LANGUAGE:
  • English
  • Russian
  • Chinese
  • Slovak

Einstein's Riddle and Grid Puzzles

Bear

Einstein's Riddle

Albert Einstein allegedly made this riddle for his scholars.
A fellow encountered a bear in a wasteland. There was nobody else there. Both were frightened and ran away. Fellow to the north, bear to the west. Suddenly the fellow stopped, aimed his gun to the south and shot the bear. What color was the bear?
If you don't know, this may help you: if the bear ran about 3.14 times faster than the fellow (still westwards), the fellow could have shot straight in front of him, however for the booty he would have to go to the south.

 

Neighbors

This is another example of Einstein's riddles. It is said that this quiz was made up by the famous physicist and according to him 98% will not solve it.
There is a row of five different color houses. Each house is occupied by a man of different nationality. Each man has a different pet, prefers a different drink, and smokes different brand of cigarettes.

  1. The Brit lives in the Red house.
  2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
  3. The Dane drinks tea.
  4. The Green house is next to the White house, on the left.
  5. The owner of the Green house drinks coffee.
  6. The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
  7. The owner of the Yellow house smokes Dunhill.
  8. The man living in the centre house drinks milk.
  9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
  10. The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
  11. The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
  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 neighbour who drinks water.

Who has fish at home? Are you one of the 2%?

Meeting (meet this challenge)

Another example of hard grid puzzles (just like Einstein's) was published in the QUIZ 11/1986.
Eight married couples meet to lend one another some books. Couples have the same surname, employment and car. Each couple has a favorite color. Furthermore we know the following facts:

  1. Daniella Black and her husband work as Shop-Assistants.
  2. The book "The Seadog" was brought by a couple who drive a Fiat and love the color red.
  3. Owen and his wife Victoria like the color brown.
  4. Stan Horricks and his wife Hannah like the color white.
  5. Jenny Smith and her husband work as Warehouse Managers and they drive a Wartburg.
  6. Monica and her husband Alexander borrowed the book "Grandfather Joseph".
  7. Mathew and his wife like the color pink and brought the book "Mulatka Gabriela".
  8. Irene and her husband Oto work as Accountants.
  9. The book "We Were Five" was borrowed by a couple driving a Trabant.
  10. The Cermaks are both Ticket-Collectors who brought the book "Shed Stoat".
  11. Mr and Mrs Kuril are both Doctors who borrowed the book "Slovacko Judge".
  12. Paul and his wife like the color green.
  13. Veronica Dvorak and her husband like the color blue.
  14. Rick and his wife brought the book "Slovacko Judge" and they drive a Ziguli.
  15. One couple brought the book "Dame Commissar" and borrowed the book "Mulatka Gabriela".
  16. The couple who drive a Dacia, love the color violet.
  17. The couple who work as Teachers borrowed the book "Dame Commissar".
  18. The couple who work as Agriculturalists drive a Moskvic.
  19. Pamela and her husband drive a Renault and brought the book "Grandfather Joseph".
  20. Pamela and her husband borrowed the book that Mr and Mrs Zajac brought.
  21. Robert and his wife like the color yellow and borrowed the book "The Modern Comedy".
  22. Mr and Mrs Swain work as Shoppers.
  23. "The Modern Comedy" was brought by a couple driving a Skoda.

Is it a problem to find out everything about everyone from this information?

Ships

The following grid puzzle might be easy.
There are 5 ships in a port.

  1. The Greek ship leaves at six and carries coffee.
  2. The ship in the middle has a black chimney.
  3. The English ship leaves at nine.
  4. The French ship with a blue chimney is to the left of a ship that carries coffee.
  5. To the right of the ship carrying cocoa is a ship going to Marseille.
  6. The Brazilian ship is heading for Manila.
  7. Next to the ship carrying rice is a ship with a green chimney.
  8. A ship going to Genoa leaves at five.
  9. The Spanish ship leaves at seven and is to the right of the ship going to Marseille.
  10. The ship with a red chimney goes to Hamburg.
  11. Next to the ship leaving at seven is a ship with a white chimney.
  12. The ship on the border carries corn.
  13. The ship with a black chimney leaves at eight.
  14. The ship carrying corn is anchored next to the ship carrying rice.
  15. The ship to Hamburg leaves at six.

Which ship goes to Port Said? Which ship carries tea?

Gardens

Five friends have their gardens next to one another, where they grow three kinds of crops: fruits (apple, pear, nut, cherry), vegetables (carrot, parsley, gourd, onion) and flowers (aster, rose, tulip, lily).

  1. They grow 12 different varieties.
  2. Everybody grows exactly 4 different varieties
  3. Each variety is at least in one garden.
  4. Only one variety is in 4 gardens.
  5. Only in one garden are all 3 kinds of crops.
  6. Only in one garden are all 4 varieties of one kind of crops.
  7. Pears are only in the two border gardens.
  8. Paul's garden is in the middle with no lily.
  9. Aster grower doesn't grow vegetables.
  10. Rose grower doesn't grow parsley.
  11. Nuts grower has also gourd and parsley.
  12. In the first garden are apples and cherries.
  13. Only in two gardens are cherries.
  14. Sam has onions and cherries.
  15. Luke grows exactly two kinds of fruit.
  16. Tulips are only in two gardens.
  17. Apples are in a single garden.
  18. Only in one garden next to the Zick's is parsley.
  19. Sam's garden is not on the border.
  20. Hank grows neither vegetables nor asters.
  21. Paul has exactly three kinds of vegetable.

Who has which garden and what is grown where?

 

Check out more River Crossing Puzzles >>