The Hardest Riddle I Know

[mcfbridge]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: And now a riddle of mine own

mountain. And here's yet another:

Lazily wafting high into the sky,
I am the thing that catches the eagle’s eye.
Pushing him gently upward as he spirals away,
I am the part of air that likes to play.
Without me, there could be no long flight.
Without me, birds would be in a horrible plight.
I am the back upon which they can soar.
I am the warm stranger that gravity abhors.
What am I, so gentle and free?

For lack of a better word, an updraft.

 

[CharleyH]

Hey Charley, is that you in your AV?

Why? Are you the Queen of Hearts in yours? lol

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: And now a riddle of mine own

For lack of a better word, an updraft.

Technically a thermal, but yeah.

'Ere's another one:

I am most of what is in the air,
But my effects most living things should beware.
My only benefit to life lies when I am trapped underground.
When I am flying in the air life is neither safe nor sound.
I come from the factories and rip the ozone in two,
Yet, I keep plant life thriving so that it can be eaten as food.
I control life, yet I may kill us all,
But stuck behind oxygen, I do not pity your fall.
What am I?

 

[Nemasis Enforcer]

Technically a thermal, but yeah.

'Ere's another one:

I am most of what is in the air,
But my effects most living things should beware.
My only benefit to life lies when I am trapped underground.
When I am flying in the air life is neither safe nor sound.
I come from the factories and rip the ozone in two,
Yet, I keep plant life thriving so that it can be eaten as food.
I control life, yet I may kill us all,
But stuck behind oxygen, I do not pity your fall.
What am I?

Carbon Dioxide

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Carbon Dioxide

Nope. This one is one of the trickier ones.

 

[Nemasis Enforcer]

Nope. This one is one of the trickier ones.

Can't think then the only other thing that comes to mind is Nitrogen... makes up 78.1 of air and feeds plants and will kill you if you inhail it...

If its not that then im out!!!

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

Can't think then the only other thing that comes to mind is Nitrogen... makes up 78.1 of air and feeds plants and will kill you if you inhail it...

If its not that then im out!!!

DING DING DING!!! The reaper wins the prize.

 

[Nemasis Enforcer]

DING DING DING!!! The reaper wins the prize.

Yay anymore brain teasers?

 

[mcfbridge]

Why? Are you the Queen of Hearts in yours? lol

Actually, I suppose I think of myself more as the ace, but hey, forgive a guy for a little ego. As to why, well it's a very pretty picture.

lol,
Mike

 

[Boboosethemoose]

Well, I'm still waiting for my first story to get approved. I just wanted to see if any one has figure out the second answer to my riddle. I will say that some of the answers you all came up with was great, but the weren't the right one.

Here is the riddle again:

I make blind men see,
and seeing men blind,
I also tell time,
What am I?

If you all twist my arm, I might give out another clue. What ever you do, don't let it go over an hour. (Was that another clue)

Man, I'm a little devil

 

[mcfbridge]

Well, I'm still waiting for my first story to get approved. I just wanted to see if any one has figure out the second answer to my riddle. I will say that some of the answers you all came up with was great, but the weren't the right one.

Here is the riddle again:

I make blind men see,
and seeing men blind,
I also tell time,
What am I?

If you all twist my arm, I might give out another clue. What ever you do, don't let it go over an hour. (Was that another clue)

Man, I'm a little devil

A candle

 

[snooper]

Answer time.

... since you can't admit that the problem with the riddle is the wordage of #2. ...

Nothing wrong with the words. No assumptions needed.

For simplicity of notation (and because I am an idle typist), I will refer to ‘Critic’ as C, to Low as L, and to Y.Y. as Y.
I will also refer to anyone who saw Caliban in a green tie as T, and anyone who lent Caliban an umbrella as U.

The three clauses are:
(1) No person who has seen me in a green tie is to choose before L.
(2) If Y was not in Oxford in 1990 the first chooser never lent me an umbrella.
(3) If Y or C has second choice, C comes before the one who first fell in love.

Consider (3) first.
If it could be shown that L is first then from (3) C is not last, and therefore is second, i.e.the order is L, C, Y.
Consider (1)
If both C and Y were T’s (1) would require L first and (3) then gives the order L, C, Y and (2) would be superfluous, hence C and Y are not both T’s.
If neither C nor Y were a T, (1) would be true for any ordering and therefore would give no information, i.e. would be superfluous. Hence just one of C and Y is a T. It follows that if L is not first then the only possible order is Not T, L, T.
Now consider (2)
First, if Y was in Oxford in March 1990, nothing follows from (2) about the order, and (2) is superfluous. Hence Y was not in Oxford.
If L were a U he would not, by (2) come first, and so by (1) the order would be Not T, L, T. i.e. (1) and (2) alone would fix the order and (3) would be superfluous. Hence Low is not a U.
It now follows, by the arguments just given for T’s under (1) that just one of Y and C is a U. If the same one is the T and the U, then, since L is not a U, (2) follows from (1) and is therefore superfluous.

So to recap:
T: Just one of Y and C; possibly L.
U: The other one of Y and C; not L.

Hence Not T; L; T is not possible, for the Not T is the U and therefore by (2) is not first. Hence L is first and (3) gives the order Low; ‘Critic’; Y.Y.
Finally Y is a T and C is a U, for if C is a T, by (1) L comes before C and hence (3) only allows L; C; Y and (2) is superfluous.
So ‘Critic’, and only ‘Critic’ lent Caliban an umbrella.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Re: Answer time.

Finally Y is a T and C is a U, for if C is a T, by (1) L comes before C and hence (3) only allows L; C; Y and (2) is superfluous.
So ‘Critic’, and only ‘Critic’ lent Caliban an umbrella.

Wait, wait, wait. You're saying that in the order

1. Low - 2. 'Critic' - 3. Y.Y.

the only person chosing after Low is 'Critic'?

I'm sorry, but that is laughable.


(1) No person who has seen me in a green tie is to choose before L.


If 'Critic' has seen me in a green tie, the possible combinations are

from 1:
Low > Y.Y. > 'Critic'
Low > 'Critic' > Y.Y.
Y.Y. > Low > 'Critic'

from 1 and 3:
Low > 'Critic' > Y.Y.
Y.Y. > Low > 'Critic'


Unlike you say, if C is a T, (1) and (3) allow for 2 possible solutions and (2) is very much necessary. (3) isn't superfluous in this case either, because it eliminates one of the possibilities carried from (1).

Admit it, there's just no way out of it. The problem is badly formulated and there is no way of answering that second question.

 

[Boboosethemoose]

A candle

Sorry, candle is not the answer.

Lets recap my clues:
1) Think of all ways to tell time even if its an "old" way.
2) Measure
3) Hour

Not lets add it all up and we get?

Here is my last clue. I hope my story gets on soon so I can get back to my other storys.

The other answer is whats is to many to count. It is in every land mass (except the north and south poles too much ice).

I hope that will help you all.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Re: Answer time.

Nothing wrong with the words. No assumptions needed.

I have just Googled the title of the PM you sent me, "Caliban's Will". The very first result says, on top of the page:

Caliban's Will - Solution
One of the intriguing (or perhaps spoiling) things about this puzzle is that the solution by the famous puzzlist, Dudeny, has a flaw. You can determine the order of choosing but not who lent Caliban an umbrella.

LOL

Bow to my superior intelect now.

 

[CharleyH]

Re: Re: Answer time.

I have just Googled the title

LOL

Bow to my superior intelect now.

Ah ha! So that's how you found your 'superior' answer LOL

ok, scared and bowing, bowing now - lol

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Re: Re: Re: Answer time.

Ah ha! So that's how you found your 'superior' answer LOL

ok, scared and bowing, bowing now - lol

Er, I didn't know what to search for until Snooper sent the "Caliban's Will" PM. He hadn't mention that name at all before today.

 

[CharleyH]

I know. I'm teasing. I'm bowing. What more do you want for gods' sake!

 

[Boboosethemoose]

My story is now accepted. Please read it and let me know what you think. This is my first story so I won't care if you hate it. I just what to see how people like my writing. By the way, if I get fifty votes then I will answer the second answer to the riddle I enetered.