- The Elder Twin
One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin
brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How come?
Solution
- Manhole Covers
Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?
This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle which can be
solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used by a very
well-known software company as an interview question for prospective
employees.
Solution
- The Deadly Party
A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early.
Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of
poisoning. Why did the man not die?
Solution
- Heaven
A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people
there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21.
He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognised. He saw a
couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve.
How did he know?
Solution
- Trouble with Sons
A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of
the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?
Solution
- The man in the Elevator
A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the
elevator to go down to the ground floor to go to work or to go shopping.
When he returns he takes the elevator to the seventh floor and walks up
the stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor. He hates walking,
so why does he do it?
This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral
thinking puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible
solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is
truly satisfying.
Solution
- The Man in the Bar
A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The
barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says "Thank
you" and walks out.
This puzzle has claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its
statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying
solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they
like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring
it out.
Solution