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15 lateral thinking puzzles
The document contains a collection of lateral thinking puzzles and riddles. It begins with an introduction to lateral thinking and how it can help solve problems from a different perspective. The rest of the document consists of various puzzles and riddles presented as questions without answers. Readers are challenged to think creatively to arrive at the solutions. Examples include puzzles about eggs in a basket, trucks passing under tunnels, police not stopping a vehicle, and arranging glasses of drink.
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Introduction to popular lateral thinking puzzles, emphasizing the need for different perspectives to solve problems.
Illustrates lateral thinking through a scenario where two mathematicians interpret a statement differently. Example: I + IX = X.
A riddle about six eggs in a basket; designed to challenge the audience's thinking process.
Challenges the audience with a problem about a truck passing under a tunnel by suggesting deflating the tires.
A scenario where a truck driver is seen going the wrong way down a one-way street, revealing unexpected outcomes.
A puzzle about arranging filled and empty glasses to alternate by moving only one glass.
A teacher's innovative way to ensure students answer correctly during an inspection.
Engages the audience with a task to remove matchsticks to create two squares, showcasing lateral thinking.
A riddle involving two trains meeting and determining their distance from the west coast.
A scenario with a customer noticing he received the same cup of tea, emphasizing attention to detail.
Riddle about visibility conditions in a black-painted town, demonstrating the need for lateral thinking.
Discusses the rationale for round over square manhole covers to prevent potential accidents.
A creative way to make a line appear smaller by drawing a larger adjacent line.
Highlights a clever interview response involving wordplay, demonstrating lateral thinking in communication.
A spatial arrangement puzzle prompting the audience to envision placing balls in a triangular formation.
Explores a scenario where two people cannot see each other due to their orientation at a table.
Credits the presenter, Dr. P. Madar Valli, summarizing their connection to lateral thinking and engineering.
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15 lateral thinking puzzles
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- 4. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV L ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV A ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV T ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV E ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV R ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV A ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV L ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV T ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV H ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV I ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV N ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV K ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV I ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV N ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV G
- 5. Lateral thinking Many problemsrequire a different perspective to solve successfully -- Edward de Bono
- 7. Two mathematicians are sittingopposite to each other for a cup of coffee. They looked at the matter written on the paper which is kept on the table . One said “ Its Wrong”, another said “ Its Right”. Both are correct. How is it possible? What is written on the paper? ?
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- 9. I + IX= X Right
- 10. Wrong I + IX= X
- 12. There are sixeggs in the basket. Six people each take one egg, how can it be that one egg is left in the basket?
- 16. Truck height is1 inch taller than tunnel height Then how the truck passes through the tunnel
- 17. Answer: Deflate the tirestill the truck height is lesser than tunnel height.
- 19. A police officersaw a truck driver clearly going the wrong way down a one- way street, but did not try Why ? to stop him.
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- 21. But… Answer: The truck driverwas walking on the one-way street
- 23. Three of theglasses are filled with cool drink; the other three are empty. By moving only one glass, can you arrange them so the full and empty glasses alternate
- 30. The school inspection •A schoolteacher knew that the school superintendent would visit the next day. • The superintendent would ask questions such as spellings or mental arithmetic of the class, and the teacher would choose a pupil to answer. • The teacher wanted to give the best impression of the school. • What instructions did she give the children, in order to create the best impression and maximise the chances that the right answer was given to each question?
- 31. Teacher instructed thestudents to raise hand for every question but with one condition i.e. those students who know right answer will raise their right hands and those students who do not know the answer will raise their left hands
- 33. Remove 2 matchsticks fromthis figure to make 2 squares remain
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- 36. Two trains arecrossing the country, from coast to coast, over 3,000 miles of railroad track. Train A is going from west to east at 70 miles per hour, and Train B is going from east to west at 80 miles per hour. Which train will be closer to the west coast when they meet?
- 37. Train A 70 miles per hour 80 miles per hour Train B
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- 40. Which train willbe closer to the west coast when they meet? Now !!! You know the answer. Both trains are at same distance from west coast when the meet.
- 42. A man calledto a waiter in a restaurant, "There's a fly in my tea!" The waiter replied, "I will bring you a fresh cup." After a few moments, the man called out, "This is the same cup of tea!" How did he know?
- 43. Hint is hereonly. Try………
- 44. Answer: The man hadalready put sugar into the tea.
- 46. A black mandressed all in black, wearing a black mask, stands at a crossroads in a totally black- painted town. All of the streetlights in town are broken. There is no moon. A black-painted car without headlights drives straight toward him, but turns in time and doesn't hit him.
- 47. Answer: It's broaddaylight.
- 49. Manhole Covers Why isit better to have round manhole covers than square ones?
- 51. Side is smallerthan diagonal of square cover. It means, there is a chance that the cover may fall inside.
- 52. So round coveris better
- 54. Make the linesmaller without erasing it
- 55. Draw another linelarger than the existing one adjutant to it. Now the first line is smaller
- 57. Interviewer -- Heordered a cup of coffee for the candidate. Coffee arrived kept before the candidate, then he asked what is before you? Candidate: Instantly replied "Tea“ He got selected. Why?
- 58. Here “You” means“U” ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRS T U VWXYZ
- 60. Arrange four tennisballs in such a way that the distance between each ball is same.
- 61. Arrange it inequilateral-triangle - pyramid shape so that distance between each tennis ball is same
- 63. Two persons aresitting with a table in between them but they can not see each other. Why?
- 64. They are sittingin the opposite direction and not facing each other
- 65. A presentation by Dr.P.MadarValli Professor, Industrial Engineering Department, GIT, GITAM University Visakhapatnam, India. drpmv@yahoo.com ; drpmv@gitam.edu