The most heated puzzle about the drinking straw is “does it have one hole or two?” (This debate periodically goes viral and for those who want to suck up its delicious complexities I recommend this chat with mathematician Jordan Ellenberg.)
Today’s puzzles are also about straws, but are much less controversial.
1. Lift-off
Here are three straws. Two are connected to make a upside down V. In the image below, I have leaned the V against the other straw.
Using a fourth straw, can you find a way to lift all the straws off the table? You are allowed to hold the fourth straw, but only the fourth straw is allowed to touch any of the other straws.
2. Straw poles
Lay out three glasses as below, where the distance between the rims of each glass is the length of a straw.
Using only the three straws, can you find a way to balance a fourth glass on the straws between the three glasses? The straws are not allowed to touch the table, and you cannot move the positions of the glasses. The fourth glass must be equidistant from each of the other glasses.
3. Three square
Twelve straws are organised in a naughts and crosses pattern as below.
Move straws one by one to create three squares. Each of these squares must consist of four straws, and there must be no extraneous straws left that are not part of one of these squares. There’s a (fairly) obvious way to do it in four moves. But can you do it in three?
I’ll be back at 5pm UK with the solutions. PLEASE NO SPOILERS. Instead let me know how many holes a straw has. Are you a one or a two holer?
UPDATE: The solutions can be read here
Credits: 1. Jon Hootman. 2. Adapted from Edward de Bono. 3. Scam Nation.
I’ve been setting a puzzle here on alternate Mondays since 2015. I’m always on the look-out for great puzzles. If you would like to suggest one, email me.
