Mensa Puzzles: The Thread

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:54 pm

Is it just me, or does anyone else find MENSA annoying?
The whole basis of the organization is to sit around and say "We're smarter than anyone else".
Why not a Beautiful People club?
Or a Tall People club?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 9:03 pm

It's not just you. It's a society of self-congratulation.

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 9:27 pm

OK, got one for ya:

You have neither a measuring stick nor a timepiece. All you have is two ropes, both of which will burn up in one hour if lit at either end. Is it possible to measure exactly 45 minutes? If so, how?

Post by **Dale** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:15 pm

I'm not a member. Which should be apparent to all of you. Someone gave me their calendar for Christmas. Puzzle-a-day.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:23 pm

brewerpaul wrote:Is it just me, or does anyone else find MENSA annoying?
The whole basis of the organization is to sit around and say "We're smarter than anyone else".
Why not a Beautiful People club?
Or a Tall People club?

The thing I find even more annoying than MENSA is people advertising their membership in MENSA.

But I must say, I met a very nice MENSA member once.

sturob · Post by **sturob** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:29 pm

Isn't it ironic that "mensa" means "stupid" in Spanish?

Stuart

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:46 am

BrassBlower wrote:OK, got one for ya:

You have neither a measuring stick nor a timepiece. All you have is two ropes, both of which will burn up in one hour if lit at either end. Is it possible to measure exactly 45 minutes? If so, how?

Light one at both ends and one at one end.

After 1/2 hour, when the first rope is totally consumed, light the remaining unlit end of the second rope.

When the rope is consumed, 45 minutes have passed.

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:17 am

Brewster wrote:Thank you, TomB. I would have preferred a movie clip of Big Papi hitting a home run as an avatar, but I settled for a B.

Just 11 days until our next New England championship. Now I'm beginning to understand what it's like to be a greedy Yankees fan who thinks all championships rightfully belong to him....

Yep, I know what you mean. Been a fan of both all my life, so it's nice to see some REAL success.

Tom

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:29 am

Brewster wrote: Now I'm beginning to understand what it's like to be a greedy Yankees fan who thinks all championships rightfully belong to him....

...or her.

Susan

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:19 am

brewerpaul wrote:Is it just me, or does anyone else find MENSA annoying?
The whole basis of the organization is to sit around and say "We're smarter than anyone else".
Why not a Beautiful People club?
Or a Tall People club?

Sorry to tell you this, but...

http://www.tall.org/

Post by **Dale** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:31 am

In a contest to collect bags of clothing for charity, Patty was neither first nor last, but Patty beat Jan. Rachel beat Sue. Sue beat Patty. Sally beat Rachel.

Who brought in the most clothing?

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:44 am

BrassBlower wrote:OK, got one for ya:

You have neither a measuring stick nor a timepiece. All you have is two ropes, both of which will burn up in one hour if lit at either end. Is it possible to measure exactly 45 minutes? If so, how?

Simultaneously, light both ends of the first rope and one end of the second rope. The first rope will burn out in 30 minutes. At that time, light the other end of the (still burning) second rope. It will burn itself out in another 15 minutes.

robin

p.s. Ok I see someone else gave the same answer!

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:48 am

susnfx wrote:
Brewster wrote: Now I'm beginning to understand what it's like to be a greedy Yankees fan who thinks all championships rightfully belong to him....
...or her.

Susan

...or them!

Tom

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:23 am

DaleWisely wrote:In a contest to collect bags of clothing for charity, Patty was neither first nor last, but Patty beat Jan. Rachel beat Sue. Sue beat Patty. Sally beat Rachel.

Who brought in the most clothing?

Someone should tell those girls that it's not how much you give that counts, but the spirit of the giving. It's charity after all!

But anyway, it was Sally.

(Sally 1st, Rachel 2nd, Sue 3rd, Patty 4th, poor Jan 5th.)

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:24 am

Martin and Robin:

Ka-CHING!