November Mindbenders

Barbers

The king of a distant island decrees that all men living on the island must be clean-shaven.  In each town there is to be employed one barber, who must shave all the men in the town, and only those men, who do not shave themselves.

However, something is wrong.  It becomes known that barbers all over the island are not doing their jobs properly.  Many of the barbers are shaving themselves, which they are not allowed to do since they are among the people who shave themselves.  However, those barbers who do not shave themselves are also in trouble, since they consequently have to shave themselves.  The king finally sees that the scheme isn’t working, and decides to abandon it.

However, the king is then urged to reconsider the scheme.  Somebody wishes to become a barber, and claims to be able to take on the duty without any difficulty.  How?

Answer

Quick and Easy

  1. What was the highest mountain in the world before Everest was discovered?
  2. If you were to enter an airtight chamber filled with 100% methane gas and strike a match, what would happen?
  3. Can a man legally marry his widow’s sister?
  4. Where in the world did September the 11th happen last year?
  5. An eight-rung ladder hangs from the side of a boat.  The water is up to the fourth rung.  The rungs are 30 centimetres apart, and the tide is rising by 25 centimetres an hour.  How long will it be before the ladder is completely underwater?

Answers

Continue the Sequences

  1. 2, 5, 9, 16, 49, ?
  2. 11, 17, 23, 31, 41, ?
  3. 1, 4, 13, 40, 121, 364, ?
  4. 1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221, ?
  5. 2, 4, 6, 30, 32, 34, 36, ?

Answers

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