February 2014 Skeptical Crossword – Solution
“Mixed Bag” February 2014 – Answers
1. Mother 73, daughter 37
2. Because 2004 10¢ coins would be $200.40, whereas 2003 10¢ coins would only be $200.30
3. Top Gun
4. Your shoes
5. Alexander
6. Sammy Davis Jr
7. flax
8. Bungee jumping
9. Daryll & John
10. Music (song writing, management, production)
“Next Level”:
11. Flying Fish
12. Rex Hunt
13. brothers
14. The Jigsaw Puzzle
15. Japan
16. Fifty Million
17. First female boxer to die in the ring
18. Sir Topham Hatt’s / The Fat Controller’s inspection vehicle
19. Greek
20. They were the only survivors of the wreck of the Loch Ard
21. Photocopier / Xerox process
22. A shield bearing a coat of arms
23. Islands in Sydney Harbour
24. Win a VC
25. Zebra / plains zebra
26. orchid
27. Joseph Haydn
28. Rhine River valley, Germany
29. The lava lamp
30. JP Richardson aka The Big Bopper
March 2014 Picture Puzzles – Answers
1. intentionally
2. effeminate
3. Suits me fine
4. Apportion blame
5. New Idea
6. indicate
7. Many happy returns
February 2014 Picture Puzzles – Answers
1. Navel exercises
2. No Pun intended
3. Plain or fancy
4. Bible Belt
5. Once In a Blue Moon
6. Microwave
7. Phonetic
February 2014 Logic & Maths Problems Solutions
1. The water level of the pool will fall. The cannonball is much denser than the water. Let the cannonball have a volume of x litre. Assume the cannonball is ten times as dense as the water. Its mass will therefore be 10x kg. When the cannonball is placed in the boat, the boat settles by an amount which displaces 10 kg of water or 10x litres of water. However, when the cannonball is taken out of the boat and placed directly in the water, it only displaces its own VOLUME of water or x litres. This will have the same effect on the water level of the pool as taking 9x litres out.
2. Treble = 18, double = 4, single = 13
3. 2519 prisoners
4. The rule is: double the first number then take away 8. The answer is therefore 20
5. 13 triangles
6. 30 picknickers
7. a. 54m b. 6th c. 11th d. 22 times
8. Direction A (The doors must be on the other side or kerb side, & they drive on the right)
9. $20
10. (a) Keep Still (b) Call a Cab
January Puzzles
There’s a new set of Picture Puzzles and “Mixed Bag” Questions at the top of the PUZZLES PAGE
January’s Skeptical Crossword, with the theme Religions, Myths and Superstitions is HERE.
January’s Logic and Maths Problems are HERE.
“Mixed Bag” Questions January 2014 – Answers
1. Pair up each of the US capital cities with its correct state
2. Atlanta-Georgia; Boston- Massachusetts; Montgomery- Alabama; Phoenix-Arizona; Springfield-Illinois
3. He has them wearing boots
4. He was Prime Minister for the shortest time; (8 days in 1945)
5. Unpalatable beer
6. Fox
7. Rolf Harris
8. (a) O.K.
9. West
10. Quasimodo
“Next Level”:
11. Germany, banks of the Rhine
12. Green
13. It has no toes
14. Being born
15. Uzbekistan and Leichtenstein
16. Very old aboriginal rock paintings / The Kimberleys
17. The bear pits at Berne, Switzerland
18. 1987
19. 80
20. Tabitha
21. lentil
22. John Lee
23. Anthony Daniels, C3PO
24. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson
25. About 80 metres. It’s an East-West line through Boundary Islet, Bass Strait. Victoria owns the north and Tasmania owns the south.
26. 1942
27. 1957
28. A ring on an animal’s collar or harness for reins or leash
29. Gimli and Treebeard
30. Windhoek
January 2014 Logic & Maths Problems – Solutions
1. It was grown in there.
2. C. There is as much water in the milk/water mixture as milk in the water/milk mixture.
3. 
4. They were musicians
5. 9 metres
6. 2.5 km
7. Yellow opposite orange, red opposite green, pink opposite blue
8. The hole will become larger.
9. Treble 13 Double 18 single 16
10. 3
Simon Singh & The Simpsons in Melbourne
Simon Singh, best-selling author of ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem‘ and ‘The Code Book‘, will discuss his latest book ‘The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets‘ at Embiggen Books, 203 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne at 5:45 pm, Monday 20th January, and again at Skeptics Café’s Soapbox, 140 Lygon Street Carlton from 8 pm.
He will explain how a team of mathematically gifted writers have covered everything from calculus to geometry, from pi to game theory, and from infinitesimals to infinity in various episodes of The Simpsons. Singh will also discuss how the writers of Futurama have similarly made it their mission to smuggle deep mathematical ideas into the series.
January 2014 Picture Puzzles – Answers
1. antecedents
2. You tube
3. Disgrace
4. hologram
5. frantically
6. Reindeer Games
7. cellulite