This is a classic paradox, attributed to Zeno of Elea, a Greek philosopher from Italy. Great minds over the centuries have pondered this paradox, and the scope of a solution is beyond the space available here. It is not even clear that a solution to the paradox actually exists.
There are two alternate series, starting with the first two numbers, and each formed by doubling the preceding number in its own series and subtracting 2.
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Puzzle 3
My local bus company has recently expanded and no longer has enough room inside its garage for all of its buses.
Twelve of their buses have to be stored outside.
If they decide to increase their garage space by 40% they will have enough room for all of their current buses, plus enough room to store another twelve in the future.
Hint
Think about the 40%, and how many buses that represents.
Answer
72 buses.
Reasoning
The garage is currently full, with 12 more buses outside.
If we increase the garage space by 40%, there will be enough space to house those 12 buses, plus 12 more in the future, a total of 24 buses.
This means that 40% of the current garage capacity is 24 buses.
Therefore, 10% of the current garage capacity is 6 buses.
Therefore, 100% of the current garage capacity is 60 buses.
So, the current garage holds 60 buses, and there are 12 more outside.
Therefore, we have a total of 72 buses.
Double-Checking
They currently have 72 buses, 12 of which are outside, so 60 are inside.
Increasing the garage space of 60 buses by 40% will give room for 60 x 1.4 = 84 buses.
Which is the 72 they currently own, with space for 12 more buses in the future.
This confirms the answer.
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Puzzle 4
Below, 10 nine-letter words have been broken into chunks of three letters.
The chunks have been moved around, no chunk is used twice, and all of the chunks are used.
Can you determine what the 10 words are?
hol rec ant imp fer con
man dif ice pol acq htn
ort myt new air sag duc
dec lig kch ogy ing tan
uit ent gle tal tor ent
Hints
The first letters of the words are: A, C, D, D, I, L, M, N, P, R.
Answers
acq + uit + tal = acquittal
con + duc + tor = conductor
dec + kch + air = deckchair
dif + fer + ent = different
imp + ort + ant = important
lig + htn + ing = lightning
myt + hol + ogy = mythology
new + sag + ent = newsagent
pol + ice + man = policeman
rec + tan + gle = rectangle
