The Candle Problem by Karl Duncker, 1945

You are in a room with a table pushed against the wall. On it is a box of thumbtacks, matches, and a candle. You must fix...

Napoleon’s creative solution

In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte desired to take the title of Emperor in order to possess a great Western empire, just as his idol Charles...

Three cups puzzle

There are 3 empty teacups on the table. Can you put 10 lumps of sugar in them so that there would be an odd...

The Story of Young Gauss

In the lesson on arithmetic, the teacher, who decided to do his own business, asked the students to compute the sum of all the...

Mystery of the bisected apple

A serial killer invited a prospective victim to her place. She offered her an apple. When she refused, she insisted that they share the apple. So,...

Birbal’s Wise Decision – example of creative problem solving

A farmer and his neighbour once went to Emperor Akbar's court with a complaint. "Your Majesty, I bought a well from him," said the farmer...

The Field of Boliauns – Creative Problem Solving

One fine day in harvest, Tom Fitzpatrick went strolling along the sunny side of a hedge. All of a sudden he heard a clacking noise...

The Parable of Justice and Gold

One day, Emperor Akbar posed a question to his adviser and sage Birbal. He asked him what Birbal would choose if he offered either...

Convert Harm Into Benefit – Timur’s decision

Turco-Mongol commander and conqueror Timur (Tamerlane, 1336-1405), invaded northern India, attacking the Delhi Sultanate. The battle between  Turco-Mongol conqueror and Indian forces took place in 1398. ...

A bus stop pick-up riddle

While driving on your way home, you pass by a bus stop and see among the people waiting for the bus, an old lady...

The riddle of The Sphinx

The Sphinx lurked outside Thebes in ancient Greece, and demanded passers-by answer a riddle: 'Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at...

The benefits of capacity seeing yourself through the eyes of others

Three hats are offered to two players – one white and two red. They close their eyes and are told that each of them will...