Best Riddles of October 2011

Dinosaurs laid eggs long before there were chickens

So that the following plan can be followed, let us number the coins from 1 to 12. For the first weighing let us put on the left pan coins 1,2,3,4 and on the right pan coins 5,6,7,8.

There are two possibilities. Either they balance, or they don't. If they balance, then the different coin is in the group 9,10,11,12. So for our second one possibility is to weigh 9,10,11 against 1,2,3

(1) They balance, in which case you know 12 is the different coin, and you just weigh it against any other to determine whether it is heavy or light.
(2) 9,10,11 is heavy. In this case, you know that the different coin is 9, 10, or 11, and that that coin is heavy. Simply weigh 9 against 10; if they balance, 11 is the heavy coin. If not, the heavier one is the heavy coin.
(3) 9,10,11 is light. Proceed as in the step above, but the coin you're looking for is the light one.

That was the easy part.

What if the first weighing 1,2,3,4 vs 5,6,7,8 does not balance? Then any one of these coins could be the different coin. Now, in order to proceed, we must keep track of which side is heavy for each of the following weighings.

Suppose that 5,6,7,8 is the heavy side. We now weigh 1,5,6 against 2,7,8. If they balance, then the different coin is either 3 or 4. Weigh 4 against 9, a known good coin. If they balance then the different coin is 3, otherwise it is 4. The direction of the tilts can tell us whwther the offending coin is heavier or lighter.

Now, if 1,5,6 vs 2,7,8 does not balance, and 2,7,8 is the heavy side, then either 7 or 8 is a different, heavy coin, or 1 is a different, light coin.

For the third weighing, weigh 7 against 8. Whichever side is heavy is the different coin. If they balance, then 1 is the different coin. Should the weighing of 1,5, 6 vs 2,7,8 show 1,5,6 to be the heavy side, then either 5 or 6 is a different heavy coin or 2 is a light different coin. Weigh 5 against 6. The heavier one is the different coin. If they balance, then 2 is a different light coin.

Bill. If you read the message upside down, you'll notice that the numbers resemble letters and that those letters form legible sentences. The message is 'Bill is boss. He sells oil.'

Turn the grid upside down. Circle the numbers 1, 9, 1, 1 When you flip it upside down the 6 becomes 9

You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created.
Here is the answer key:
A-Z
B-Y
C-X
D-W
E-V
F-U
G-T
H-S
I-R
J-Q
K-P
L-O
M-N
N-M
O-L
P-K
Q-J
R-I
S-H
T-G
U-F
V-E
W-D
X-C
Y-B
Z-A

Because he is still living

The only lockers that remain open are perfect squares (1, 4, 9, 16, etc) because they are the only numbers divisible by an odd number of whole numbers; every factor other than the number's square root is paired up with another. Thus, these lockers will be 'changed' an odd number of times, which means they will be left open. All the other numbers are divisible by an even number of factors and will consequently end up closed.

So the number of open lockers is the number of perfect squares less than or equal to one thousand. These numbers are one squared, two squared, three squared, four squared, and so on, up to thirty one squared. (Thirty two squared is greater than one thousand, and therefore out of range.) So the answer is thirty one.

Wise you are, wise you be, I see you are too wise for: ME!

Quit imagining

Looking at the last digit, the last digit must be either 0, 1, 5 or 6.
Then looking at the last two digits, the last two digits must be either 00, 01, 25 or 76.
Then looking at the last three digits, the last three digits must be either 000, 001, 625 or 376.
Then looking at the last four digits, the last four digits must be either 0000, 0001, 0625 or 9376.
Out of those, only 9376 is a 4 digit number