September Puzzles
In the absence of answers to the August puzzles, correct or incorrect, we’re running them again this month. Here they are:
1) The sun’s shadow at noon vanishes on one day of the year. But it points south on every other day. How many miles are you from the north pole?
2) Did an alien flying saucer crash in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947? And why?
3) In what ways would the universe be different if there were or were not infinitely many twin primes? What circumstances near the instant of creation could cause either to be true? Is our research into numbers like a cat trying to learn English?
4) Alpha and Beta are identical. But they are addicts of the drug True, which comes in two forms. TrueTrue forces the taker to tell truths, and FalseTrue forces the taker to tell lies. Alpha and Beta emerge from their house one day, having taken one pill each. One stands to your right and the other to your left. The person on your left says, "The person on your right is Beta, and he swallowed a FalseTrue pill." The person on your right says, "The person on your left is Alpha and he swallowed a TrueTrue pill." Who is Alpha and who Beta?
5) Short story prize
The award will go to the best short story combining intelligence, religion, mystery, adventure, sensuality, and the Calgary Stampede. Terms: 500 words or less, English, deadline tba, all other terms and winner at editor’s absolute discretion. All or some entries may be published in MensaMag. Prize consists of naming the writer the winner of Calgary Mensa’s short story contest for 2007.
6) What is this a photo of?
(Image courtesy Daniel Lavabre; © 2005)
Answers to the July puzzles
1) [National photo contest.] 2) No entries yet. 3) On July 19, 2007, data was released announcing the 60th moon of Saturn. Its working name is Frank and it measures 2 km wide. In 1997, we only knew of 18 moons. The betting therefore is 59 as at July 5. 4) No entries yet. 5) Clock, lock, flock, frock, rock.
