Official Riddle Thread

[Zirandorthel]

I tell ya, once you get used to this lateral thinking, the riddles just get easier.. Sun Bless, Earth KeepZirandorthel I of TreesiaThe Golden DarknessNiirus Tinenetuwar, Tivitha e'TarasGrand Duke of Lac Glacei

[david northworthy beckfor]

the other option, is for him to be a patriotic shirerothian, and use his superior intellegence to take over the treesian hordes, make himself ruler, then hand the land over to the Great and Glorios Kiaser.then, the land on both sides will be undisputably shirerothian, and thus there will be no need for him to cross the river, except to go on pilgramige to shirekeep. "Disclaimer: Whatever is in the above post is probably a result of my blind following of Kieran Bennett, because I have even less of a brain than Kieran. Don't even get me started on my lack of independent thought."

[Scott Alexander]

Thomas' answer is right; Gryphon's answer is just an annoying loophole in the wording.

[Phoenix the Risen]

fine then... don't take logic over hilarity... Phoenix the Risen - Dutchess of Kildare - Political Nuisance but at least She gets the job done. - Official Genkher of Gryphon Avocatio's Cool Short Sig and Gryphon the Pure's Awesome Tables! - COME BACK, STEVE!!! -"To quote a former Kaiser.... 'Shireroth doesn't give up land....'" ~UEC (Quoting Kaiser Letifer I), In response to claims on the Raynor Isles"To paraphrase a former Kaiser: 'Here! Take Amity for free! And that other half of Mar Sara too!'" ~SaiKar LumEth, (Paraphrasing Kaiser Mog I) In response to UEC"To paraphrase a former angry mob "DOWN WITH THE EVIL LAND-GIVING AWAY KAISER! REVOLT! REBELLION! CIVIL WAR!" ~Scott Siskind, (paraphrasing the Letifer Rebellion group) In response to SaiKar LumEth"I HEARBY QUESTION THE KAISERESS AUTHORITY!" ~Gryphon Avocado (Switching Day)

[Scott Alexander]

RIDDLE: Every number can be unambiguously described in a certain number of syllables. "Three", for example, takes one syllable, namely "three". "Thirteen" takes two syllables: "thirteen", and "twenty-one" takes three syllables, "twenty-one". "Twenty-five" takes only two syllables: "five squared", and "thirty-six" takes only two syllables: "thrice twelve". "One hundred eighty seven" takes seven syllables. The question is:What is the least integer not describable using less than nineteen syllables? The answer does not take as much thought as you might think, and is one of the most surprising results in philosophy and mathematics.PS: I'm only using this one because it came up in a philosophy book I was reading and I REALLY liked it. If it turns out to be too hard, I will return to your regularly scheduled easy and normal riddles tomorrow. Edited by: Scott Siskind  at: 3/6/04 9:05 pm

[BMajeed]

I think you changed it around a bit. The way I heard it was a bit different, but still the same answer. I won't say it unless nobody gets it.

[SSFSX17]

I could easily ask the riddle, "Prove that in the formula a^n + b^n = c^n for all n greater than or equal to 3 has no whole number solution for a set of a, b, and c." That's most certainly not as fun to prove.EDIT: In fact, if you're interested in that riddle, the book "Fermat's Last Theorem" describes the painful process undergone in solving it.Here's a riddle that I think is fun: "It's the color of my lover's hair, and has a fiery temper to boot." Hint: this riddle was made up by the creators of http://www.devilwhiskey.com/ Edited by: SSFSX17 at: 3/6/04 11:53 pm

[SaiKar LumEth]

Quote:What is the least integer not describable using less than nineteen syllables? The answer does not take as much thought as you might think, and is one of the most surprising results in philosophy and mathematics.*waits patiently for tomorrow and the possibility of an actual riddle to arrive*

[Zirandorthel]

Is it one? I wouldn't describe that using "less than nineteen syllables", I'd describe it as "the number one". Sun Bless, Earth KeepZirandorthel I of TreesiaThe Golden DarknessNiirus Tinenetuwar, Tivitha e'TarasGrand Duke of Lac Glacei

[SaiKar LumEth]

Oooh, kind of clever Eoin. Too bad that integers can be both positive and negative, which makes "1" not a good answer because "-1" is also an integer, not describable by using "less than nineteen syllables", and is less then 1.Come to think of it, there is no real answer unless they managed to find the largetst (or smallest, since it would be negative in this case) numbe possible.

[Scott Alexander]

The answer is that this is impossible because it any answer could be described as "The least integer not describable in less than nineteen syllables" which is less than nineteen syllables - therefore, no number can ever fit this description, which, if you think about it, makes no sense whatsoever. Since everyone hated this one, here's a nice easy nonmathematical one for tomorrow:John was born before his father, killed his mother, and married his sister. Even though he lives in the United States among people who follow all US cultural norms, no one thinks any of these facts is the least bit odd. Explain.[Hint: Each of the three statements requires a different answer - thus, this is sort of three riddles in one. There is no one answer (so far as I know) that explains all three of them.]

[Phoenix the Risen]

John was born before his father, killed his mother, and married his sister.John's father was present at time of birth, and sat facing the child being born. John's mother died in childbirth, and the boy grew up to be a minister.Sounds good to me... Phoenix the Risen - Dutchess of Kildare - Political Nuisance but at least She gets the job done. - Official Genkher of Gryphon Avocatio's Cool Short Sig and Gryphon the Pure's Awesome Tables! - COME BACK, STEVE!!! -"To quote a former Kaiser.... 'Shireroth doesn't give up land....'" ~UEC (Quoting Kaiser Letifer I), In response to claims on the Raynor Isles"To paraphrase a former Kaiser: 'Here! Take Amity for free! And that other half of Mar Sara too!'" ~SaiKar LumEth, (Paraphrasing Kaiser Mog I) In response to UEC"To paraphrase a former angry mob "DOWN WITH THE EVIL LAND-GIVING AWAY KAISER! REVOLT! REBELLION! CIVIL WAR!" ~Scott Siskind, (paraphrasing the Letifer Rebellion group) In response to SaiKar LumEth"I HEARBY QUESTION THE KAISERESS AUTHORITY!" ~Gryphon Avocado (Switching Day)

[david northworthy beckfor]

If I was going to be an evil, racist, still-got-a-grudge-over-the-colonial-rebellion englishman, then I would say that stuff sound like what any damned inbred american would do.but I am not one of them, and this board has loads of americastanis on it, so I won't say that(disclaimer: please read the above as if it has lots of 's and 's in it) "Disclaimer: Whatever is in the above post is probably a result of my blind following of Kieran Bennett, because I have even less of a brain than Kieran. Don't even get me started on my lack of independent thought."

[Scott Alexander]

Apparently all my riddles are either way too easy or so complex and mathematical that people don't find them interesting. Since I went with a "way too easy" yesterday, here's a "so complex and mathematical that people don't find them interesting" one:The land of Riddlestan has some strange customs. For one thing, everyone in Riddlestan is a horrible gossip, so that if any woman has an affair, within hours the entire population knows about it. However, another one of their customs is that it is considered horribly rude to tell any man that his own wife is having an affair, and this never happens. Therefore, every man in Riddlestan knows about all the affairs of every woman in the country except his own wife. All the Riddlestanis are married, and all the Riddlestanis are monogamous.One day, the King of Riddlestan summons all the male citizens to his palace. He tells them that he is increasingly worried about the problem of maritial infidelity, because he has been informed by his ministers that at least one woman in the country is having an affair. Riddlestan isn't a very civilized place, and the King tells all the men that in order to protect the honor of the country, if any man learns that his wife is having an affair, he must shoot her at midnight that very night.For a year, there is no further discussion whatsoever of the King's orders or of affairs. But exactly a year later, every man in Riddlestan shoots his wife.The question is: How many men are there in Riddlestan?(this question CAN be answered with only the information given, and it is NOT a trick)

[Sir Iain de Vembria]

One? His Excellency the Grand Chancellor of the United Baronies

[Ari Rahikkala]

Sir Iain: If that were the case, the king would be the only man in the country, and therefore he would not even be told about the infidelity at all.I think that the number of affairs can be determined from the amount of days that passed between the king's order and the midnight shootings... or, well, *would* think so if the riddle didn't include the part that there's no discussion about affairs (and thus no gossip, and thus *no affairs*). Do you really believe Project Bluebook revealed EVERYTHING the Army Air Corps knew? Do you know what REALLY happened at Roswell, New Mexico in the late 1940s? Have you even heard about the Men in Black? Do you have any friends who have `missing days'? Do you sleep with your window unlocked?Be seeing you...

[Scott Alexander]

Ari had the right idea. There are 365 people in Riddlestan.The proof goes like this. Imagine there were two men in Riddlestan. If only one of their wives was having an affair, since the man whose wife it was would know it wasn't the other man's wife, and since the king said that at least one wife was having an affair, he would know it was his own wife and shoot her that night. Both men would know this, and so if neither of them shot their wife the first night, then both of them would know both their wives were having affairs, and both would shoot their wives the second night. In general, this trend continues, so that when there are x number of men, all of whose wives are having an affair, they all shoot them on night x. Therefore, since it took a year, there are 365 men.Now time for an easy one:Two children were born to the same two parents in the same hospital on the same day of the same year, but they were not twins. How is this possible? The answer is very simple and does NOT involve any weird modern reproductive technologies.

[BMajeed]

They are females. The term parents is not used as married parents, just mom's. So the mothers give birth to two different kids.

[Scott Alexander]

No. By "the same two parents" I meant that the the children had both the same mother and the same father. Good guess, though.

[Alexandra Decens]

They were born on the same DAY of the year...just not the same year.. .. I have no custom signature...oh wait...

[BMajeed]

It states that they are born in the same year also.

[BMajeed]

My Next Guess: The parents are animals and the female had multiple children!

[Scott Alexander]

The parents are both human. Keep trying.

[Austi Scot]

Twin means born at the same birth – so the two, while born on the same day, were born hours apart.

[BMajeed]

Damnit...Do I even get an honorable mention?

[Scott Alexander]

Austi, no, I'm afraid that if they were born hours apart, they would still be twins. Keep trying.

[SaiKar LumEth]

I get the feeling that we are thinking in the wrong direction on this one.

[Alexandra Decens]

well couldnt they have one kid....get pregnant again and have the second kid on the same day, within the same year (assuming you start the year from the day the first kid was born if that makes sense) they dont nessecarily have to be born in the same calender year i suppose.......of course i might just be trying too hard... I have no custom signature...oh wait...

[Scott Alexander]

Since it's more or less midnight and I don't want to keep having to listen to these attempts:The two children were born along with a third child, and are triplets. Edited by: Scott Siskind  at: 3/10/04 7:12 pm

[Scott Alexander]

Today's riddle: "Balloon" is one example of a word that has two doubled letters, one right after another. There is only one word in the English language (so far as I know) that has three such pairs. What is it?This is in no way a trick question. Edited by: Scott Siskind  at: 3/10/04 8:22 pm