MENSA Blunders
This is why I think MENSA are not
as smart as they make out:-
1. Which word is the odd one out?
COMIC HEATH LABEL PLATE TREAT
Answer: PLATE as it does not begin and end with the same letter.
Fault: COMIC is a viable answer,as it is the only one without E & A.
2. Form four larger words from
HAND TIME FULL MEAL FEED BACK SCALE OAT
Answer: HANDFEED,TIMESCALE,FULLBACK OATMEAL.
Fault: There are the alternative answers FEEDBACK & HANDFULL.
3. Which is the odd number out?
67,32,94,58
Answer: 32 All others digits add to 13.
Fault: (1) 67 is an alternative because it is odd,all the others are even.
(2) 67 is prime,all the others have factors.
(3) 67 is an even digit followed by an odd one,the others odd followed by
even.
4. If it is 59 miles to PENZANCE,46 to TORBAY,19 to LOOE and 49 to TORQUAY,
how many miles is it to NEWQUAY?
Answer: 49,vowels count 3,consonants 10.
Fault: Assume only vowels involved.
PENZANCE 2E+A = 59 (1)
TORBAY O+A = 46 (2)
LOOE 2O+E = 19 (3)
TORQUAY O+U+A = 49 (4)
Using expression (1) for A in terms of E:
A = 59 - 2E
Substitute in (2): O+(59 - 2E) = 46
From (3) : E = 19 - 2O
Substitute A in (2): O+(59 - 2E) = 46
Substitute E in (2): O+59-2(19 - 2O) = 46
O+59-38+4O = 46
(O+4O)+(59-38) = 46
5O = 46 -59 +38
O = 5
From (2): A = 46 - O
A = 46 - 5 (Since O = 5)
A = 41
From (3): E = 19 - 2O
E = 19 - 10 (Since O = 5)
E = 9
Substitute in 4: O+U+A = 49
5+U+41 = 49
U = 49-41-5
U = 3
So U=3,O=5,A=41,E=9
Substitute in NEWQUAY E+U+A = 9+3+41= 53 miles ie a different answer that
still works for other locations.
5. 1 tap fills a bath in 14 min,the other tap fills it in 17 min.
The bath empties from full in 12 min.How long will it take to fill the bath
with both taps on and the plug out?
Answer: 2 taps at 1min would fill in 1/1 + 1/1 = 2/1 = 1/2 min
2 taps at 2min would fill in 1/2 + 1/2 = 1/1 = 1 min
ie Reciprocal of each and reciprocal of answer.
So 1/14 +1/17 -1/12 = (204+168-238)/2856 = 134/2856 =0.0469188
Reciprocal = 21.313433 min or 21 mins 18.80598 seconds
Fault: Once algorithm is known and understood,problem becomes trivial.
6. If BRIGHTON is 93 miles away,SCARBOROUGH is 127 miles away and BLACKPOOL
is 87 miles away,how far away is RHYL?
Answer: 63,A=1,B=2,C=3 etc.
Fault: Assume only vowels involved
BLACKPOOL = O+O+A = 2O+A = 87 (1)
BRIGHTON = I+O = I+O = 93 (2)
SCARBOROUGH= O+O+A+U= 2O+A+U= 127 (3)
Assume O=40 then in (1): A = 87-2O
A = 87-80
A = 7
From (2): I = 93-O
I = 93-40
I = 53
From (3): U = 127-2O-A
U = 127-80-7
U = 40
So U=40,A=7,O=40,I=53,these numbers give the correct mileage to the other
locations when added,and the alternative answer for RHYL of 0 miles.
7. Which is the odd number out?
93,12,55,24,68
Answer: 12,since its digits add to an odd number (1+2=3),all the rest are
even (9+3=12),(5+5=10),(2+4=6),(6+8=14). Fault: If the digital sum is maintained
to single digits 24 produces the only even number,all the others are odd.
ie 12 1+2 = 3 = 3 (odd)
93 9+3 = 12 1+2 = 3 (odd)
55 5+5 = 10 1+0 = 1 (odd)
24 2+4 = 6 = 6 (even)
68 6+8 = 14 1+4 = 5 (odd)
Which gives 24 as the odd one out for being even amongst odds! So there is
an alternative answer.
From "The Material World" : "...there are
actually different scales for IQ - I mean the version
that MENSA uses,statistically uses a standard deviation 24,and the ones that
most psychologists use,has a standard deviation of about 15,that means that
an IQ of 145 in our view,is reported by members of MENSA as what..172.
".
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Answer to puzzle 1: THOUGHT
Answer to puzzle 2 : CHOIR,FEAST,COAL