[Guest]

A man was going along minding his own business, when all of a sudden, he cut his knee on a rock, and died instantaneously. He died because he got the cut, but the cut on his knee was not what killed him. Why did he die?

The man was underwater in an old-fashioned, pressurized scuba suit. When he cut his knee on the rock, it had to cut his suit to be able to cut his knee. Since his suit was cut, he was instantaneously shot up into the scuba helmet because of the pressure, and he died of a crushed skull.

By the way I have described this, I'm sure people could probably come up with a few different solutions, but I'll try to keep the riddle so that it isn't so unspecific.

I believe my father made this riddle up, at least that's what he told me...

Edited January 25, 2008 by live4him4eva

[Guest]

The cut could have got infected and the INFECTION killed him not the cut?

[Guest]

The cut could have got infected and the INFECTION killed him not the cut?

Yeah, but an infection wouldn't kill you instantaneously, unless it's some crazy virus intended to wipe out mankind.

But that's a long shot.

[Guest]

he was a germophobe who had a heart attack

[Guest]

he was a germophobe who had a heart attack

Hehe, funny, but not the answer!

[roolstar]

He was on the moon...

[roolstar]

He was in a PS2 game and out of energy...

GAME OVER

[Guest]

"Instantaneously" doesn't mean "immediately". I expect the cut on his knee gradually went septic and after days of lying around in the woods growing feverish and weak, he eventually died. Instantaneously.

[Guest]

"Instantaneously" doesn't mean "immediately".

Yes, it does.

[Guest]

He was on the moon...

Also a possibility! Great job! I think I will post that as an alternate answer.

Hmm, for some reason it isn't letting me edit my first post. Oh well. :|

Edited January 29, 2008 by live4him4eva

[Guest]

He was in a PS2 game and out of energy...

GAME OVER

Hehe, clever.

[roolstar]

A man was going along minding his own business, when all of a sudden, he cut his knee on a rock, and died instantaneously. He died because he got the cut, but the cut on his knee was not what killed him. Why did he die?

The man was underwater in an old-fashioned, pressurized scuba suit. When he cut his knee on the rock, it had to cut his suit to be able to cut his knee. Since his suit was cut, he was instantaneously shot up into the scuba helmet because of the pressure, and he died of a crushed skull.

Would a scuba diver in a old fashioned pressurized suit (METAL), even at 6 miles under water be shot up his scuba helmet if his suit ruptured???

He will be crushed sure, but will he be pushed up or will he implode all over?

[Guest]

"Instantaneously" doesn't mean "immediately".

Yes, it does.

Actually, no, it does not. Instantaneously means "in an instant", while "immediately" means "this instant". If I light a firecracker's fuse, the firecracker does not blow up immediately, but it does blow up instantaneously.

I like the moon answer. I'll also put forth these:

• He was a haemophiliac and died of blood loss.
  
• He was a real wimp and the pain killed him.
  
• It was the rock itself that killed him (see this article)
  

[Guest]

He was on the moon...

Also a possibility! Great job! I think I will post that as an alternate answer.

Hmm, for some reason it isn't letting me edit my first post. Oh well. :|

You can live up to 30 seconsd before dying if you are somehow in space without a space suit so you would not die instantaneously

Edited February 2, 2008 by huddle

[Guest]

He was on the moon...

Also a possibility! Great job! I think I will post that as an alternate answer.

Hmm, for some reason it isn't letting me edit my first post. Oh well. :|

You can live up to 30 seconsd before dying if you are somehow in space without a space suit so you would not die instantaneously

But could you live for 30 seconds with an open wound? I'm picturing the gash as I would a breach in the hull of a ship. It would offer the path of least resistance and therefore his internals, femur to brain, would be shot out of his knee.

[Guest]

...It is very unlikely that a human suddenly exposed to a vacuum would have more than 5 to 10 seconds to help himself. If immediate help is at hand, although one's appearance and condition will be grave, it is reasonable to assume that recompression to a tolerable pressure (200 mm Hg, 3.8 psia) within 60 to 90 seconds could result in survival, and possibly in rather rapid recovery...

This is only for the effects of vacuum exposure. The following is for Explosive Decompression...

...If the escape of air from the lungs is blocked during a sudden drop in pressure... disastrous, or fatal, consequences can result... Under this condition, when none of the air in the lungs can escape during a decompression, the lungs and thorax becomes over-expanded... causing actual tearing and rupture of the lung tissues and capillaries. The trapped air is forced through the lungs into the thoracic cage, and air can be injected directly into the general circulation by way of the ruptured blood vessels, with massive air bubbles moving throughout the body and lodging in vital organs such as the heart and brain.

The movement of these air bubbles is similar to the air embolism that can occur in SCUBA diving and submarine escape when an individual ascends from underwater to the surface with breath-holding...

So it's possible that this guy tried to hold his breath when snagging his suit on the rock... However, if he was qualified to be walking around on the Moon in a spacesuit... he would know his Decompression Routines and would let his breath flow out immediately!

And besides, this answer is a little esoteric for a Logic Puzzle!