|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 8:23:46 GMT
brimfin Exactly so. We have to be careful what we are adding together. The mind is steered towards the 30 when in fact only 27 was paid, from which the manager receieves 25 and the boy 2. No missing $/£s except those in the boy's back pocket.
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 9:51:58 GMT
Weight problems? Try this:
Mr Smith has lots of pound coins, ten boxes in all. Each box contains 100 pound coins, but one box contains coins which are all counterfeit and are slightly lighter, 1/16 of an ounce lighter to be exact.
The problem lies in the fact that they all look identical, the only way to tell them apart is to weigh them.
Mr Smith knows the correct weight for a box, but how many weighings are required to determine which box contains the counterfeit ones? Give reasoning for your solution.
-------------------
Ponder this:
You can imagine an arrow in flight, toward a target. For the arrow to reach the target, the arrow must first travel half of the overall distance from the starting point to the target. Next, the arrow must travel half of the remaining distance.
For example, if the starting distance was 10m, the arrow first travels 5m, then 2.5m, 1.25m, 0.625m, 0.3125m and so on.
If you extend this concept further, you can imagine the resulting distances getting smaller and smaller. Will the arrow ever reach the target?
------------------------
My final teaser for the day:
Band tempo?
There is a concert that starts in just 17 minutes and all four of the band members must all cross a bridge to get there. The members begin on the same side of the bridge and you must help them to get across to the other side.
Due the age of the bridge, a maximum of two people can cross at one time. To make matters worse, it is night-time and there is only one torch. The torch is always required when crossing the bridge and the torch must be walked back and forth, it cannot be thrown, etc. Each band member walks at a different speed and a pair must walk together at the rate of the slower man:
Alan takes 1 minute to cross Bill takes 2 minutes to cross Carl takes 5 minutes to cross Dave takes 10 minutes to cross
For example, if Alan and Dave walk across first, it takes them 10 minutes to cross. If Alan then returns with the torch, a total of 11 minutes will have passed. There is no trick behind this, it is the simple movement of resources in the appropriate order. Really a variation of the Fox/Chicken/Seed riddle.
=============
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
@Deleted
Posts: 0
Likes:
|
Post by Deleted on May 8, 2017 15:50:54 GMT
tarathian123Where is the missing £1? That's what I would call a naive fallacy. Actually, the guests paid 27 British Pounds. (25 for the room and 2 as a kind of tip to the bellboy).
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 16:05:54 GMT
@volver Correct! It's a variation of a good old misdirection ruse that con-artists have been using for ever.
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 19:30:58 GMT
I'm still working on your trio of puzzles, tarathian123 , but in the meantime... I have another dying-clue puzzle if anyone's interested, but you may like it a little bit more, Al...
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 19:32:17 GMT
“Ruby Red”
A Geoffrey Lord Case
“Damn all dying clues!”
(This from a policeman, viz. Lt. Christopher McKee of the NYPD, whose job it is to investigate said clues, or any clues.)
“That’s one way to put it,” murmured Mr. Geoffrey Lord softly. “What’s wrong, Chris?”
“Who the hell would do something like that right before dying?—Don’t answer that,” McKee snapped. “I was just talking to Pop O'Leary. He said you were pretty good with these riddles—finding patterns and that sorta thing.”
“I try.”
“Well, here goes nothing: hope I’m not bothering you while you’re working on your latest novel…”
“Not bothering me at all, in fact.” Geoff smiled at a private joke. “Paula—Miss Vale, my secretary, y’know—is off to visit her mother, and I’m a vehement procrastinator. Heaven knows when that book will be finished.”
McKee rubbed his hands and began explaining the case.
The victim was Georj Balchek, the well-known jeweller and rare gem expert. He’d been stabbed in his shop but had apparently lived long enough to drag himself to one of the glass cases, smash the case open, and grab a ruby—before expiring, the ruby grasped with the firmness of rigor mortis.
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 19:32:47 GMT
“Suspects?” said the Great Man, filling his pipe.
There were three, according to the Lieutenant: the store’s manager, Raymond Tallder; the other employee, Fred Mayne; and Balchek's wife Agnes. All three had the only other keys to the jewellery shop and had not given their keys to anyone (by their own testimony); and the burglary alarm had not gone off. Motives? The usual ones—to wit, greed, hate, and jealousy. Mrs. Balchek, who had no interest in rare gems or any other part of her husband’s time-consuming profession, had long wanted a divorce, as she freely admitted, which Balchek had denied her for fear of scandal. She also benefited from the will—as Tallder did, as well, his motive. Mayne had been passed over for promotion in favor of Tallder, and by all accounts (especially Tallder’s), he was still fuming.
“Hm,” said Geoff. “Is Mayne an expert in gemology as well?”
“Not exactly,” said the annoyed Lieutenant. “In fact, not at all—he doesn’t know much about them. Only Tallder and Balchek are—were—experts. Tallder now works mainly in his own office, not behind the counter, but he is a gemologist. Mayne, on the other hand, tends to focus more on the rings and watches.”
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 19:33:27 GMT
“Right. By the way, Chris”—Geoff paused for a minute—“was there a calendar anywhere around?”
“A calendar? What? There was one behind the counter.”
“And you have the suspects' birthdates?”
Now McKee was very confused—his normal reaction when he brought a case to Geoffrey Lord—and he expressed this confusion with assorted expletives, which amused Geoff greatly. Then McKee’s face cleared, and he murmured:
“Of course, Geoff. How did I ever miss…? And a jeweller, too! Tallder was born in December, and Mrs. Balchek was born in March, and Mayne was born in July.”
“Ah!”
“Well, then, Geoff, thanks, but I’ve got the murderer, then. All we need is proof.”
Geoff rose and puffed pensively on the pipe. “Chris, there’s just one more point…”
Who is the murderer?
How did Geoffrey Lord know?
What is the meaning of the dying clue?
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 19:54:02 GMT
NalkarjOK. Thanks. I'll do my best.
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 22:12:07 GMT
Nalkarj One question... Agnes was definitely born in March? Not July perhaps? And Mayne in June? That's three questions.
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 22:25:18 GMT
Nalkarj One question... Agnes was definitely born in March? Not July perhaps? And Mayne in June? That's three questions. You caught me in a slight (well, more than slight) error. Mayne was born in July (as usual, I was writing too quickly)--but Mrs. Balchek was certainly born in March, yes. I just corrected the story.
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 22:39:55 GMT
Nalkarj Thanks I think that Mayne is the killer. The Great Man noticed the calender behind Mayne's counter and twigged why the victim snatched the ruby. Mayne was born in July, and the birthgem for July is a ruby. The victim was showing who his killer was.
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 22:47:29 GMT
Nalkarj Thanks I think that Mayne is the killer. The Great Man noticed the calender behind Mayne's counter and twigged why the victim snatched the ruby. Mayne was born in July, and the birthgem for July is a ruby. The victim was showing who his killer was.
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 22:53:18 GMT
Nalkarj - Sorry. I thought that other point was just leading on to the other main questions at the end. Mmm... thinking cap back on again. :-)
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 8, 2017 22:57:27 GMT
Nalkarj - Sorry. I thought that other point was just leading on to the other main questions at the end. Mmm... thinking cap back on again. :-) No need to be sorry! That was kind of my intent... I have a weakness for false solutions.
|
|
|
Post by tarathian123 on May 8, 2017 23:00:42 GMT
Nalkarj The only missing question is why, i.e. the motive. I wondered that myself but as it wasn't in the 3 end questions... I haven't figured motive out yet...just possibles. I guess I'll leave that for the cops to figure out
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 9, 2017 1:25:08 GMT
Nalkarj The only missing question is why, i.e. the motive. I wondered that myself but as it wasn't in the 3 end questions... I haven't figured motive out yet...just possibles. I guess I'll leave that for the cops to figure out I'm a little confused about your comments here, Al. The birthstone solution is not actually correct; it's a false solution. Or do you mean you've figured out the true solution but are just in the dark as to the motive? Sorry if I'm just not understanding!
|
|
|
Post by jervistetch on May 9, 2017 1:51:56 GMT
I want to say Fred Mayne. I was born in July so I know Ruby is Mayne's birthstone. So why am I pretty sure that this is too simple to be the solution?
|
|
|
Post by Nalkarj on May 9, 2017 1:58:50 GMT
I want to say Fred Mayne. I was born in July so I know Ruby is Mayne's birthstone. So why am I pretty sure that this is too simple to be the solution? Jervistetch, if you'll permit me to answer your question, you're pretty sure this is too simple to be the solution because you know me by now. And, indeed, that is the false solution that the reader is supposed to pick up on. There's something more--and a reason why it cannot be the solution.
|
|
|
Post by jervistetch on May 9, 2017 2:25:37 GMT
I figured as much. I love how sophisticated these puzzles/mysteries have become on this thread. Unfortunately, it has made blatantly obvious to myself how limited by detective prowess is. You three, on the other hand, are amazing. I think you should open Tarathian, Salzmank and Brimfin Investigations. Maybe I could be your secretary, forwarding calls and sharpening pencils. Oh, and making sure there's a full bottle of rye whiskey in each of your desk drawers.
|
|