Brain Teasers and Maths Puzzles

[Zyx]

Julie's a fish.

[Drasir-Vel]

She was in an aquarium hanging from a string over the bed. The scissors cut the string so the aquarium fell on the bed and rolled over, splashing the water on the bed, and over the edge onto the floor. Technically works

Edit: Or Julie was a mermaid, and it was a big aquarium!

[Pater Alf]

Is Julie a fish? That would explain the water and why she's dead when the water is on the floor. But what to do with the scissors? Maybe a kid cut the seal out of the fish tank?

[eMTe]

Fish don't sleep in beds.

[Tormuse]

Julie is human and she wasn't in an aquarium.

Another hint: The water is significant; think about possible causes of death.

[eMTe]

Fish don't sleep in beds.

Unless it is a seabed of course.

The water is significant; think about possible causes of death.

It may surprise you, but I do it from the beginning.

[Drasir-Vel]

"The water is significant; think about possible causes of death."

That makes me think about drowning. But with a pair of scissors?, and where did the water come from?. The nearest source of water is usually the bathroom.

[eMTe]

The major problem with lateral thinking puzzles is that author wants an answer despite already receiving it. For me, the one with rope and block of ice was perfectly logical, not to mention - what is important in this type of puzzles - fun.

But let's go further. What was the level of water when they had found her?

[Tormuse]

Unless it is a seabed of course.

It's not a seabed; it's a bed in a house, intended for sleeping.

It may surprise you, but I do it from the beginning.

I believe you! But so far, no one has suggested drowning as the cause of death!

That makes me think about drowning. But with a pair of scissors?, and where did the water come from?. The nearest source of water is usually the bathroom.

Yes, she drowned. And yes, the important question is "where did the water come from?" It didn't come from the bathroom.

The major problem with lateral thinking puzzles is that author wants an answer despite already receiving it. For me, the one with rope and block of ice was perfectly logical, not to mention - what is important in this type of puzzles - fun.

Yeah, when I first heard this puzzle, it was with a gathering of friends, and we came up with several good answers, including Julie being a fetus who died during childbirth. (That's not the correct answer either)

But let's go further. What was the level of water when they had found her?

When they found her, there was a small amount of water all around the bed. Most of the water was in the bed.

EDIT: I just realized that the first post of this puzzle was worded incorrectly; I just edited it to make it clearer. (I hope)

[Pater Alf]

Was it a waterbed and she was inside?

[Tormuse]

Was it a waterbed and she was inside?

Yes, that's the correct answer! Somebody cut open the waterbed and she fell inside and drowned. (Maybe she was drunk at the time? Who knows?)

Anyway, congrats, Pater Alf! You get to post the next puzzle!

[Pater Alf]

Strange solution. Wouldn't all the water flow out of the bed if you cut it open?

Ok, next puzzle and it shouldn't be very hard:

Alice came across a lion and a unicorn in a forest of forgetfulness. Those two are strange beings. The lion lies every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and the other days he speaks the truth. The unicorn lies on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, however the other days of the week he speaks the truth.
Lion: Yesterday I was lying.
Unicorn: So was I.
Which day did they say that?

[Drasir-Vel]

There are no days they can both lie
The only day when they both say the truth is sunday. But it can't have been that because on saturday "yesterday" one is lying and one is saying the truth, but they're both saying the same.

If the unicorn is lying and the lion is not, it only fits with being thursday.
If the lion is lying and the unicorn is not, it doesn't fit with anything.
It could only have been thursday.

[eMTe]

Strange solution. Wouldn't all the water flow out of the bed if you cut it open?

If you make hole in the upper part bed will get soaked in the process too.

On another note, I wonder if it is possible to invent lateral thinking puzzle which has only one logical solution.

[Pater Alf]

There are no days they can both lie
The only day when they both say the truth is sunday. But it can't have been that because on saturday "yesterday" one is lying and one is saying the truth, but they're both saying the same.

If the unicorn is lying and the lion is not, it only fits with being thursday.
If the lion is lying and the unicorn is not, it doesn't fit with anything.
It could only have been thursday.

Correct!

[Drasir-Vel]

What's the angle between the green lines?

[Pater Alf]

60°?

[Drasir-Vel]

Yes, that's right
If you draw a line between the ends of the green lines it would be a triangle where all sides are equally long, and that means 60 degrees per edge.

[Pater Alf]

To be honest: I took a set square and measured the angle...

[eMTe]

In a rectangular array of people, who will be taller: the tallest of the shortest people in each column, or the shortest of the tallest people in each row?