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A puzzle by Russian mathematician Boris Kordemsky:

A house has 6 stories, each the same height. How many times as long is the ascent to the sixth floor as the ascent to the third?

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2 1/2 times (5 ÷ 2, not 6 ÷ 3).

From The Moscow Puzzles, 1972.

August 5, 2026August 4, 2026 | Puzzles

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Futility Closet is a collection of entertaining curiosities in history, literature, language, art, philosophy, and mathematics, designed to help you waste time as enjoyably as possible.

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