Beat the statistics - Solve this riddle

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 03:10:21

QuoteThe original question posed by Einstein was â€œWho keeps the fish?â€

In a street there are 5 houses painted 5 different colors. In each house lives a person of a different nationality. The 5 homeowners each drink a different beverage,
smoke a different brand of cigar, and keep a different pet.

The question is: Who keeps the fish?

HINTS:

1. The Brit lives in the red house.
2. The Swede has a dog.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The green house is on the left of the white house.
5. The owner of the green house drinks coffee.
6. The person who smokes pall mall has birds.
7. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhills.
8. The man living in the center house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The man who smokes blends lives next to the one who has cats.
11. The man who has horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhills.
12. The man who smokes blue master drinks beer.
13. The German smokes prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The man who smokes blends has a neighbor who drinks water.

Albert Einstein wrote this riddle in the early 20th century. He said that 98% of the population would not be able to solve it. Good luck.

I think that at the turn of the century, perhaps 98% of people couldn't solve this. However, in another forum I go to, at least 5 people have solved it already out of my estimated 15 who tried.

Try to figure it out. It might take a while, and if you get it I'm sure you'll be excited, but don't post it here, PM me and I'll tell you if you are correct. I want to see a realistic amount of people who can solve it.

Use Excel or some heavy Algebra for best results. It took a couple of sheets of paper for me to get it, and ~45 minutes thinking really hard.

Gilbert · Tue 20/04/2004 03:32:08

It's not really that difficult, and I'd played it before.
Just use logic.

He asked for a PM Mr Gilbert, tut tut

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 03:58:22

The logic is rather involved though.. that's the catch. A lot of people would get hung up in it and not know what to do.

Gilbert · Tue 20/04/2004 04:02:08

It's just complicated, not difficult, it can be solved easily with patient.

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 04:03:53

Precisely what I meant..

Some people took over 2 hours.

LGM · Tue 20/04/2004 04:26:15

I have no paitence, ergo, I will not attempt to solve.

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 04:35:31

Losttravelor wrote a macro and solved it in ~15 minutes.

I feel dumb, I should have done that instead of the paperwork.

Moox · Tue 20/04/2004 04:52:50

Hehehe I love computers

MillsJROSS · Tue 20/04/2004 05:38:47

Do you send us confirmation if we get it correct, or wrong?

-MillsJROSS

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 06:03:02

Mills got it too.

goldenmonkey · Tue 20/04/2004 07:25:07

Put in what I think it is, hope it's right.
LostTraveler: Using a computer isn't really working it out yourself, Einstein said 2% of people should be able to solve it, not 2% of people and their computers

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 07:29:45

Yep you were right.

QuoteLostTraveler: Using a computer isn't really working it out yourself, Einstein said 2% of people should be able to solve it, not 2% of people and their computers

Gotta admit he had some ingenuity there though, heh. He knew how to solve it but didn't want to spend as much time so he programmed a macro.

I think that with the results of this, it's way over 2%. In 1910, it would be different, but I was sort of using this to restore my faith in society. In fact people are smarter than they used to be, at least.

evenwolf · Tue 20/04/2004 07:30:38

And technically, if 'figuring it out' simply means to name which house - I think more than 2% of the population can guess with the odds at 1/5.

Las Naranjas · Tue 20/04/2004 07:39:49

Or at least that this style of puzzle has become more prevalent.

Esseb · Tue 20/04/2004 10:11:22

Edit: I managed to solve the riddle but not send a simple PM. Yay me.

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 12:23:27

Esseb, Kinoko, and Privateer Puddin' are added to the list.. and the first person to get it wrong, though I don't think I'll mention that.

So we've got:
Losttravelor
MillsJROSS
Goldenmonkey
Esseb
Privateer Puddin
Kinoko

And maybe Gilbert, but I dunno, because he never PM'd me.

I'm glad I'm not the only nerd who likes word puzzles.. I just saw the challenge, and I had that cocky attitude where I must figure out the answer or risk facing my own stupidity. At least I only have to face my stupidity in other subjects now.

Kinoko · Tue 20/04/2004 12:25:28

I think I did it. I need confirmation but... Oh, I'll just -die- if I was wrong -_-

It took me about an hour and a couple of scraps of paper (I'm pretty methodical). I imagine most decently intelligent people would be able to do this these days, as long as their willing to take the time to work it out (and not on their computers >

I think that's the catch though, a lot of people would just give up after 5 minutes.

EDIT: WOOHOO! I'm smart!

shbaz · Tue 20/04/2004 12:27:41

Haha, you didn't read my post, or my PM. You PM'd me as I was typing that.

Mr_Frisby · Tue 20/04/2004 12:49:56

I think I got it? I hope I got it? $:-\$

DGMacphee · Tue 20/04/2004 12:57:51

I GOT IT!!!

Colonel Mustard in the Ballroom with the Giant Dildo!!!

Oh... wait...