Riddle Me This

[TPIR1990]

She reaches into the bag and pulls out a pebble.  Without showing anyone, she "accidentally" drops it.  When the old man protests that they'll never know what color the pebble was, she suggests pulling out the other pebble - which would be the opposite color of the one she drew (ASSUMING a FAIR GAME).

However, since the game was rigged, she draws and drops a black pebble.  Without revealing the old man was a cheater, she contends that the pebble she drew MUST have been white, since the remaining pebble is black.  The old man has no choice but to admit he cheated, or go along with his agreement and wipe out the family debts.

Very good!

Her best course of action is to take a stone from the bag and immediately drop it on the path. She can then say, "We can work out the color of the stone I selected by looking at the one that is left. If that is black, I must have selected the white stone."

Deadline: Monday, August 18.

Clues: 1

There are two glasses on the table, one containing water and the other one wine. They both contain exactly the same amount of volume. If you take a teaspoon of water and mix it into the wine and then take a teaspoonful from the wineglass and mix it with the water, both glasses become contaminated. But which is more contaminated? Does the water now contain more wine than the wine does water or the other way around?

[Jnelson09]

There are two glasses on the table, one containing water and the other one wine. They both contain exactly the same amount of volume. If you take a teaspoon of water and mix it into the wine and then take a teaspoonful from the wineglass and mix it with the water, both glasses become contaminated. But which is more contaminated? Does the water now contain more wine than the wine does water or the other way around?

They would be even, right?

[TPIR1990]

They would be even, right?

Very good.

They are both equally contaminated. The water contains exactly as much wine as the wine contains water. The most elegant proof for this celebrated little puzzle is as follows: It does not matter how many transfers are made between the glasses or whether the contents are stirred. Provided that the volumes in the two glasses are equal, then any water not in the water glass must be in the wine, there is nowhere else it can be. The wine that it has replaced must be in the water glass. The water glass therefore contains as much wine as the wine contains water.

Deadline: Tuesday, August 19.

Clues: 1

A man stands in front of a painting and says the following: "Brothers and sisters I have none. But this man's father is my son." How is the man in the painting related to the man who is in front of it?

[tpiradam]

is the person in the painting his grandson? im guessing cuz u dont need brothers or sister to have a son or grandson

[TPIR1990]

is the person in the painting his grandson? im guessing cuz u dont need brothers or sister to have a son or grandson

Unfortunately, no.

[Ton80]

"Brothers and sisters I have none. But this man's father is my son." How is the man in the painting related to the man who is in front of it?

I'm going to agree with tpiradam.  The man in the painting is the grandson and the man is the grandfather.

[PokerJoker811]

A man stands in front of a painting and says the following: "Brothers and sisters I have none. But this man's father is my son." How is the man in the painting related to the man who is in front of it?

The man portrayed in the painting doesn't exist. The speaking man is the father of the painter, who "fathered" the painting, and thusly, the man.

[TPIR1990]

I'm going to agree with tpiradam.  The man in the painting is the grandson and the man is the grandfather.

As previously confirmed, wrong.

The man portrayed in the painting doesn't exist. The speaking man is the father of the painter, who "fathered" the painting, and thusly, the man.

The man does exist.

[Jnelson09]

OK, give us the clue.

[TPIR1990]

Okay, here's your only clue.

This is a simple little riddle but if often causes consternation. If you get into a muddle with it then just divide the sentence into three parts:

Brothers and Sisters I have none,
But this man's Father
Is my Father's Son.

Now work backwards from the last statement.

[Jnelson09]

The man in the portrait is his son?

[JokerFan]

The man in the portrait is the man himself?

[Ton80]

Not to be argumentative, but your clue and your original riddle don't match.

"Brothers and sisters I have none. But this man's father is my son." How is the man in the painting related to the man who is in front of it?

Your clue, however, says...

Brothers and Sisters I have none,
But this man's Father
Is my Father's Son.

Now.  The answer to your original riddle is what tpiradam and I said - the man in the painting is the grandson, and the man is the grandfather.

The answer to your "revised" riddle is what Jnelson09 said:

The painting is the man's son, and the man is his father.

[TPIR1990]

The man in the portrait is his son?

Correct.

Not to be argumentative, but your clue and your original riddle don't match.

Your clue, however, says...

Now.  The answer to your original riddle is what tpiradam and I said - the man in the painting is the grandson, and the man is the grandfather.

The answer to your "revised" riddle is what Jnelson09 said:

The painting is the man's son, and the man is his father.

Must have been a typo in the book or on my part. Typo on me part. Sorry Ton80.

Here the official answer with explanation.

It is the man's son in the painting. "My father's son" must be the man himself (since he had no brothers or sisters). Therefore "this man's father is my father's son" becomes "this man's father is me". So, the man in the picture is his son.

Deadline: Wednesday, August 20.

Clues: 1

An explorer was captured by a tribe whose chief decided that the man should die. The chief was a very logical man and gave the explorer a choice. The explorer was to make a single statement.  If it was true, he would be thrown over a high cliff. If it was false, he would be eaten by lions.

What statement did the clever explorer make that forced the chief to let him go?

[JokerFan]

There is no "let go" situation.  The explorer is either going to be thrown over a high cliff or be eaten by lions.  How would the man be "let go"?