LOGIC & LATERAL THINKING
A farmer has 17 sheep. All but 9 die.
What is 9?
This phrase often means “I’m upset,” even though the words say otherwise.
What is “It’s fine”?
The only English word that is spelled the same forwards and backwards.
What is “racecar”?
This is heavier: a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks.
What is neither—they weigh the same?
A large mammal that lives in the ocean.
What is a blue whale?
If you pass the runner in second place, this is the position you now hold.
What is second place?
“Read the room” is advice telling you to pay attention to these.
What are social cues?
Add one letter to the word rent to get something that can block a doorway.
What is “entr(e)” / “entry”?
(accept What is “entry”?)
This happens to your body in space, not because there is no gravity, but because of this.
What is constant free fall?
A two-wheeled vehicle powered by pedaling.
What is bicycle?
Five machines take five minutes to make five widgets; with 100 machines working at the same rate, this is how long it takes to make 100 widgets.
What is five minutes?
When someone says “No offense,” it usually signals this is about to happen.
What is something offensive being said?
This word changes meaning depending on which syllable is stressed: REcord vs. reCORD.
What is “record”?
People believe goldfish have this length of memory, but it’s a myth.
What is three seconds?
A written record of a person’s life.
What is a biography?
You see a boat filled with people, yet there is not a single person on board.
What is “they are all married”?
The saying “actions speak louder than words” warns against trusting this alone.
What are promises?
(or What are words?)
Remove one letter from the word plane and rearrange the rest to get something you eat.
What is “apple”?
Seasons are caused not by Earth’s distance from the Sun, but by this.
What is Earth’s axial tilt?
A device used to see faraway objects more clearly.
What is binoculars?
With one room entry, this method identifies which of three switches controls a single light bulb.
What is using heat to test which switch was on previously?
Teachers often say “I’m disappointed” because it appeals to this internal motivator rather than fear of punishment.
What is personal values?
This eight-letter word becomes a new word each time you remove its first letter.
What is “starting”?
This sense is most closely tied to memory, more than sight or sound.
What is smell?
A sudden, loud explosion.
What is a blast?