Puzzles

PUZZLE CORNER

CLUB of DOWNERS GROVE

Kiwanis Monthly Challenge

Previous Puzzles & Solutions

Puzzle #1 for March "The Magic triangle":

Solution to #1

There are three cities all equal distance from each other.
We will call then “Anywhere”, “Between”, and “Capital”.
Now, a plane flies from Anywhere to Between in 80 minutes.
It then flies from Between to Capital in 80 minutes.
Then, it returns from Capital to Anywhere in 1 hour and 20 minutes.

If the plane flies at constant ground speed, please explain!

Puzzle #1a for April (The Proof Reader Special):

Solution to #1a

The three sentences below sound like they make sense, but there's something wrong with each one of them.

This book fills a badly needed gap in your education.
Don't go near the water until you've learned how to swim.
If you get this message, call me right away; otherwise, don't bother.

Read each sentence and tell what's the matter.

Puzzle #2 for May “The Lady or the Tiger?”:

Solution to #2

You are presented with two doors. Behind one waits a lovely lady with a bag of gold. Behind the other crouches a hungry tiger. If you pick the right door, you get the lady with the gold. If you pick the wrong door, you get eaten.

There are signs on the doors, one of the signs is true and the other is false.
The sign on Room One reads:
IN THIS ROOM THERE IS A LADY AND IN THE OTHER ROOM THERE IS A TIGER.
The sign on Room Two reads:
IN ONE OF THESE ROOMS THERE IS A LADY, AND IN ONE OF THESE ROOMS THERE IS A TIGER.
With that information can you chose the door with the lady?

Puzzle #3 for June “The Politician Puzzle”:

Solution to #3

A recent convention had 100 politicians. Each politician was either crooked or honest.

We are given the following two additional facts:
    At least one of the politicians was honest.
    Given any two of the politicians, at least one of the two was crooked.

Can it be determined from these two additional facts how many of the politicians were honest and how many of them were crooked?

Puzzle #4 for July “The Case of the Grandfather Clocks”:

Solution to #4

Arthur and Robert were each in charge of a beautiful antique clock at a Museum.
Both were born in the month of May, one in 1932 and the other a year later.
Both of the clocks worked well but one of them lost ten seconds an hour and the other gained ten seconds an hour.

On one bright day in January, the two friends set both clocks right at exactly 12 noon.
"You realize," said Arthur, "that the clocks will start drifting apart, and they won't be together again until the very day you will be 47 years old."
Robert then made a short calculation. "That's right!" he said.

Who is older, Arthur or Robert?

Puzzle #5 for August “Twin Brothers”:

Solution to #5

For a short one, try this one.

There are twin brothers, one lies and one tells the truth. One is named John. How can you discover which brother is John by asking one three-word question?"

Hint: Make a four square table with 'John true', and 'John lies' in one row and the opposite 'brother lies'. and 'brother true' in the other row.
Ask a question that gives the same answer for John regardless if the tells the truth or lies.

Puzzle #6 for September “Inspector Craig Visits Transylvania”:

Solution to #6

Inspector Craig of Scotland Yard was called to Transylvania to solve some cases of vampirism. Arriving there, he found the country inhabited both by vampires and humans. Vampires always lie and humans always tell the truth. However, half the inhabitants, both human and vampire, are insane and totally deluded in their beliefs: all true propositions they believe false, and all false propositions they believe true. The other half of the inhabitants is completely sane: all true statements they know to be true, and all false statements they know to be false. Thus sane humans and insane vampires make only true statements; insane humans and sane vampires make only false statements. Inspector Craig met two sisters, Lucy and Minna. He knew that one was a vampire and one was a human, but knew nothing about the sanity of either. Here is the investigation:

Craig (to Lucy): Tell me about yourselves.
Lucy: We are both insane.
Craig (to Minna): Is that true?
Minna: Of course not!

From this, Craig was able to prove which of the sisters was the vampire. Which one was it?