A riddle... - Page 5 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

floonine · 07-31-2003, 01:41 PM

is it possible to open the box?

wlcm · 07-31-2003, 03:52 PM

is it marked on the outside that says what it is inside?

floonine · 07-31-2003, 04:14 PM

if you are gonna give up on us at least tell us what the answer is please.

bobbles · 07-31-2003, 10:23 PM

is something inside playing music?

cliche · 08-01-2003, 12:18 AM

floonine - sorry, I'm in UK and have been asleep!

It is possible to open the box, but I know what is inside without doing so.
wlcm - no markings to explain what is inside
bobbles - no, whatever's inside is silent

TIO · 08-01-2003, 12:19 AM

Floonie, nobody's been given up on. But cliche won't give us the answer...where's the fun in that?

Did someone tell you what was in the box? Did you see the contents before they were put in the box?

cliche · 08-01-2003, 12:27 AM

TIO - no, nobody's spoken to me about the contents (noone's spoken to me at all, sniff sniff - but that's another story

) And I didn't see the contents before they went in. The box just appeared on my doorstep one morning.

mathmo · 08-01-2003, 01:51 AM

Is it an egg-box then?

cliche · 08-01-2003, 05:31 AM

mathmo - no, regular rectangular box. Not readily identifiable as containing anything. If you saw it, you (probably) wouldn't be able to tell what was in it.

floonine · 08-01-2003, 05:39 AM

Its not a coffin is it?

cliche · 08-01-2003, 05:41 AM

floonine - good one! but no. It's a rectangular, smallish box. Most other people probably wouldn't know what was in it.

mathmo · 08-01-2003, 05:56 AM

Damn, my only ideas were egg-box, match-box or coffin.

Clutching at straws...

If you can't tell what is in the box by sight, what about by another sense, smell perhaps??

Though how a stuffed cat gives off an identifiable smell...

mathmo · 08-01-2003, 06:06 AM

It's not something like: you told someone to send you the contents of the box. So you know what's in the box as you asked for it, but no-one told you about it as it was sent at your request??

cliche · 08-01-2003, 06:08 AM

mathmo - my sense of smell isn't that good! But perhaps close.
And no, I didn't ask anyone to send it to me.

mathmo · 08-01-2003, 06:30 AM

Well, I had to rule out the stupid!

Ooh, this is a good riddle. Right, so <em>most</em> people can't tell what is in the box by sight. Whatever is in the box is silent and undetectable by smell. It is a small, regular rectangular, box so I guess touch isn't going to help. Surely not taste?

So I'm stumped!!

Do you know what is in the box by sight alone?

TIO · 08-01-2003, 10:07 AM

Cliche, are we working on the assumption that you're a normal human being? That you're not using your canine sense of smell or your Supermanesque X-Ray vision to percieve the contents of the box?

If you hadn't seen the box (ie. if your flatmate told you there was a parcel waiting on your doorstep), would you still have known what was in it?

Is there any marking at all on the box? No company logo, no return address or postmark or distinctive handwriting to give it away?

Have you recently been an active member of any secret societies?

goatfire · 08-01-2003, 11:16 AM

i got one..........Fred finds Jim stabbed inside a locked room. Only Fred and Jim have keys to this room. (aka...theres no way anyone else could have come in or out) There is one window (but its on the top floor aka. no one can come in or out here either) There are no objects inside the room at the time Fred finds Jim's body. How did he die????? oh yeah and Fred didnt kill Jim by the way!

goatfire · 08-01-2003, 11:17 AM

the key wasnt a murder weapon either

cliche · 08-01-2003, 04:08 PM

mathmo - if I were to see the object, I would recognise it. But I can't see it...
TIO - a relatively normal human being. There are those out there who would be able to tell, and those who wouldn't.
If I hadn't seen the box, I wouldn't have a clue what was in it.
There are no markings on the box.
And no secret societies involved.

cliche · 08-01-2003, 04:08 PM

goatfire - did Jim stab himself?

Kadath · 08-01-2003, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cliche
goatfire - did Jim stab himself?

With an icicle, maybe?

TIO · 08-01-2003, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cliche
a relatively normal human being.

That's interesting. So it is some special ability of yours, and not some background knowledge, which allows you to pecieve the contents of the box?

cliche · 08-02-2003, 01:16 AM

TIO - I'd hardly call it an ability, but yes - it's not knowledge. Not unique to me though, there are quite a few people (millions) who could do the same.

goatfire · 08-02-2003, 04:43 AM

stab himself with an icicle...thats it Kadath!

mathmo · 08-02-2003, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cliche
mathmo - if I were to see the object, I would recognise it. But I can't see it...

I meant sight of the box rather than the object, but TIO asked pretty much the same thing just after me.

Would knowledge of the material that the box is made of be helpful?

Do you know where the box has come from?

Do you have ESP?

Xell101 · 08-02-2003, 08:54 AM

1. Do you have a very responsive Gaurdian Angel who promptly delivered the now dead kitten to your doorstep?
2. Is the box made from Ice, Ice so cold that it cannot be unfrozen therefore it must have come from Superman's fortress of solitude, and the only animal there he'd be willing to part with would be a penguin, therefore it is a penguin, and because the cargo holds of planes sometimes are depressurized to help ward off fire, a very, very dead penguin.
3. Mail order pet supposed to arrive that day, but it was irradiated for anthrax.
4. Were you previously informed of the contents of the box somehow in any way?

Quote:

And old country? WTF? Please explain...

Jokes about Soviet Union and how backwards it was. "AutoNav: Fork in road ahead, In old country, road fork you!"

collide · 08-02-2003, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kadath
Actually, the solution I've been taught is the blind man who uses the ringing of the buoy tied to the dock as a signal to turn. The buoy broke free and the man drowned. Yours, however, is acceptable.
Sleepyjack, these are originally puzzles where you are allowed to ask "yes or no" questions of the person to determine what went on. TIO just knows them all, like I do. Did you go through a gifted program in school, perhaps? And where are your riddles, Mr. Smarty Man, TIO?
Sleepyjack, your answer is "three." Number of letters in the word version of the number, e.g. four -- four, three -- five, etc.

And Cynthetiq's is Superman/Kryptonite.

Heh, I think the game Monkey Island 2 has a puzzle like this one, where the guy shows you three sets of fingers, telling you what the first two sets are, and in order to guess the password, you'd have to guess the third set of fingers based on the information/hints given from the first two.

collide · 08-02-2003, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cliche
OK, another one for you.

I have a box in front of me. Noone has told me what's inside it. I did not see the object being put in there. The box is closed. Yet I know what is inside. Why?

For those going "aha!" - the box is opaque

Did you simply open the box?

No one has told you what's inside it, you didn't see it being packaged away, and the box is closed when it is delivered you, but you know what it is because you've just opened the box (what's actually inside it is irrelevant).

Did I get it correct?

collide · 08-02-2003, 10:59 AM

Hmm, was there a card attached to the box that revealed its contents?

Xell101 · 08-02-2003, 01:09 PM

I completely give up if one of the silly answers I put previously is incorrect. How DO you know what is in the box?

fresprite · 08-03-2003, 01:16 AM

could the man be blind so he didnt see what he put in, but knows it by feel, then place it in the box himself?

cliche · 08-03-2003, 01:26 AM

Sorry guys, have been moving house...

mathmo - Knowledge of the material would be largely unhelpful except to know that the box isn't airtight. In this case it's a cardboard box, wrapped up with tape.
I don't know where the box is from, and I don't have any special powers.

Xell101 -
1. I hope you're not accusing me of killing kittens!? (fap fap)
2. How did you guess??

Nope, not a penguin or anything to do with Superman. In fact, this is quite a realistic situation (except for the fact the box contains an ex-cat)
3. No mail-order involved, but I like...
4. Until I picked up the box I had no idea what would be in it.

collide - the box is still closed; nice try though. And no card to tell me.

fresprite - I didn't put the cat in the box, or see it being put there, or otherwise know of it being there in advance of actually receiving the box.

Keep going guys! I may have to start dropping hints...

TIO · 08-03-2003, 01:56 AM

Damn...best one so far, cliche!

Did shaking/handling the box help you to figure out its contents?

Xell101 · 08-03-2003, 02:55 AM

Until you picked it up, what was under the box?

cliche · 08-03-2003, 03:43 AM

TIO - thanks! Hope it's worth it...
I didn't shake the box, or move it around. I could probably have told you what was in there without picking it up, but in this case it was shortly after picking it up that I realised what was inside.

Xell101 - Not really relevant what was under it; I picked it up off the floor.

TIO · 08-03-2003, 07:07 AM

If I'd seen the box, would I have known what was in it?

cliche · 08-03-2003, 09:44 AM

TIO - probably not, though I can't guarantee. I reckon about 10% of people in the UK or US would have a good idea what's in the box.

TIO · 08-03-2003, 10:08 PM

Cliche, is there any sound coming from the box? Any unusually strong smells?

cliche · 08-03-2003, 11:09 PM

TIO - no sound, and my sense of smell isn't brilliant - certainly not enough to work out what's in the box

Xell101 · 08-04-2003, 03:18 AM

Step 1: Picked up box
-nothing to indicate contents on, around, or eminating from box in smell, sound, of visual form, or from weight, feel of the box.
Step 2: Know what is in box
Step 3: Ask people how.

Did you have priod knowledge of what would be contained in the box as soon as you indentified the box or box type? Is it like "Oh this box A I know what is contained in box A!"

07-31-2003, 01:41 PM	#161 (permalink)
floonine Insane Location: Silicon Valley, Utah	is it possible to open the box? __________________ Political arguments do not exist, after all, for people to believe in them, rather they serve as a common, agreed-upon excuse. Foolish people who take them in earnest sooner or later discover inconsistencies in them, begin to protest and finish finally and infamously as heretics.

07-31-2003, 04:14 PM	#163 (permalink)
floonine Insane Location: Silicon Valley, Utah	if you are gonna give up on us at least tell us what the answer is please. __________________ Political arguments do not exist, after all, for people to believe in them, rather they serve as a common, agreed-upon excuse. Foolish people who take them in earnest sooner or later discover inconsistencies in them, begin to protest and finish finally and infamously as heretics.

08-01-2003, 12:18 AM	#165 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	floonine - sorry, I'm in UK and have been asleep! It is possible to open the box, but I know what is inside without doing so. wlcm - no markings to explain what is inside bobbles - no, whatever's inside is silent __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-01-2003, 12:19 AM	#166 (permalink)
TIO Addict Location: The Land Down Under	Floonie, nobody's been given up on. But cliche won't give us the answer...where's the fun in that? Did someone tell you what was in the box? Did you see the contents before they were put in the box? __________________ Strewth

08-01-2003, 12:27 AM	#167 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	TIO - no, nobody's spoken to me about the contents (noone's spoken to me at all, sniff sniff - but that's another story ) And I didn't see the contents before they went in. The box just appeared on my doorstep one morning. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

07-31-2003, 03:52 PM	#162 (permalink)
wlcm Tilted Location: Austin, TX	is it marked on the outside that says what it is inside?

07-31-2003, 10:23 PM	#164 (permalink)
bobbles Crazy	is something inside playing music?

08-01-2003, 01:51 AM	#168 (permalink)
mathmo Tilted Location: London, UK	Is it an egg-box then?

08-01-2003, 05:31 AM	#169 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	mathmo - no, regular rectangular box. Not readily identifiable as containing anything. If you saw it, you (probably) wouldn't be able to tell what was in it. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-01-2003, 05:39 AM	#170 (permalink)
floonine Insane Location: Silicon Valley, Utah	Its not a coffin is it? __________________ Political arguments do not exist, after all, for people to believe in them, rather they serve as a common, agreed-upon excuse. Foolish people who take them in earnest sooner or later discover inconsistencies in them, begin to protest and finish finally and infamously as heretics.

08-01-2003, 05:41 AM	#171 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	floonine - good one! but no. It's a rectangular, smallish box. Most other people probably wouldn't know what was in it. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-01-2003, 05:56 AM	#172 (permalink)
mathmo Tilted Location: London, UK	Damn, my only ideas were egg-box, match-box or coffin. Clutching at straws... If you can't tell what is in the box by sight, what about by another sense, smell perhaps?? Though how a stuffed cat gives off an identifiable smell...

08-01-2003, 06:06 AM	#173 (permalink)
mathmo Tilted Location: London, UK	It's not something like: you told someone to send you the contents of the box. So you know what's in the box as you asked for it, but no-one told you about it as it was sent at your request??

08-01-2003, 06:08 AM	#174 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	mathmo - my sense of smell isn't that good! But perhaps close. And no, I didn't ask anyone to send it to me. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-01-2003, 06:30 AM	#175 (permalink)
mathmo Tilted Location: London, UK	Well, I had to rule out the stupid! Ooh, this is a good riddle. Right, so <em>most</em> people can't tell what is in the box by sight. Whatever is in the box is silent and undetectable by smell. It is a small, regular rectangular, box so I guess touch isn't going to help. Surely not taste? So I'm stumped!! Do you know what is in the box by sight alone?

08-01-2003, 10:07 AM	#176 (permalink)
TIO Addict Location: The Land Down Under	Cliche, are we working on the assumption that you're a normal human being? That you're not using your canine sense of smell or your Supermanesque X-Ray vision to percieve the contents of the box? If you hadn't seen the box (ie. if your flatmate told you there was a parcel waiting on your doorstep), would you still have known what was in it? Is there any marking at all on the box? No company logo, no return address or postmark or distinctive handwriting to give it away? Have you recently been an active member of any secret societies? __________________ Strewth

08-01-2003, 11:16 AM	#177 (permalink)
goatfire Upright Location: Halifax	i got one..........Fred finds Jim stabbed inside a locked room. Only Fred and Jim have keys to this room. (aka...theres no way anyone else could have come in or out) There is one window (but its on the top floor aka. no one can come in or out here either) There are no objects inside the room at the time Fred finds Jim's body. How did he die????? oh yeah and Fred didnt kill Jim by the way!

08-01-2003, 11:17 AM	#178 (permalink)
goatfire Upright Location: Halifax	the key wasnt a murder weapon either

08-01-2003, 04:08 PM	#179 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	mathmo - if I were to see the object, I would recognise it. But I can't see it... TIO - a relatively normal human being. There are those out there who would be able to tell, and those who wouldn't. If I hadn't seen the box, I wouldn't have a clue what was in it. There are no markings on the box. And no secret societies involved. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-01-2003, 04:08 PM	#180 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	goatfire - did Jim stab himself? __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-02-2003, 01:16 AM	#183 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	TIO - I'd hardly call it an ability, but yes - it's not knowledge. Not unique to me though, there are quite a few people (millions) who could do the same. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-02-2003, 04:43 AM	#184 (permalink)
goatfire Upright Location: Halifax	stab himself with an icicle...thats it Kadath!

08-02-2003, 10:59 AM	#189 (permalink)
collide Turn off your TV. Location: ... .- -. ..-. .-. .- -. -.-. .. ... -.-. --- --..-- -.-. .-	Hmm, was there a card attached to the box that revealed its contents? __________________ "inhuman fiery goat worship" is an anagram for "information superhighway" -kingvolc

08-02-2003, 01:09 PM	#190 (permalink)
Xell101 Junkie	I completely give up if one of the silly answers I put previously is incorrect. How DO you know what is in the box?

08-03-2003, 01:16 AM	#191 (permalink)
fresprite Upright	could the man be blind so he didnt see what he put in, but knows it by feel, then place it in the box himself?

08-03-2003, 01:26 AM	#192 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	Sorry guys, have been moving house... mathmo - Knowledge of the material would be largely unhelpful except to know that the box isn't airtight. In this case it's a cardboard box, wrapped up with tape. I don't know where the box is from, and I don't have any special powers. Xell101 - 1. I hope you're not accusing me of killing kittens!? (fap fap) 2. How did you guess?? Nope, not a penguin or anything to do with Superman. In fact, this is quite a realistic situation (except for the fact the box contains an ex-cat) 3. No mail-order involved, but I like... 4. Until I picked up the box I had no idea what would be in it. collide - the box is still closed; nice try though. And no card to tell me. fresprite - I didn't put the cat in the box, or see it being put there, or otherwise know of it being there in advance of actually receiving the box. Keep going guys! I may have to start dropping hints... __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-03-2003, 01:56 AM	#193 (permalink)
TIO Addict Location: The Land Down Under	Damn...best one so far, cliche! Did shaking/handling the box help you to figure out its contents? __________________ Strewth

08-03-2003, 02:55 AM	#194 (permalink)
Xell101 Junkie	Until you picked it up, what was under the box?

08-03-2003, 03:43 AM	#195 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	TIO - thanks! Hope it's worth it... I didn't shake the box, or move it around. I could probably have told you what was in there without picking it up, but in this case it was shortly after picking it up that I realised what was inside. Xell101 - Not really relevant what was under it; I picked it up off the floor. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-03-2003, 07:07 AM	#196 (permalink)
TIO Addict Location: The Land Down Under	If I'd seen the box, would I have known what was in it? __________________ Strewth

08-03-2003, 09:44 AM	#197 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	TIO - probably not, though I can't guarantee. I reckon about 10% of people in the UK or US would have a good idea what's in the box. __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-03-2003, 10:08 PM	#198 (permalink)
TIO Addict Location: The Land Down Under	Cliche, is there any sound coming from the box? Any unusually strong smells? __________________ Strewth

08-03-2003, 11:09 PM	#199 (permalink)
cliche Rookie Location: Oxford, UK	TIO - no sound, and my sense of smell isn't brilliant - certainly not enough to work out what's in the box __________________ I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -- John Cage (1912 - 1992)

08-04-2003, 03:18 AM	#200 (permalink)
Xell101 Junkie	Step 1: Picked up box -nothing to indicate contents on, around, or eminating from box in smell, sound, of visual form, or from weight, feel of the box. Step 2: Know what is in box Step 3: Ask people how. Did you have priod knowledge of what would be contained in the box as soon as you indentified the box or box type? Is it like "Oh this box A I know what is contained in box A!"