Brain Teasers & Puzzles

 

Can you solve all 6? (answer at the bottom).

 

1. Maths Equation

Move just one stick to fix the equation:

2. Honestants and Swindlecants

There are two kinds of people on a mysterious island. There are so-called Honestants who speak always the truth, and the others are Swindlecants who always lie.

Three fellows (A, B and C) are having a quarrel at the market. A gringo goes by and asks the A fellow: “Are you an Honestant or a Swindlecant?” The answer is incomprehensible so the gringo gives another quite logical question to B: “What did A say?” B answers: “A said that he is a Swindlecant.” And to that says the fellow C: “Do not believe B, he is lying!”

Who is B and C?

 

3. Pandora's Box

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Pandora, who wanted a bright groom so she made up a few logic problems for the wannabe. This is one of them.
Based upon the inscriptions on the boxes (none or just one of them is true), choose one box where the wedding ring is hidden.

 

4. Cannibals and Missionaries

There are 3 missionaries and 3 cannibals that need to cross a river. There is only 1 way across the river and that is by boat. There is only 1 boat and only 2 people at a time may cross the river in the boat. You cannot have more cannibals than missionaries on one side of the river or else the cannibals will eat the missionaries and you fail. How can you get all 3 missionaries and all 3 cannibals across the river in one piece?

 

5. Magic Belt

A magic wish-granting rectangular belt always shrinks to 1/2 its length and 1/3 its width whenever its owner makes a wish. After three wishes, the surface area of the belt’s front side was 4 cm2.

What was the original length, if the original width was 9 cm?

 

6. Riddle

What tastes better than it smells?

 

Answers

1. 5 + 4 = 9, 8 - 4 = 4, 0 + 4 = 4
2. It is impossible that any inhabitant of such an island says: “I am a liar.” An honestant would thus be lying and a swindlecant would be speaking truth. So B must have been lying and therefore he is a swindlecant. And that means that C was right saying B is lying - so C is an honestant. However, it is not clear what is A.
3. The given conditions indicate that only the inscription on the lead box is true. So the ring is in the silver box.
4. 1 cannibal and 1 missionary there, missionary back. 2 cannibals there, 1 cannibal back. 2 missionaries there, 1 missionary and 1 cannibal back. 2 missionaries there, 1 cannibal back. This one cannibal takes the remaining cannibals to the other side.
5. The original length of belt was 96 cm.
6. A tongue.