bonanova

An interesting first step is to examine the solution space. I.e., are all configurations (all orientations of all dice in all positions) reachable? (In the 15 puzzle you can't interchange two tiles, so there are two separated configuration spaces.) Here one might ask, (a) can two dice switch positions? (b) can a die rotate 90 degrees? Then, we could ask, do the 6's have to be aligned? But that issue seems moot. If there is any solution that obtains 6's, aligning the 6's and reversing the steps give you a solvable starting position. I.e., if there is any solution, there is an initial orientation that leads to aligned 6's. I think this puzzle could be programmed (not visually) to search exhaustively. Nice puzzle! Magnetic cubes might work.

" by " is not " into "

Yes it does. Bob is a truth-teller. We use Bob's truthfulness to determine which group Charlie is in.

The title can't be self referential unless the title is the title.

Great. Start out all white, end up all yellow. Fewest moves.

In a previous post I demonstrated that a Can you in the same way square a BISHOP?

Eight cubes are placed on a 3x3 grid with the center location vacant. The top of each cube is distinguished by a certain color, say, as is the bottom, but by a different color. The side faces do not matter. Any adjacent cube may be "rolled" into the vacant location by giving it a 1/4 turn about a bottom edge. By a series of such rotations, a configuration may be reached where the eight cubes are inverted, and the center location is again vacant. What is the minimum number of moves that accomplishes this? All moves are by rotation. A cube may not be slid into the vacant spot. The cubes do not have to return to their original location. You can simulate this puzzle using eight dice. Initially a "1" shows on the top faces; finally a "6" shows on the top faces. To record a solution, U, D, L and R can be used for up, down, left and right. The first three moves will alternate vertically and horizontally. Therefore, you may begin your solution with URD.

Sure. There is a person named Sylvia. That person has a truth property: Sylvia(Truthful) or Sylvia(Liar). Any person knowledgable on the subject, (that includes Sylvia) can respond to the question: Sylvia(Liar)? I was uncertain about these: "Aren't you Sylvia?" Do you say yes or no truthfully if you are? "Are you twins?" And "are you Mia?" Don't seem to resolve it. "Sylvia, want this?" Might decompose to "are you Sylvia AND if so do you want this?" Which the sister could respond to.

I think it unfair also, that the puzzle poser is left without benefit. Sigh.

TSLF has a crisp question. Some of the others might work also.

Somewhere in waters as yet uncharted is the Island named What Is The Name Of This Island? It's a strange place by any standard: its inhabitants cannot form declarative statements. Nor are they allowed exclamations. They can only ask questions. Yes/No questions, to be precise. Some natives (type A) only ask questions whose correct answer is Yes. They could ask: Is 2 + 2 equal to 4? But they could not ask whether that sum is 5. The other natives, (type B) are just the opposite. They can only ask questions whose correct answer is No. They could ask whether 2 + 2 equals 5; but not whether that sum was 4. I met there a couple, named Sam and Janet Evening. Sam was heard to ask another native, "Are Janet and I both type B?" What type, therefore, is Janet?

Who is Silvia? what is she, That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise is she; The heaven such grace did lend her, That she might admirèd be. Is she kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness. Love doth to her eyes repair, To help him of his blindness, And, being helped, inhabits there. Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling; She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling: To her let us garlands bring. William Shakespeare Let it never be said that the Den does not feed the soul as it exercises the mind. OK, now the puzzle, compliments of Raymond Smullyan, somewhat of a new hero for me: There are twin sisters. One lies and one tells the truth. One is named Sylvia. How can you discover which sister is Sylvia by asking one three-word question? There may be more than one answer.

It's not as precisely written as it might be. I intended his statement to be "... (one and) only one of us will ever tell you the truth." I think the words in red are normally taken as implied; but making things explicit is always a good thing. The intended implication is that exactly one of the three tells the truth. Which is needed to identify him as a truth-teller -- which is needed to proceed with the second part. That is, you need to know that they can't all three be liars. The first statement in the Solution leaves the one and only one condition unstated, as well. But the solution needs the one and only one condition.

OP says: "Each person paid for each book a number of dollars equal to their number of books." Which is meant? Each person paid for each book bought by that person a number of dollars equal to the number of books bought by that person. Each person paid for each book bought by that person a number of dollars equal to the number of books they all bought together.

bgm1961, on the right track, but not exactly. BMAD, exploring the mystery of the spoiler malfunction paradox. Nope, that's not it either. It's the way kids talked back in the day.

Giving the solution to plasmid. See previous post for the reasoning.

THERE ARE TWO ERRORS IN THE THE TITLE OF THIS PUZZLE The paper boy on the corner of 42nd and Broadway in Times Square was hawking his wares: "Extry, Extry, Read all about it: Five men swindled today on the streets of New York!" The businessman was in a hurry, but the possibility of being swindled worried him a bit, so he bought a paper. Quickly he scanned the headlines and major stories on the front page. No mention was made of a swindle. Angrily he returned to the corner where the boy was selling his papers. As he approached, the boy's words could be heard, still loudly and clearly: "Extry, Extry, Read all about it: Six men swindled today on the streets of New York!" Have you found the two errors?

Hah! Good one.

First try.