Archive for September, 2009

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Five boys from Mrs. Silver’s class, Danny, George, Jake, Mark, and Trent, always pack their lunch.  They each have a favorite sandwich, drink, and dessert.  From the clues below can you determine which sandwich, drink, and dessert each boy favors?

3×5 Grid

  1. The five boys are Danny, the one who likes fruit punch, the one who favors tuna salad sandwiches, the one who always has pudding for dessert, and the one who always drinks chocolate milk.
  2. George, whose favorite sandwich is roast beef, does not drink apple juice or like licorice twists.
  3. Of Mark, who does not have cookies for dessert, and the boy who likes ham and cheese, drinks lemonade and the other drinks white milk.
  4. Trent, who only drinks white milk, does not like peanut butter and jelly and does not have cookies for dessert.
  5. Jake’s favorite dessert is candy bars but does not like bologna sandwiches.
  6. The boy who like roast beef sandwiches also likes brownies, but does not drink lemonade.
  7. The boy whose favorite sandwich is tuna salad also likes lemonade but is not Jake or Trent.
  8. The boy who likes bologna sandwiches also likes apple juice but does not like pudding.
  9. Fruit punch gets packed in the lunch box with the candy bar.

Click here for the solution.

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Highlight below puzzles for the answers.

rebus-square-2001

tennis shoes (ten issues)

rebus-square-5001

update

rebus-square-4001

Made in China

rebus-square-3001

banana split

rebus-square1001

you’re under arrest

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Below is a quote about the brain by Dave Barry.  Arrange the tiles in the boxes to unscramble the quote.

screen-shot-2009-09-29-at-100432-am.

Click on the puzzle for a printer-friendly version.

Highlight below for the answer:

The nuclear generator of brain sludge is television.

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Men and women think, act, and speak differently from one another.  It makes sense that these differences would stem from differences between the male and female brain.  There are differences physical differences between the male and female brain which leads to differences between they ways men and women process information.

Brain Size

The average weight of an adult male’s brain is 11 - 12% greater than that of the average female.  On average, the male skull is 2% larger than the female skull.  The overall physical stature of men is larger than that of women.  Having a larger mass and more muscles means the need for more neurons for control.  More neurons does not indicate greater intelligence.

Number of Brain Cells

The average male brain weighs about 100 grams more than the average female brain.  This means that males have 4% more brain cells than women.  This provides them with a greater reserve of brain cells which helps prevent the onset of dementia.  Brain diseases like Alzheimer’s are caused in part by a loss of brain cells.  Since men have a greater number of brain cells to begin with, it takes longer for them to be effected by the loss of brain cells.

Corpus Callosum

The right and left hemispheres of the brain is connected by the corpus callosum.  All the information that is transmitted between the two hemispheres travels through the corpus callosum.  In women, the corpus callosum is much larger meaning that they can transfer more information faster between the two halves of their brains than men can.  Many studies show that men tend to be either right or left brained while women are more likely to be more balanced.  This balance is due to the fact that they have better access to and communication between the two hemispheres.

Cellular Connections

Equally important to the neurons in the brain is the way the neurons connect and communicate.  The spaces between the neurons contains the axons, dendrites, and synapses, which is how the neurons communicate.  In women, these spaces are more developed, having more connections developed between neurons.

Language

The areas of the brain that deal with language, Broca and Wernicke, are located in the frontal lobes.  In women these areas tend to be larger than in men.  Women also tend to be able to use both hemispheres of the brain in order to construct and interpret language.  Men tend to use their dominant side of the brain for the majority of their language processing.

Limbic Size

The limbic system is responsible for the feeling and expression of emotions.  In women this system tends to be more developed, meaning that women are more in touch with their feelings and are better able to express them.  A more developed limbic system also means that women are better able to connect with others and show more compassion.  Having a larger limbic system, however, also leaves women more susceptible to depression, especially during hormonal fluctuations like those experienced during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

Inferior Parietal Lobule (IPL)

In men, the IPL in the left hemisphere is bigger and in women, the IPL in the right hemisphere is bigger.  The IPL in the left hemisphere of the brain is associated with how we percieve time and speed as well as the ability to rotate 3-D objects in our heads.  The right hemisphere’s IPL is associated with selective attention and the memory needed for understanding spatial relationships.  Men tend to have more accurate perception of time and speed than women, due to the larger left IPL.  Women tend to have better memories of locations and how they related to one another as well as the ability to pick up on specific stimuli due to their larger right IPL.

These differences between the male and female brains is probably due to the differences in the roles carried out by prehistoric humans.  None of the differences indicate any type of superiority, neither gender is smarter than the other.  Research into this area has shown that men and women compliment each other in the way they think, perceive, and interact.  While there may be times when the differences are frustrating and seem to be a hindrance, there are also times when having different approaches is beneficial.  Developing more effective communication starts with understanding that there are differences and not trying to pretend that everyone is wired in exactly the same way.

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Move 4 toothpicks to create 3 squares.

toothpick-puzzle001

Stumped? Here’s a hint:

You need to move the highlighted toothpicks.

toothpick-hint001

Here is the solution:

toothpick-solution001

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screen-shot-2009-09-25-at-15022-pm1The answer is 13.

Each number is found by adding the previous two numbers together.  The last two given numbers in the sequence are 5 and 8.  5+8 =13.  This sequence is known as the Fibonacci sequence.

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Cryptograms date back centuries as a way to pass along encoded information.  Letters in a message are substituted with other letters, number, or symbols.

Here is a quote from Socrates in the form of a cryptogram.  Letters are substituted for other letters, your challenge is to break the code and decipher the quote.  (Click on the puzzle for a printer-friendly version.)

screen-shot-2009-09-25-at-14250-pm

Highlight below for the answer:

I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.

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Working in the ER is a stressful job.  5 of the doctors, Brenda, Danny, Hank, Janet, and Pam, each like to unwind after a shift by changing into pajamas, having a snack, and watching reruns of old sitcoms.  From the clues below can you determine which snack each doctor enjoys, their favorite sitcom, and the pattern on their pajamas?

3×5 Grid

  1. The five doctors are Brenda, the doctor who has cheese and crackers as a snack, the doctor who watches the Cosby Show, the doctor who has polka dotted pajamas, and Pam.
  2. Danny, who wears the fireworks pajamas, does not watch the Golden Girls and does not have apple slices as a snack.
  3. Of the doctor who has nachos as a snack and the doctor who wears zig zag pajamas, one watches Doogie Howser, M.D. and the other is Janet.
  4. The doctor that wears the star pajamas also watches Roseanne, but does not snack on chips.
  5. The doctor who wears the pajamas with the flying pigs snacks on popcorn, but not while watching Silver Spoons reruns.
  6. Hank, who snacks on cheese and crackers, does not wear polka dotted pajamas or watch Roseanne.
  7. The doctor who watches Silver Spoons reruns wears polka dotted pajamas
  8. Pam, who snacks on apple slices, wears the star patterned pajamas but does not watch Golden Girls reruns.

Click here for the solution.

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Fill in the missing numbers using the following rules:

  1. All the missing numbers are between 0 and 9
  2. Each row adds up to the number on the right
  3. Each column adds up to the numbers at the bottom
  4. Diagonal lines add up to the numbers on the right

screen-shot-2009-09-23-at-41554-pmClick on puzzle for printer-friendly version.

Click here for the solution.

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sudoku10012Click on the puzzle for a printer-friendly version.

Click here for the solution.