#162 Hidden faces
While window-shopping at a toy store, my partner and I came across a set of dice that was partially obscured at the back of the shop鈥檚 display.
My partner took one look and bet me that I couldn鈥檛 tell them what the sum of all the touching faces between the dice would be. I accepted and gave the correct answer. What was it?
Solution next week
#161 Reduction deduction
Solution
Lionel鈥檚 birthday is 25 May.
365 is a product of two prime numbers: 5 and 73. So every fifth day and every 73rd day would result in a reducible fraction if we write them as day of year/365.
There are two points in the year on which two consecutive dates given as fractions are reducible. These are the 145th and 146th days (reducible to 29/73 and 2/5), and the 219th and 220th days (reducible to 3/5 and 44/73).
In the first pair, the second day contains the smaller numbers, so that must be the correct pair, and thus Lionel鈥檚 birthday is on the 145th day, or 25 May.
Quick quiz #146
1 Young animals that are hatched or born in a relatively undeveloped state and require care from their parents are known as what?
2 In astronomy, what does SSSB stand for?
3 Which Dutch scientist was the first person to observe bacteria and protozoa?
4 How many vertices does an icosahedron have?
5 The composite organism formed from the mutual relationship between fungi and algae or cyanobacteria is known as what?
Answers
1 Altricial
2 Small solar system body, defined as objects that aren鈥檛 planets, dwarf planets or natural satellites
3 Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
4 12
5 Lichen