Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagMonday Microsofties

a-collage-of-baseball-players-and-memorabilia-stockpack-adob-1010320881-stockpack-adobestock
A Collage of Baseball Players and Memorabilia

Monday Micro Softy 55: “It Happens Every Spring”

Baseball, that is. Here’s a puzzle that takes in baseball's favorite season, summer
To solve last week’s puzzle, you don’t need to know the distance. Check the problem again for the number you do need to know. Read More ›
two-commercial-airliners-pass-each-other-at-high-altitude-st-795752948-stockpack-adobestock
Two Commercial Airliners Pass Each Other at High Altitude

Micro Softy 54: A Plane Problem for Aspiring Engineers

The senator is leaving Washington to avoid the governor and their planes are headed in opposite directions

Today’s Micro Softy tests whether you are clever enough with math to code computers or be an engineer. Here’s the story: Senator Kornn did not like Governor Friar. Both were from Texas. When Kornn learned that Governor Friar was visiting Washington, DC, Kornn said “This town’s not big enough for the both of us.”  So Kornn decided to leave DC for that period. Kornn and Friar get on planes at the same time. One was at Reagan International Airport in DC and the other was at the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Airport. So each was flying to the other’s airport. Both planes took off at the same time. After a while, Kornn looked out of his first-class window and saw Read More ›

empty-driveway-in-front-of-the-big-white-luxury-dream-house-843669444-stockpack-adobestock
Empty driveway in front of the big white luxury dream house in the evening. Residential home building exterior, expensive dwelling, wealthy rich family property and yard. Glowing mansion

Monday Micro Softy 53: Kicking In the Door

To solve this puzzle, you will need to sharpen your abductive reasoning skills
There are actually two possible solutions to last week's puzzle, depending on how you interpret the pattern of the arithmetic. Read More ›
a-pile-of-light-bulbs-one-bulb-is-glowing-bright-while-the-o-803430156-stockpack-adobestock
A pile of light bulbs, one bulb is glowing bright while the others are dark can symbolize creative thinking or innovative ideas being born from simple concepts Generative AI

Monday Micro Softy 52: Elon Musk Parody Asks: Are You a Genius?

The puzzle comes from a parody X account but it is a genuine stumper
Last week’s puzzle is easy to solve if we recall how many parents a child needs and of what type… Read More ›
male-mechanic-hold-and-rolling-tire-at-repairing-service-gar-286788620-stockpack-adobestock
Male mechanic hold and rolling tire at repairing service garage background. Technician man replacing winter and summer tyre for safety road trip. Transportation and automotive maintenance concept

Monday Micro Softy 51: A Tale of Two Auto Mechanics

I recognized the two mechanics when I went to the garage…
To solve Microsofty 50, about cutting a loaf of cornbread into eight pieces by making three slices, try thinking in three dimensions. Read More ›
delicious-golden-and-fluffy-cornbread-pieces-artfully-stacke-1573367907-stockpack-adobestock
Delicious, golden, and fluffy cornbread pieces, artfully stacked, enticing a feeling of warmth and comfort

Monday Micro Softy 50: Cutting Through the Cornbread

How did Yuri Senior cut the cornbread into eight identical portions using only three straight cuts?
You can guess the answer to Microsofty 49 if you try the test question yourself at home, using a small mirror. Read More ›
woman-shop-assistant-working-in-mirror-and-frames-store-stoc-420216462-stockpack-adobestock
Woman shop assistant working in mirror and frames store

Micro Softy 49:  Mirror Mirror On the Wall…

A man is rather surprised to discover that he is the owner of a rather strange sort of mirror
To answer Micro Softy 48, consider: How might Freddy be moving his car from place to place without exerting much physical energy at all? Read More ›
transportation-trouble-silhouette-of-man-driver-pushing-his-393407715-stockpack-adobestock
Transportation trouble. Silhouette of man driver pushing his car along on an empty road after breakdown at sunset, copy space, side view.

Monday Micro Softy 48: Why Is Freddy Pushing His Car Around?

And, despite being a heavy smoker, he doesn't get winded…
The answer to Microsofty 47 lies in considering whether it is an advantage for the outfielder to catch the ball, given the rules of the game. Read More ›
stunning-photo-of-a-baseball-player-catching-a-baseball-ball-835110221-stockpack-adobestock
Stunning photo of a baseball player catching a baseball ball with a baseball glove

Micro Softy 47: Baseball: Is This an “Intentional” Error? Why?

This is an incident that merits a Micro Softy; it has happened more than once in major league baseball
The solution to last week's Micro Softy turns on the difference it makes that one train leaves two minutes after than the other. Read More ›
grand-central-stockpack-adobe-stock-2601882-stockpack-adobestock
grand central

Monday Micro Softy 46: Three Loving Brothers in New York State

Why did Mario, who was just trying to economize on Uber trips, end up visiting Luigi five times as often as he visited Bob?
A hint for solving Micro Softy 45: Average speed is independent of the distance to the store. Read More ›
a-futuristic-fast-food-joint-stands-tall-its-walls-of-gleami-966802437-stockpack-adobestock
A futuristic fast food joint stands tall, its walls of gleaming metal and glass illuminated by a dazzling

Monday Micro Softy 45: Can Tony Beat the Fast-Food Curfew?

An early curfew on fast food service motivated a boy to exercise more vigorously. But how fast was he pedaling?
To solve Micro Softy 44, recall that Tony doesn’t need to take the individual pills each day, only the prescribed amount of each. Read More ›
tiny-tropical-island-with-hut-and-palms-surrounded-sea-blue-602295303-stockpack-adobestock
Tiny tropical island with hut and palms surrounded sea blue water, generative AI.

Micro Softy 44:  Pete’s Pill Problem

Pete, alone on a desert island, accidentally scattered the pills he must take in the correct order. He has only a few numbers to work with to reconstruct his instructions
For Micro Softy 43, the bookkeeper’s trick consists in applying the fact that when two adjacent digits are switched, the difference is always divisible by 9. Read More ›
microscopic-view-of-bacteria-cells-with-flagella-on-organic-1299282280-stockpack-adobestock
Microscopic View of Bacteria Cells with Flagella on Organic Surface

Monday Micro Softy 42: Bacteria Multiply by Dividing

But our puzzlers must solve this math question without doing either. And no calculators allowed.
A hint for solving Micro Softy 41: Dividing an unusually shaped piece of land among four sons rather than three is easier if you think in terms of fractals. Read More ›
colorful-geometric-paper-squares-background-stockpack-adobe-1292138027-stockpack-adobestock
colorful geometric paper squares background

Monday Micro Softy 41: King David’s Sons’ Puzzling Inheritance

Solomon must figure out how to divide an oddly shaped piece of land equally among his brothers and himself
In Micro Softy 40, the critical question is not whether the watchman’s prophecy comes true or not; it’s how he came to learn the information anyway. Read More ›
secutity-searching-under-vehicle-with-mirror-car-bomb-inspec-192162527-stockpack-adobestock
secutity searching under vehicle with mirror car bomb inspection

Monday Micro Softy 40: The Fate of a False Prophet

He wasn't actually fired for being a false prophet but for something that his prophecy unintentionally revealed
The solution to Micro Softy 39 lies in considering an alternative possible meaning of a word commonly used in sports. Read More ›
fans-celebrating-the-success-of-their-favorite-sports-team-o-217932603-stockpack-adobestock
Fans celebrating the success of their favorite sports team on the stands of the professional stadium while it's snowing

Monday Micro Softy 39: Astounding Sports History

A player you've never heard of played for three major league sports
A hint for the solution to Pitcher's Lament (38): When Lefty took the mound, he noticed the runner on third base had a big lead. Read More ›
closeup-of-baseball-glove-and-baseball-on-turf-stockpack-ado-253469760-stockpack-adobestock
Closeup of Baseball Glove and Baseball on turf

Monday Micro Softy 37: A Unique Baseball Game

Something was missing from the game played on June 30, 1997, that occured in every MLB game for decades before
The answer to Micro Softy 36 lies in considering the problem from a number of angles… Read More ›
desert-locust-on-sand-dune-with-green-vegetation-in-arid-env-1413487156-stockpack-adobestock
Desert Locust on Sand Dune with Green Vegetation in Arid Environment

Monday Micro Softy 36: A Glass Half Empty? Half Full? Too Big?

The professors on a research expedition must make sure that each glass of rationed water is exactly half full

Here’s our thirst-quenching Micro Softy for this week. Three professors were on a trip through the Sahara Desert. They had an NSF grant to study the sleep patterns of the Saharan Grasshopper (Heteracris littoralis).  They brought exactly enough drinking water with them to last for four days. To stay hydrated, each was allowed a half glass of water every hour during each sixteen-hour workday. The professors shared the water glass shown in the picture. To make sure the water lasted the entire four days, the professors made sure each portion of water filled the glass exactly halfway. There were no markings on the glass. How can they do this? We’ll give an answer next Monday right here on MindMatters.ai.    Solution Read More ›

montana-stockpack-adobe-stock-1264019749-stockpack-adobestock
Montana

Monday Micro Softy 35: A House With a View

A billionaire, used to getting what he wants, demands a house where all the walls' windows offer a view in the same direction
The solution to Monday Micro Softy 34 is quite simple if we pay attention to the exact measurements of the poles and the wires. Read More ›