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Topic: Pen in bottle (Read 927 times) |
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Enigma
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Pen in bottle
« on: Jan 21st, 2003, 2:39pm » |
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I can't remember where I heard this one but it's kind of interesting so I'll put it out there.
An ordinary pen has been placed inside a regular empty bottle. You must get the pen out without touching or moving the bottle in any way. In addition, no object you have touched can be inserted into the bottle or touch the bottle directly. The bottle cannot be destroyed or damaged in any way. How do you do it?
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| « Last Edit: Jan 21st, 2003, 3:13pm by Enigma » |
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lukes new shoes
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #1 on: Jan 21st, 2003, 4:14pm » |
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fill the bottle with water and the pen, which floats, will rise to the top.
this riddle was on some cop movie i saw. might have been metro.
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James Fingas
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #2 on: Jan 22nd, 2003, 1:28pm » |
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What if it's a fancy metal pen?
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towr
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #3 on: Jan 22nd, 2003, 11:48pm » |
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on Jan 22nd, 2003, 1:28pm, James Fingas wrote:| What if it's a fancy metal pen? |
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perhaps mercury would work then..
As long as the density of the pen is smaller, and assuming the metal doesn't desolve..
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Speaker
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #4 on: Jan 23rd, 2003, 12:14am » |
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The riddle states that nothing you touch can be inserted into the bottle, or touch the bottle directly. Can we consider water an object, and pouring it as touching it, and then it touches the bottle directly.
I say ask someone nearby to shake the pen out of the bottle. Which, by shifting all the activities to a third person, satisfies the riddles conditions as stated in the second person. Or something.
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lukes new shoes
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #5 on: Jan 23rd, 2003, 1:22am » |
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the riddles says no object u have touched may be inserted into the bottle, but u dont touch the water, just the container it is in b4 u pour it.
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towr
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #6 on: Jan 23rd, 2003, 6:40am » |
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By that logic you could also just wrap a cloth around a stick and then use the stick to get the pen out.. Since you're not touching the stick, but only the cloth, it would be allowed..
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| « Last Edit: Jan 23rd, 2003, 6:41am by towr » |
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lukes new shoes
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #7 on: Jan 23rd, 2003, 4:56pm » |
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towr: that fits the rules of the puzzle as long as u dont touch the stick while ur wrapping the cloth around it.
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Enigma
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #8 on: Jan 23rd, 2003, 8:48pm » |
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Yes the water solution was the right one. As for wrapping cloth around the stick, the riddle states that the bottle cannot be moved in any way. Using a stick to sort of wedge out the pen or slide it up the side would probably tilt the bottle at least a bit. Unless of course you have the dexterity of a circus monkey on steroids.....well ok maybe a circus monkey on steroids isn't dextrous, but it would be fun to see anyway.
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redPEPPER
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #9 on: Jan 24th, 2003, 2:23am » |
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shouldn't it be a pencil instead of a pen? The odds that it will float are much greater. I mean, try with a regular pen...
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SWF
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #10 on: Jan 25th, 2003, 8:27pm » |
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If it is OK to assume the pen floats, maybe assuming it is magnetic is allowed. A powerful magnet above the opening in bottle would pull the pen out with putting anything like water inside or in contact with the bottle.
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Chronos
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #11 on: Jan 27th, 2003, 2:34pm » |
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If you're worried about the stick solution being difficult, then just grab a pair of really long pliers with your rag, instead of a stick.
Or, leave the bottle where it is, move the rest of the Earth above the bottle, and let the pen fall up and out 
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Noke Lieu
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #12 on: Feb 26th, 2004, 5:58pm » |
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How is water not an object?
Easier to adopt a topological standpoint and argue that the pen isn't IN the bottle anyway...
Or wait thousands of years, assuming that its a glass bottle and glass is amorphous, it will flow into a puddle leaving the pen behind.
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Speaker
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #13 on: Feb 26th, 2004, 6:22pm » |
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So, if we wait until the glass of the bottle flows away, then the pen will probably have turned to dust and blown away.
Of course, as you mention, we can just redefine the meaning of in the bottle.
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SWF
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Re: Pen in bottle
« Reply #14 on: Feb 26th, 2004, 7:28pm » |
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on Feb 26th, 2004, 5:58pm, Noke_Lieu wrote:| How is water not an object? |
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That is why the person who suggested using a magnet has the best answer. 
Quote:| Or wait thousands of years, assuming that its a glass bottle and glass is amorphous, it will flow into a puddle leaving the pen behind. |
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That is a common misconception. Glass may be amorophous, but that does not mean it flows like a liquid.
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