Disastrous Dave was washing windows on a multi-storey office building when he took a fall off a fifty foot ladder, directly onto the concrete pavement below.
Here is a snippet of section D of the curious multiple-choice entrance exam into the exclusive BrainBashers puzzle club.
Q1. Which is the first question where c) is the correct answer?
a) Q3
b) Q4
c) Q1
d) Q2
Q2. Which is the first question where a) is the correct answer?
a) Q4
b) Q2
c) Q3
d) Q1
Q3. Which is the first question where d) is the correct answer?
a) Q1
b) Q2
c) Q4
d) Q3
Q4. Which is the first question where b) is the correct answer?
Reasoning
Let's look at Q1 first, and check each possible option:
If Q1's answer was a):
… we'll leave checking this for now, because …
If Q1's answer was b):
… we'll leave checking this for now, because …
If Q1's answer was c):
it would reference itself, and we'd learn nothing new, and we'd then have to check Q2.
So, let's start with Q2 first instead of Q1.
If Q2's answer was a):
an immediate contradiction, as Q4 can't be the first answer with a) as we've assumed Q2's answer is a).
If Q2's answer was b):
an immediate contradiction, as Q2 can't be the first answer with a) as we've assumed Q2's answer is b).
If Q2's answer was c):
Q3's answer would be a)
Q1's answer would be d)
confirming Q2's answer as c)
leaving Q4's only possible answer as b)
no contradiction.
If Q2's answer was d):
Q1's answer would be a) (*)
Q3's answer would be c)
Q4's answer would be d)
Q1's answer would be b)
but this contradicts the section marked (*).
Therefore, the only possible answer with no contradiction is when Q2's answer is c).
We can then follow Q2's answer, which leads to the answers to Q1 to Q3. Q4 must then reference itself.
??
Puzzle 303
These 4-letter words can each have a letter added and then be rearranged to make a new 5-letter word.
In order, the letters added spell a 9-letter word. herbbangkeensuitquadwheycelltoilwild
Answers
The added letters spell TELESCOPE. herb + t becomes berthbang + e becomes begankeen + l becomes kneelsuit + e becomes suitequad + s becomes squadwhey + c becomes chewycell + o becomes cellotoil + p becomes pilotwild + e becomes wield
???
Puzzle 304
Fill in the missing numbers with the digits 1 to 9. A diamond shape in the middle means that the four numbers around it add to 20.
Each uses a different way to add to 20, if there is already 1 + 3 + 7 + 9, then there will not be another using the digits 1, 3, 7 and 9 (in any order).
The same digit isn't allowed to touch, even diagonally.
