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Riddle:
I'm white, and used for cutting and grinding. When I'm damaged, humans usually remove me or fill me. For most animals I am a useful tool.
What am I?
Riddle:
You and nine other individuals have been captured by super intelligent alien overlords. The aliens think humans look quite tasty, but their civilization forbids eating highly logical and cooperative beings. Unfortunately, they're not sure whether you qualify, so they decide to give you all a test. Through its universal translator, the alien guarding you tells you the following: You will be placed in a single-file line facing forward in size order so that each of you can see everyone lined up ahead of you. You will not be able to look behind you or step out of line. Each of you will have either a black or a white hat on your head assigned randomly, and I won't tell you how many of each color there are.
When I say to begin, each of you must guess the color of your hat starting with the person in the back and moving up the line. And don't even try saying words other than black or white or signaling some other way, like intonation or volume; you'll all be eaten immediately. If at least nine of you guess correctly, you'll all be spared. You have five minutes to discuss and come up with a plan, and then I'll line you up, assign your hats, and we'll begin. Can you think of a strategy guaranteed to save everyone? Alex Gendler shows how.
Answer: Let's see how it would play out if the hats were distributed like this. The tallest captive sees three black hats in front of him, so he says "black," telling everyone else he sees an odd number of black hats. He gets his own hat color wrong, but that's okay since you're collectively allowed to have one wrong answer. Prisoner two also sees an odd number of black hats, so she knows hers is white, and answers correctly. Prisoner three sees an even number of black hats, so he knows that his must be one of the black hats the first two prisoners saw. Prisoner four hears that and knows that she should be looking for an even number of black hats since one was behind her. But she only sees one, so she deduces that her hat is also black. Prisoners five through nine are each looking for an odd number of black hats, which they see, so they figure out that their hats are white. Now it all comes down to you at the front of the line. If the ninth prisoner saw an odd number of black hats, that can only mean one thing. You'll find that this strategy works for any possible arrangement of the hats. The first prisoner has a 50% chance of giving a wrong answer about his own hat, but the parity information he conveys allows everyone else to guess theirs with absolute certainty. Each begins by expecting to see an odd or even number of hats of the specified color. If what they count doesn't match, that means their own hat is that color. And every time this happens, the next person in line will switch the parity they expect to see. So that's it, you're free to go. It looks like these aliens will have to go hungry, or find some less logical organisms to abduct.
Riddle:
Around the world, a wingless thing flies, and on the way it whistles and cries. Sometimes it helps destroy towns and trees, but sometimes it relaxes humans and beasts. It can fly through holes so tiny, so small. It can fly through plains that are big and wide. From the north, to the south, it is feared when it comes. But also enjoyed by the people around. What is the thing?
Riddle:
I want everything within sight. The impossible will not flee my plight. I will take it all by any means. To have is my heart's very need. A bottomless pit that nothing will fill. I have even led humans to kill. What am I?
Riddle:
I grow on trees, I make some people wheeze. I can be brown or black, I can be used as a snack. Some animals bite me, some animals hide me. They save me for Winter deep in the ground, the start to dig down down down. For humans I have a very good taste, sometimes they throw out a part in the waste! What am I?
Riddle:
I can be created by humans,
But they cannot control me.
I suck on wood, paper and flesh alike.
I can be more of a hindrance than help at times.
To my creators, I seem to be everywhere at once.
What am I?
Riddle:
I am very important to all living creatures. I was firstborn in the sun. I am a chapter in textbooks and I am not made of fire. I make the sun-worthy. Too much of me may kill you. But humans can still prevent me. What am I?
Riddle:
Tom walks into a room and see three monkeys. One monkey holds a banana, another monkey holds a stick, and the last monkey holds nothing. Who is the smartest primate in the room?
Answer: Assuming that Tom is a human, then he is the smartest primate in the room because humans are also primates.
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