The Grey Labyrinth is a collection of puzzles, riddles, mind games, paradoxes and other intellectually challenging diversions. Related topics: puzzle games, logic puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, philosophy, mind benders, brain teasers, word problems, conundrums, 3d puzzles, spatial reasoning, intelligence tests, mathematical diversions, paradoxes, physics problems, reasoning, math, science.

   

VSP Potpourri

1. Math: Two candidates A and B are in an election. If A gets x votes and B gets y votes (x>y), what is the probability that, as the votes are counted one at a time, A will always be ahead of B. (Jack, January 13, 2000)

2. Word Play: Make sense of the following by adding punctuation: that that is is is that it it is not that that is not is not is that it it is (firemeboy, January 18, 2000)

3. Cryptic Clues: Records attempts and makes hangings (10 letters) Orderly names given to intellectuals (5 letters) (amb, January 18, 2000)

4. Riddle: In the dripping gloom I see A creature with broad antlers, Motionless. It turns its head; One gleaming eye devours the dark. I hear it cough and clear its throat; Then, with a hungry roar, it charges into the night And is swallowed whole. (Ian Serraillier, posted by Amy, January 21, 2000)

5. Chess: White: K on g2, Q on f2, N on f8, P on f7 and h4 Black: K on h8, B on a1, P on g7 and h7 White to play and mate in 3. (araya, February 4, 2000)

6. Movie Trivia: 11 of the 12 people listed below have played villians in movies and 11 have played heroes. Connect each "villian" actor/actress to a "hero" actor/actress by matching them together in a movie for which one was the hero and one the villian. I.E. James Earl Jones could be connected to Mark Hamill in Star Wars where JEJ was the villian (Darth Vader) and Mark Hamill was the hero (Luke Skywalker). Start with the one person who didn't play a hero opposite any of the other people and continue until you reach the one person who didn't play a villain opposite any of the other actors. I.E. if the names were Micheal Keaton, Nicole Kidman, and Alec Baldwin you would write Micheal Keaton--Beetlejuice--Alec Baldwin--Malice--Nicole Kidman. Where Alec Baldwin was a hero in Beetlejuice opposite villain Micheal Keaton and a villain in Malice opposite hero Nicole Kidman. Here's the list: Kathy Bates Michael Beihn James Caan Sean Connery Cary Elwes Morgan Freeman Ed Harris Winona Ryder Arnold Schwartzenegger Alicia Silverstone Christian Slater Uma Thurman (BraveHat, February 16, 2000)

7. Math: Professor Gamble buys a lottery ticket, which requires that he pick six different integers from 1 through 46, inclusive. He chooses his numbers such that the sum of the base-ten logarithms of his six numbers is an integer. It so happens that the integers on the lottery ticket have the same property- the sum of the base-ten logarithms is an integer. What is the probability that Prof. Gamble holds the winning ticket? (Alfie(from AHSME), February 21, 2000)

8. Logic Puzzle: There are five buildings in a row, next to the zoo. (Put the Zoo on the right, so that when we work it out, we get the same orientation, though it doesn't matter.) Each person is in a different building type, has a different vehicle, a different name, and a different favorite movie. Here are the clues.
    1. Wilamina rides her Norco Touring Bike past the Condo to go to the Zoo.
    2. There is a beautiful Mercury Sable parked inside the gates of the Estate.
    3. The owner of the Estate claims that the apartment and condos on either side, are reducing the         estate’s property value.
    4. Xerxes neighbour is always revving up his Kawasaki (which really annoys him)
    5. Uri and the Lada owner are always admiring the gardening efforts of their neighbour.
    6. The Apartment Owner loves watching Total Recall.
    7. The video tape for the Red Violin is often seen in the back seat of the Opel.
    8. The figure skater lives next to the ice fisher.
    9. Vern’s favorite movie is Pig in the City.
    10. Quigley Down Under is often played in the Bungalo.
    11. The jogger is glad he doesn’t live next to the Strange Brew fan, since he hates that movie.
    12. Yanna does not like Strange Brew Either.
    13. Xerxes lives next to the Zoo, which is handy, since he works there.
Who is the Hapkido Instructor? (kitakaze, February 24, 2000)

9. 3x3: Baby Duck Dung House King Pink Pit River White(Quailman, September 8, 2000)

10. Math/Logic: Q knows the quotient of two distinct whole numbers (Larger divided by the smaller). D knows the positive difference. Both know the number is between 2 and 20, inclusive. The following conversation takes place:
    Q: I don't know what the two numbers are.
    D:  I know what the two numbers are. (Griffin, March 11, 2000)

11. Lateral Thinking: A friend of yours asks you to go to run an errand for him. He wants you to go home and retrieve something from his safe. You ask for the combination and he says, “all you need to do is remember 397”. However, when you find the safe, to only way to open the safe is through the use of 10 buttons, which can be pushed in and out. Obviously the right combination would open the safe. However, 3, 9 and 7 in the “on” position does not open the safe. You know that your friend would have given you enough information to open the safe, but only after you put some thought into it (he’s like that). What combination do you try? (Paladin, March 24, 2000)

12. Sequence: 4, 13, 38, 87, __, __... (mithrandir, date unknown)

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