Puzzles

[Admiral Yi]

I heard one last weekend that i liked (partly because I got it  ).

A husband and wife are driving fast from the country to the city, when their car runs out of gas and comes to a halt.  The husband leaves the car and goes down the road to go get some gas.  Before leaving he tells his wife to lock all the doors. 

When he gets back to the car, he finds his wife dead and a stranger in the car.  All the doors are still locked.

You're allowed to ask unlimited yes or no questions.

[Liep]

You mention speed, they're in a hurry. From country to city. To hospital? Wife dead from complication and the strange is a baby?

[Eddie Teach]

Liep beat me to it.

[DGuller]

I was going to say that the wife unlocked the car to let the stranger in, then he killed her and locked the door again.     The baby story might make more sense, though.

[Admiral Yi]

Nice Liep. 

Same rules as history: winner can ask one or pass. 

[crazy canuck]

I was going to say that the wife unlocked the car to let the stranger in, then he killed her and locked the door again.     The baby story might make more sense, though.

That was my first thought but then realized it made no sense to have the stranger lock themselves in the car after the murder.  Then I noticed the bit about travelling fast from the country to city... and the rest fell together.

[Liep]

Right, I don't know many, but I do like this one and it took me a good while to get the reasoning straight. It's a classic, though, so it's likely not new to many.

"Three wise men are told to stand in a straight line, one in front of the other. A hat is put on each of their heads. They are told that each of these hats was selected from a group of five hats: two black hats and three white hats. The first man, standing at the front of the line, can't see either of the men behind him or their hats. The second man, in the middle, can see only the first man and his hat. The last man, at the rear, can see both other men and their hats.

None of the men can see the hat on his own head. They are asked to deduce its color. Some time goes by as the wise men ponder the puzzle in silence. Finally the first one, at the front of the line, makes an announcement: "My hat is white."

He is correct. How did he come to this conclusion?"

[DGuller]

Ooh, I know.  But I don't have a puzzle to ask, so I'll let others solve it.

[Viking]

The man at the back is quiet. Had he seen two black hats he would have known his own hat was white. So the front two guys have at least one white hat.

The guy in the middle is quiet. Had he seen one black hat he would have known that his own hat was white. So the guy at the front knows that his own hat is white.

[DGuller]

The man at the back is quiet. Had he seen two black hats he would have known his own hat was white. So the front two guys have at least one white hat.

The guy in the middle is quiet. Had he seen one black hat he would have known that his own hat was white. So the guy at the front knows that his own hat is white.

  Either that, or the front guy over-estimated how quick at deducing things the other two guys are, and got lucky anyway.

[Liep]

Fast! Did you know it? It took our group a good 15-20 minutes to get it, of course we getting pretty drunk on vodka at the same time.

[Liep]

Good thread, btw. If this continues I'll have a lot of procrastinating to do tomorrow.

[Admiral Yi]

Nice Puff. 

(Liep: Puff, aka Puffin Boy, aka Viking.)

[Viking]

Fast! Did you know it? It took our group a good 15-20 minutes to get it, of course we getting pretty drunk on vodka at the same time.

I solved it many years ago. But I solved if fair and square that time. Unlike DGuller I have a puzzle, similar to the death in childbirth puzzle above.


Late at night a man drives his car to his place of work. He turns on his fm radio. He hears only static. He pulls out his gun and shoots himself in the head. Why did he kill himself?

[Admiral Yi]

Is the FM significant?  Do we have to know anything about the characteristics of FM waves?