Welcome to a fun exploration of brain teasers often used in job interviews! These puzzles are not just for fun; they help interviewers see how you think and solve problems. Let’s dive into some interesting questions and learn a bit along the way.
Here’s a classic riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? If you guessed “a human,” you’re right! This riddle is about the stages of a person’s life: crawling as a baby, walking on two legs as an adult, and using a cane in old age. This ancient Greek riddle is still popular today, even in job interviews!
This question is about estimating and thinking creatively. Imagine a school bus and try to figure out how many golf balls could fit inside. You might start by estimating the bus’s size and the size of a golf ball. It’s not about getting the exact number but showing how you approach the problem. Some people might say thousands, while others might think of hundreds of thousands. The key is your thought process!
Have you ever wondered why manhole covers are round? One reason is that a round cover can’t fall through its opening, unlike a square one. Also, a round cover fits easily back into place, no matter how you turn it. This question tests your ability to think about everyday objects in new ways.
Here’s a time-related puzzle: How many times a day do a clock’s hands overlap? The answer is 22 times. The hands overlap almost every hour, but not exactly. This question helps you think about patterns and time.
Imagine being asked how much to charge for washing all the windows in New York City. This question isn’t about finding a specific number but about understanding the value of your time and effort. You might think about how long it would take and how much you want to earn per window. It’s a great way to think about pricing and effort.
These brain teasers show that interviews can be more than just questions about your skills. They can be fun and challenging, helping you think outside the box. So next time you face a tricky question, remember to enjoy the challenge and show your creative thinking!
Imagine you are a playwright. Create a short skit that represents the different stages of life as described in “The Riddle of the Ages.” Perform your skit with classmates, using props to represent the four legs, two legs, and three legs stages. This will help you understand the metaphorical nature of the riddle.
Work in groups to estimate how many golf balls can fit in a classroom. Measure the dimensions of the room and a golf ball, then calculate your estimate. Present your method and reasoning to the class. This will enhance your estimation and problem-solving skills.
Design your own manhole cover, considering different shapes and their practical implications. Explain why your design is effective and how it compares to the traditional round cover. This activity will encourage you to think about design and functionality.
Create a timeline showing when the clock hands overlap throughout a 24-hour period. Use a clock or a drawing to visualize these overlaps. Discuss the pattern you observe with your classmates. This will help you understand time intervals and patterns.
Develop a business plan for a window washing service in a large city. Consider factors like time, cost, and pricing strategy. Present your plan to the class, explaining how you determined your pricing. This will give you insight into business planning and value assessment.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, with any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content removed or altered for clarity:
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This is Kelsey from Infinite Series. And this is Matt from Space Time. Hey, Vanessa.
First question for you—what walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening? I think I’ve heard this. The traditional answer is a human. You start by crawling, then you walk, and then you might use a cane in later years.
That’s a classic riddle, and it’s from ancient Greece. The first recorded instance we have of this riddle is from the second century. Thousands of years later, we now ask these types of questions in job interviews.
Today, we’re getting job ready. So this is like a job interview. I want you to be job ready. There was this one person named William Shockley, Jr., who in the ’50s and ’60s developed a transistor and was trying to patent it. He is seen as one of the first people to kind of start Silicon Valley, and he asked people brainteasers and riddles in job interviews.
What am I interviewing for here? This is the BrainCraft graduation edition.
Next question—how many golf balls can fit in a school bus? Wait, let me translate that for you. How many cricket balls can you fit inside a Holden Commodore Ute?
That’s true. Maybe several thousand? So how many square feet is this school bus? I’m trying to count them one by one. It’s like that jelly bean game, except it’s in my head.
What, probably 70 feet long? And, like—how many meters is that? Maybe 30 across and maybe two or three meters tall.
Let’s do two. Because you can just barely fit, right? Maybe you’d fit 20 up, which gives you 600. What’s the diameter of a golf ball? I think more like several thousand, yeah.
So that means you could fit 10 million—seems like too many. I was thinking more like a couple of hundred thousand. Well, what I’m interested in is just the way that you have reached this conclusion. It doesn’t really matter how many you can fit in a Ute unless you’re trying to break a world record or something.
Next question for you—why are manhole covers round?
When you say “womanhole covers,” it doesn’t have the same ring to it. Because people are roughly circular in that dimension? But they could also be square, and we could still fit through them.
I think there’s some advantages. One is that it doesn’t matter which way you put it in; it just goes in. I think that’s the answer.
Yeah, but if they were square, then there would be these additional corner parts where your body would not go through. You want to minimize the amount of space you have to take out of the ground. A circle is kind of the closest approximation.
It’s a brainteaser, so that’s probably not the right answer. It’s the only shape that you could have in a road that wouldn’t fall through itself.
How many times a day do a clock’s hands overlap?
Oh, 12? Probably— is it 23? It’s really close. Yeah, 24? Not quite. 23? Not quite. But you’re on the right track. Is it 22?
Yeah, because it’s 11 every 12. Therefore, it’s 22 every 24. Well, it’s almost once an hour, except from 10:55 to 12 o’clock, they don’t overlap.
Final question for you—how much should someone charge to wash all of the windows in New York City?
I mean, it would probably take their entire life to do that, I would guess. If you worked 40 hours a week, I don’t think you could wash all the windows in your lifetime, would be my guess.
I would just say all the money. Are you getting paid after completion of the task, or are you getting paid per window?
I would say per window. But this sounds like a bunch of billions, I guess. Really, the answer is how much anyone wants to charge to wash all the windows in New York City. It’s really up to you to work out how much your time is worth.
Well, I didn’t really need a job in Silicon Valley, anyway. You can have typical measures of intelligence, like an IQ test or GPA. Except these questions take bits of that, apply them to a novel problem.
You’re doing pretty well. Thank you, Kelsey, for being on BrainCraft. Thank you, Vanessa, for having me. We respect and appreciate your time. Thank you, Matt, for being on BrainCraft.
That’s the second time you’ve been on BrainCraft. Yep. And both were really fun. Please have me back. All the time.
We’ll find out.
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This version maintains the essence of the conversation while ensuring that it is appropriate for all audiences.
Brain – The organ in your head that controls your thoughts, memory, and feelings, and is used for thinking and solving problems. – When solving complex math problems, it’s important to use your brain to think critically and logically.
Teasers – Puzzles or problems that are designed to test your ability to think critically and solve problems. – The math teacher gave us some brain teasers to improve our problem-solving skills.
Problem – A question or situation that requires a solution, often involving mathematical calculations or logical reasoning. – The algebra problem required us to find the value of x that satisfies the equation.
Thinking – The process of using your mind to consider something carefully, especially to make a decision or solve a problem. – Critical thinking is essential when analyzing data and drawing conclusions in mathematics.
Estimate – A rough calculation or judgment of the value, number, quantity, or extent of something. – Before solving the equation, we made an estimate of the possible solution to check our final answer.
Creative – Using imagination or original ideas to solve problems, especially in a way that is not immediately obvious. – Solving geometry problems often requires a creative approach to visualize different shapes and angles.
Patterns – Repeated designs or sequences that can be identified and used to predict future occurrences or solve problems. – Recognizing patterns in sequences can help you solve complex mathematical problems more easily.
Value – The numerical worth or magnitude of a quantity, often determined through calculations or measurements. – In the equation 2x + 3 = 7, the value of x is 2.
Effort – The use of physical or mental energy to achieve a goal, such as solving a difficult math problem. – With enough effort and practice, you can improve your skills in solving algebraic equations.
Challenge – A task or problem that tests a person’s abilities, often requiring significant effort and skill to overcome. – The math competition presented a challenge that required us to apply all our knowledge and skills.
