No one knows exactly what we mean by intelligence, but as Justice Potter Stewart of the US Supreme Court said in 1964, “Intelligence is like porn, difficult to define, but you know it when you see it.” When we observe members of our species we see some who learn quickly, can solve problems easily, and …
Sharing your IQ is a very personal decision because it is an important estimate of your cognitive strengths. Consequently, you must be careful in deciding whether or with whom you might share this information. The answer to this question has different nuances depending on whether your IQ is low or high, so I’ll treat each …
The IQ test is the best measure of intelligence that we have. However, looking at someone’s library can provide a significant insight into their level of intelligence, assuming that they read the books in their library. When I was in my early 20’s, I spent a month with my Uncle Richard who lived in San …
A publisher offers its new book in 3 formats: ebook for $3, paperback for $20, and hardcover for $30. In one hour it sold 100 copies for a total of $1080. How many paperback copies were sold? Answer: If x, y. and z represent the respective number of copies of each format sold, then 3x …
A golf ball and tee together sells for $1.05. The golf ball costs $1.00 more than the tee. What is the cost of the golf tee? Answer. The golf ball costs $1.025 and the tee costs $0.025. Many people answer that the tee costs $0.05, but this would mean that the golf ball would only …
Peter is looking at Mary, while Mary is looking at Paul. Peter is married. Paul is unmarried. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person? a) yes b) no c) cannot be determined Answer: Yes. If Mary is married, then a married person (Mary) is looking at the unmarried person, Paul. However, if Mary …
Is a married person looking at an unmarried person? Read More »
In the year 2024, my dad will celebrate his 15th birthday. What is my dad’s birthday? Answer: Dad was born on February 28, 1964. His first birthday was 1968 and every fourth year after that.
An eccentric mathematician has 10 identical white socks and 10 identical black socks in his drawer. If he selects his socks at random in a dark room, how many socks must he extract to ensure he has a matched pair? Answer: He must select 3 socks to ensure he has a pair of the same …
For his graduate seminar in psychology, Professor Ross bought several copies of Entrepreneurial Genius at $18 per copy and several copies of Empowerment at $29 per copy. In total he paid $289. How many copies of each book did he purchase? Answer: The cost can be written as 18x + 29y where x and y …
Two comets, Alpha and Beta have periodic orbits with periods of exactly 76 years and 48 years respectively. When both comets appear in the same year they are said to be in conjunction. How many years are between successive conjunctions? Answer: Successive conjunctions occur at the least common multiple of 48 and 76 which is …
