Eluzions Illusions

The term 'lateral thinking' was coined by Edward de Bono to denote a problem-solving style that involves looking at the given situation from unexpected angles. Sometimes a problem seems difficult or insoluble because our assumptions about it are wrong.
A classic example: A father and his son are involved in a car accident, as a result of which the son is rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. The surgeon looks at him and says "I can't operate on him, he's my son". Explain.

A variant of this involves a father and son travelling on a scheduled flight; the father asks the flight attendant if his son may visit the cockpit and she takes him there. When he's gone the pilot explains to the co-pilot "That was my son". For a few people there's no 'puzzle' here, but most of us are so used to seeing only male surgeons and pilots that we too easily overlook the obvious explanation: the pilot or surgeon is the boy's mother.

To solve these puzzles you'll need to check your assumptions, especially about who, what, when, where, why?. Some won't yield to that approach, and demand a flash of inspiration, such as:

A landlord is threatening to evict a father and his beautiful young daughter, unless she agrees to marry him. In a false gesture of sincerity, he offers her an opportunity for her and her father to remain in the house, without marrying him. He has a silk bag in which he says he has placed a white and a black stone from the footpath on which they're standing. If she picks the white stone from the bag, without looking, she wins; if she picks the black, she loses. However, the young girl saw him place two black stones in the bag. She can't expose him in front of the witnesses without angering him and making things worse. How does the clever girl win? Answer

In this puzzle, there are no tricks - everything is pretty much as it seems. It calls for a novel solution. Well, perhaps it could be argued that the assumption that needs checking is the one about how the drawn stone is known...

So, be prepared to think outside the box for these classic lateral thinking puzzles. Enjoy!

Three Switches and Three Bulbs

Three switches outside a windowless room are connected to three light bulbs inside the room. How can you determine which switch is connected to which bulb if you may enter the room only once? Answer

Nutty Problem

A man is replacing a wheel on his car, when he accidentally drops the four nuts used to hold the wheel on the car, and they fall into a deep drain, irretrievably lost. A passing girl offers him a solution which enables him to drive home. What is it? Answer

The Burning Island

You are on an island (in the center) that is one mile long and 100 yards wide. The vegetation is very dry from a long drought. Suddenly it catches fire at one end of the island, and a strong wind is blowing it towards you, burning the whole width of the island. There's no beach, only sheer cliffs, and the sea is infested with sharks. What can you do? Answer

How to Age Quickly?

The day before yesterday, Jenny was 17 years old. Next year, she'll be 20 years old. How is this possible? Answer

Gunshot in the Bar

A man enters a bar and asks for a glass of water. The bartender draws a gun and shoots into the ceiling. The man thanks him and walks out. Why? Answer

Lift the Bridge?

A truck is stuck at a road under a bridge. It's just a couple of inches too high to pass under. Any other route, avoiding the bridge would add a couple of hours to the journey. A young boy comes along and again saves the day. How? Answer

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. When he returns he takes the elevator to the 7th floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the 10th floor. He hates walking so why does he do it? Clue: on rainy days he goes up in the elevator to the tenth floor. Answer

The Man who Hanged Himself

A large wooden barn is completely empty except for a dead man hanging from the middle of the central rafter. The rope around his neck is ten feet long and his feet are three feet off the ground. The nearest wall is 20 feet away from the man. It is not possible to climb up the walls or along the rafters. The man hanged himself. How did he do it? Answer

Death in a Field

A man is lying dead in a field. Next to him there is an unopened package. There is no other creature in the field. How did he die? Answer

Anthony and Cleopatra

Anthony and Cleopatra are lying dead on the floor of a room. Nearby is a broken bowl. There is no mark on either of their bodies and they were not poisoned. How did they die? Answer

The Coal, Carrot and Scarf

Five pieces of coal, a carrot and a scarf are lying on the lawn. Nobody put them on the lawn but there is a perfectly logical reason why they should be there. What is it? Answer

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? Answer

Push that Car

A man pushed his car. He stopped when he reached a hotel at which point he knew he was bankrupt. Why? Answer

Friday

A man rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Friday. How come? Answer

The Blind Beggar

A blind beggar had a brother who died. What relation was the blind beggar to the brother who died? (Brother is not the answer). Answer

Swimmer in the Forest

Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkel and facemask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had he died? Answer

The Prisoner and the Police Car

A man has recently escaped from prison and is making his way home on foot. He is walking along a straight rural country lane in bright daylight. He has walked about two miles from the prison, when he sees a police car coming toward him. Despite knowing that all squads would be out looking for him, he ran towards the car for a short while, and only when he was about ten feet away, did he turn and run into the woods to hide. Why did he run towards the police car? Answer

Arthur and The Burglars

Arthur lives with his parents in Chicago. Last week, while his parents were out, Arthur's next-door neighbor Sophie came round to spend the evening. At one point, she popped out to buy some cigarettes. Just then, two men burst into the apartment and, ignoring Arthur, took the TV set, the stereo and a computer. Arthur had never seen the men before, and they had no legal right to remove the equipment, yet he did nothing to stop them. In fact, he didn't even act surprised by their behavior. Why not? Answer

Russian Tunnel

During World War II, three Russian V.I.P.'s, Molotov, Vishinsky and Malenkov, were travelling on a train in Russia. Suddenly the train entered a tunnel without the conductor's turning on the lights. The tunnel was long and sooty. At the moment the train emerged, Stalin wandered into the car and noticed that the men had become spotted with soot.

He said to them: "Before I show you a mirror, I have an idea. Your answers will show me which of you is the quickest thinker."

The three men immediately sat up and paid strict attention, for each was anxious to show Stalin how smart he was.

"Now," said Stalin, "each of you gentlemen will please look at the other two, and if you see one whose forehead is smudged with soot, raise your hand."

All three quickly raised their hands.

Stalin continued, "As soon as any one of you knows with certainty whether he himself has been smudged or not, drop your hand."

Looking at each other for a few moments, the three men kept their hands raised. Then Malenkov dropped his hand and said, "I know. I am smudged." Could he really have known? Or was he guessing?

Solved by R.N.Radhakrishnan, Hyderabad, India.