Puzzles: Thinking outside the box

Got it! This site "creationpie.com" uses cookies. You consent to this by clicking on "Got it!" or by continuing to use this website. Note: This appears on each machine/browser from which this site is accessed.

Here are links to some content on "thinking outside the box" on this site.

Have you ever been told to think outside the box?

What does it mean to think outside the box?

Does it bother you to not have things inside the box? How about paper without lines?

Where exactly is the box?

Where is "outside" the box?

Note: The illusion here is a variation of the Necker cube.

I have started collecting these ideas together as part of a talk. More detail will be added over time. Bible verses and context have not yet been added.

You are standing outside of a sealed room (you cannot see inside it in any way). There are three light switches on the wall, one of which controls a light bulb inside the room. Explain how you would manipulate the switches to determine which one controls the bulb. You are only allowed to enter the room one time.

How can you solve the problem? What assumptions do you need to make. Consider thinking "outside the box".

As soon as you discover that you cannot solve the problem using just the switches and the results, one needs to look for a way to get additional information.

In particular, one binary (yes-no) decision is not sufficient. Two binary (yes-no) decisions are needed so a way to find additional information is needed.

In the security field, this additional information is called a side channel. Side channels can be used to break the security of systems but need to be accounted for when protecting systems from compromise.

You are given nine (9) dots, here labeled "1" through "9".

You are to connect the nine dots using four straight lines.

Here is one way using five straight lines, starting at dot "1". Nine dots - 5 lines

Now do it with four straight lines.

Here is one way using four straight lines, starting at dot "1". Nine dots - 5 lines

Now do it with three straight lines.

Here is one way using three straight lines. Nine dots with three lines

Note: This cannot be done (in Euclidean geometry) unless one lets "points" have a non-zero size.

Sometimes thinking outside of the box is not appreciated. What might appear wrong with the pictures on a wall? How might you resolve the issue? (that the pictures are not all aligned)

Note: To promote diversity, the following groups are represented: green, blue and purple people. I hope that none of those groups are offended.

Here is one way to align the pictures.

For some reason, this solution is not often appreciated.

Here is another way to align the pictures.

Again, this solution is not often appreciated. There are other ways to resolve the issue that may not be appreciated, but I think you get the idea.

Finally, here is another way to resolve the issue. For some reason, this way is more appreciated than the previous ways.

Observation: There may be more than one way to look at a problem. (sheep, etc.)