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"What is you favorite riddle?"

From Santa Fe Institute Events Wiki

Hey team- Well, I'm always on the lookout for new riddles (mathematical or otherwise) to confound my students with. My hope is that this week we each submit a riddle, and then perhaps return later with answers... or just leave them unanswered.


"A wise queen is looking for an adviser. After many deadly tests she has narrowed the field down to three contestants- you and two others. She tells all three of you that she has three white hats and two black hats. Only looking at the hats the other contestants are wearing, you must deduce with certainty the colour of your own hat. If you guess wrong, you will be executed. If you fail to give convincing reasoning, you will be executed. You may not look at your own at by any means. You are free to ask the other contestants questions, but they are under no obligation to answer truthfully. You now find yourself sitting in the tallest tower, staring at your two fellow contestants, both of whom are wearing white hats. Ten minutes has passed since the hats were revealed, and so far all three contestants have remained utterly silent.

What colour is your hat?" -Alastair


I love riddles! Here is a non-math one I may have told you before: "Forwards I am heavy and backwards I am not. What am I?" - Swati

I always liked this one from The Hobbit ever since I was little: This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down." - Lauren

Please enter your own riddles here!