Futility Closet » Puzzles http://www.futilitycloset.com An idler's miscellany of compendious amusements Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:06:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Defense Posture http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/11/defense-posture/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/11/defense-posture/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:03:26 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25563 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Pentagon_US_Department_of_Defense_building.jpg

You walk into Arlington, Virginia. As the Pentagon comes into view, you’ll be able to see either two or three sides of the building. Which is more likely?

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/11/defense-posture/feed/ 0 Black and White http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/10/black-and-white-30/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/10/black-and-white-30/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:48:06 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25540 http://books.google.com/books?id=J05AAAAAYAAJ

By Sam Loyd. White to mate in two moves.

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/10/black-and-white-30/feed/ 0 Door Jam http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/07/door-jam/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/07/door-jam/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:17:41 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25500 You’re confronted with two doors. One leads to fortune, the other to death, but you don’t know which is which.

The doors are attended by two guards. One always lies, and the other always tells the truth, but again you don’t know which is which.

You can ask one question of one guard. What should you ask?

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/07/door-jam/feed/ 0 Spirit Reading http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/06/spirit-reading/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/06/spirit-reading/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:38:47 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25481 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:48-aspetti_di_vita_quotidiana_ubriachezza_Taccuino_Sanitatis_Shoes.jpg

In a certain town, 90 percent of the residents drink coffee, 80 percent drink tea, 70 percent drink whiskey, and 60 percent drink gin. No one drinks all four. What percent of the residents drink liquor?

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/06/spirit-reading/feed/ 0 Economical http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/05/economical-2/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/05/economical-2/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:52:55 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25463 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Out_at_Home_print.jpg

A baseball pitcher played an entire game while throwing the minimum possible number of pitches. The game was not called before completion. How many pitches did he throw?

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/05/economical-2/feed/ 0 Black and White http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/03/black-and-white-29/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/03/black-and-white-29/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:09:04 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25446 marache chess problem

By N. Marache. White to mate in two moves.

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/02/03/black-and-white-29/feed/ 0 Popularity Contest http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/30/popularity-contest/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/30/popularity-contest/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:59:43 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25373 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1810-Les-Modernes-Incroyables.jpg

Prove that at least two Welshmen have the same number of Welsh friends.

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/30/popularity-contest/feed/ 0 Yar http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/29/yar/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/29/yar/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:12:55 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25353 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyle_pirates_plunder.jpg

Three pirates find themselves on an island with a chest full of miscellaneous treasure. They have no weighing or measuring equipment. How can they divide the loot to the satisfaction of each?

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/29/yar/feed/ 0 Black and White http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/28/black-and-white-28/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/28/black-and-white-28/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:51:47 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25324 http://books.google.com/books?id=J05AAAAAYAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s

By T.M. Brown. White to mate in two moves.

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]]> http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/28/black-and-white-28/feed/ 0 In a Word http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/26/in-a-word-354/ http://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/01/26/in-a-word-354/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:16:28 +0000 Greg Ross http://www.futilitycloset.com/?p=25314 nepotal
adj. relating to a nephew

“That is my nephew,” said a man to his sister.

“He is not my nephew,” she said.

How is this possible?

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