Let's say it is specifically a Lustau VORS 30 YO Amontillado from Jerez. We have many bottles of it so apparently can waste a bucket of it for this experiment. Actually, we will still serve it to unsuspecting tourists after

If you are asking about its density, assume it is close enough to that of water that it can mix freely.