This is another take on the passing train type puzzle from the Moscow Puzzles.
“A train moving 45 miles per hour meets and is passed by a train moving 36 miles per hour. A passenger in the first train sees the second train take 6 seconds to pass him. How long is the second train?”
See Another Passing Train Puzzle for solutions.
This is a classic puzzle from Boris Kordemsky’s 1972 Moscow Puzzles.
“Purrer has decided to take a nap. He dreams he is encircled by 13 mice: 12 gray and 1 white. He hears his owner saying: “Purrer, you are to eat each thirteenth mouse, keeping the same direction. The last mouse you eat must be the white one.” Which mouse should he start from [eat first]?”
See Cat and Mice for a solution.
The Josephus Problem
This famous Josephus Problem presented on Youtube is somewhat different from the Cat and Mice puzzle, but still has similarities. An article by Jay Bennett discussing the problem was published in Popular Mechanics in 2016.
Penn and Teller – Spelling Cards
It turns out that Penn and Teller have performed another magic trick recently that is based on mathematical principles and so is more or less self-working. It is a more complicated version of the Cat and Mice puzzle, which I have dubbed the “Spelling Cards” trick. Continue reading
