A man is looking at a portrait of someone. Then, pointing to the person in the portrait he says, “Brothers and sisters, I have none, but that man’s father is my father’s son. Who is the person in the portrait? Answer: Since the person pointing to the portrait has no siblings, the phrase, “My father’s …
Our world is becoming dangerously polarized. As we converse with friends and colleagues on social media, we forge connections with people of like mind–those who share our beliefs and opinions. As these opinions receive increasingly more validation from fellow members of these mini-societies, we become more entrenched in the perception that our opinions are truths. …
Nathaniel requested my answer to the above question. I share that response in this post for anyone who has trouble writing. Nathaniel, I have good news for you. Everyone, no matter what their IQ, struggles to write non-fiction or fiction in a way that is engaging, succinct, and well-structured. If you visit the Hemingway House …
Some people claim that Sir Winston Churchill was one of the most intelligent people of his generation. His epoch-making speeches inspired the British during World War II, while he was Britain’s Prime Minister, and are credited with raising British morale through its darkest days. His fluid expression and acerbic wit have been regarded as the model …
A fish was caught off the mouth of the Alpine River and its dimensions were as follows: The head was 6 inches long. The tail was as long as the head, plus half the length of the body. The body was as long as the head and tail combined. How long was the fish? Answer: …
There are two ducks in front of two ducks. There are two ducks behind two ducks. There are two ducks between two ducks. How many ducks are there? Answer: There are four ducks as shown in the diagram below.
One of the many hotly-debated topics that surfaces on the internet from time to time is the question, “Who was the most intelligent of the 46 U.S. Presidents from George Washington to Joe Biden?” Was it Thomas Jefferson, as suggested by John F. Kennedy? Or was it John Quincy Adams, or Kennedy, himself? Maybe it …
Two flies are placed in a quart jar. Each day the number of flies doubles. At the end of 30 days, the jar was full of flies. When was the jar half full? Answer: Each day the fraction of the jar filled by flies is double the fraction filled on the previous day. When the …
Recent research in epigenetics is suggesting that the way in which genes express themselves depends on the environment in which they operate. Evidence for this appeared in 1797 when three hunters near Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance in France sighted a young pre-pubescent male sprinting through the woods. They gave chase and captured him when he attempted to escape …
Years ago, when I was an undergraduate, specializing in mathematics and physics at the University of Toronto, my colleagues and I were filled with an inflated sense of our abilities and were inclined to dismiss anyone outside our realm as irrelevant. However, as time unfolded, life taught us lessons in humility. Two years ago, I …
