We've all been guilty of saying something stupid - something that on second thoughts, makes us seriously question our intelligence. But the truth is, you could be a theoretical physicist and still come out with something that makes everyone go "huh?" Certainly, we're all entitled to a veritable "blonde moment" from time to time, but if you're like me and tend to play that role more often than you'd like, rest assured: there are people out there who are a lot worse.
So if you're having one of those days where you feel as though your education has amounted to nothing, have a peruse of some of these outrageous statements that people have come out with. I bet you'll feel like a rocket scientist in comparison.
1. I mean, least you can do simple maths...
2. And being part of the Millennial generation, we at least know how to use modern technology
3. Yup.
4. Not again!
5. Some people really struggle when it comes to geometry
6. And biology...
7. This is too much.
8. Are you starting to feel better about your life now?
A seemingly simple maths question has sparked a fierce debate on social media.
Though the question appears simple, people have been left stumped. Credit: izusek/Getty Images
Any parents out there will tell you that helping out the kids with their homework can often be easier than it sounds.
Yes, there's a reason the game show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? has been able run for nearly two decades and span countless spin-offs around the globe.
You see, although many of us are arrogant enough to think we can open up a kid's textbook and score 100% on a test, in reality, some questions can - and do - leave us stumped.
Take this question for example, which has been circulating on social media since June 2023 - but people still can't agree on a concrete answer.
So, is the question about the meaning of life? A higher power? The true meaning behind George Orwell's most captivating work?
No - it's about a clock.
The question reads: "What is the closest time to midnight?" The following four possible answers are then provided:
A. 11:55AM
B. 12:06AM
C. 11:50AM
D. 12:03:AM
Now, you may be thinking, "Well, that's easy" - but I can assure you, you probably have a different answer to about 75% of your household.
Some people were adamant the answer was A, with one person writing: "Time is a scaler quantity meaning it only goes in 1 direction, forward. So answer is A."
But others agreed:
Others were confident the answer was D, with one X user tweeting: "D is the only answer that makes sense no matter how you look at it."
And many others, once again, agreed:
There were some rogue answers for B and C too, but both A and D were, without a doubt, the two most popular choices.
Now, I'm just going to share some of the logic behind the two answers.
"The use of 'To' and not 'till' is the only reason for pause before answering," one person wrote. Another interjected: "Do you want which one is closest to becoming midnight because it’s A, or do you want which one is closest to midnight in the current minute which is D."
"It can't be D because it will take a whole 23 hours to get to midnight again so it's A," another added.
Some people even took to asking AI for the correct answer (with AI declaring D the correct answer),
As I see it, if I told a friend I'd meet them at midnight, I'd probably think they'd be okay with me rocking up three minutes late at 12:03AM rather than nearly 12 hours late at 11:55AM - as, y'know, that's the closest TO midnight.
Featured image credit: Thierry Chesnot / Stringer / Getty
A math question aimed at 10-year-olds has left the internet well and truly divided, with many unable to work out the correct answer.
If you thought homework seemed tough when you were at school, it's nothing compared to trying to scramble up all those equations and Pythagorean theorems when you've not given them a second thought for a few decades since you left.
So it's not wonder that frustrated parents sometimes take to the internet to see if anyone else has a clue what the answer to a homework question actually is.
One Reddit user left the internet stumped after sharing a question their fifth-grader brother had been set on their math exam.
The math conundrum had many people stumped. Credit: Reddit
Taking to Reddit, they wrote: "A test problem on my 5th-grade brother's math exam," before sharing a photo of the problem.
The question, intended for children between 10 and 11 years old, asked: "Klein read 30 pages of a book on Monday and 1/8 of the book on Tuesday. He completed the remaining 1/4 of the book on Wednesday. How many pages are there in the book?"
The confusing wording of the question left many scratching their heads as they realized they had no idea of the answer.
They took to the comments to write: "TIL [today I learned] I would fail fifth grade math", and: "5th grade me would not get this. Mid-40s me barely gets it."
Others added: "I always think to my self. 'Ugh. People should really be tested with basic skills before they're allowed to go out into society.' And then I see this and realize I shouldn't go out into society LOL!", and: "Damn, I don't know the answer but it must be a small book."
One wrote: "My brain said, nope not enough coffee yet. So I looked at the comments and said I see it now," while someone else simply added: "Man I feel dumb."
The confusing question flew over many people's heads. Credit: Keep It 100/Getty Images
A commenter joked: "If you give me the title and author I can figure this out...these numbers mean nothing to me..." while someone else added: "I have a minor in math and at first I was like 'they didn’t give you enough information to solve' until I realized people did solve it and looked at it again. Made me feel like a numpty, but yeah. This is a bit much."
It turns out that the answer is 48, if you break down the number of eighths of the book Klein had left to read after the initial 30 pages he got through on Monday.
One Redditor explained it: "1 book = 30 pages + 1/8 book + 1/4 book. 1 book = 30 pages + 3/8 book. 1 book - 3/8 book = 30 pages. 5/8 book = 30 pages. 1 book = 48 pages."
And despite it being easily solvable when you know how, many people criticized the confusing way it was written, adding: "As a fifth grade teacher, this is a confusing question that I would have omitted. While not really difficult to solve for 5th graders concept-wise, it's framed in a confusing manner that seems like it's intended to confuse students. Even I was confused because it isn't really clear that Klein started the book on Monday. Had that been stated, I wouldn't have hesitated."
Some were convinced it was unsolvable. Credit: Carol Yepes/Getty Images
Another wrote: "Lot of people coping with their own inadequacies in this thread. This is a fantastic problem for a 5th grader. It is not specifically testing just one thing. It's reading comprehension, ability to construct the problem mathematically, and then solve it. This is what most of our education should be. Wrote memorization is f**king dummmmmb."
Others still believed it was simply impossible to discern an accurate answer from the information given, adding: "Technically it doesn’t say the 30 pages is the rest of the book, so I’d write not solvable," and: "Well it didn’t say he started at the beginning when he read the 30 pages so this is unsolvable."
Did you get it? Let us know in the comments below.
It's a well known fact that men find it nigh impossible to understand women. Now, being a woman, I find everything that we do to be carefully mandated by reason and logic, but I can understand why men find things such as makeup, bras and periods so difficult to wrap their minds around.
Certainly, legions of Hollywood rom-coms have featured the Clueless Male - a man who is perpetually perplexed by every women in his life, whether it be a romantic interest or a female colleague. And apparently many of the men we encounter as coworkers or on our morning commute are real-life iterations of the Clueless Male, and just can't get their heads around us women and our apparently bamboozling thought-processes.
I mean, just check out these 16 things that men can't understand about women. Fellow females, be prepared to shake your head, vigorously:
1. For many women, having a boob job is a very personal choice
2. Photoshop is a powerful thing
3. Jealousy can really drive a wedge in relationships
4. Well, isn't this good to know
5. If only men experienced this themselves
6. There's some interesting logic at work here
7. Some people are just more reserved when it comes to talking about sex
8. We have no answers to this one
9. Maybe because they don't want to talk to you?
10. This is one guy's opinion
11. Some people are just complicated...
12. Ouch
13. To each their own
14. Things change, I guess...
15. Er, I don't think women are the problem here
16. Woah, woah, calm down!
Well, there you have it - men really don't understand women at all. But was that really a surprise to anyone?
Fancy yourself a bit of a math whizz? Then perhaps you'll be able to figure out this new puzzle that's been leaving social media users confused.
Every now and then, an enigmatic puzzle crops up to the utter confusion of the internet. And now, a triangle-based math question is making the rounds again after it was posted online some years back by journalist Jitesh Pillai.
Think you can work it out?
The thing is, it looks deceptively simple, and yet no one can agree on an answer! In fact, the answers that people have shared so far are... varied, to say the least.
One person seemed to think there was a grand total of one triangle:
Another Twitter user went a step further, noting that they could only see two whole triangles in the puzzle.
A different person knew there were more than just a couple of triangles - but still only managed to land on four. Still, onwards and upwards.
The user also accompanied their answer with the following insult to those who didn't arrive at their (false) answer: "ITS 4 YALL ARE DUMB DUMB STUPID HEADS. [sic]"
Charming!
And yet, according to another Twitter user, there are actually five triangles.
In contrast, yet another puzzle amateur worked out that there were six triangles.
And it went on, with what feels like every number under the sun being claimed as the final answer. Eventually, the guesses reached the 20s, with one person sharing: "I got 20."
One person even got as far as 27, stating: "I counted every corner in the drawing."
But apparently, the actual answer to the math question is - drumroll please - 18. So, less than 27 - but a lot more than one!
One person was even kind enough to share how they managed to work it out, which, personally, I find more confusing than the actual drawing.
They wrote: "The simplest way to find is to Use permutation & combination. 4C2 + 4C2 +4C2=6+6+6=18."
In any case, let us all applaud those who were smart enough to work out the right answer...
Did you manage to work out the correct number of triangles? Let us know in the comments!
We've all had the misfortune of coming across as rather dim-witted in public, and we're all too familiar with the burning shame that seeps over us thereafter. Now, I don't know about you but I experience this scenario all too often, what with my complete lack of a sense of direction, and general clumsiness.
And because humankind is essentially cruel and cold, they love documenting instances when their nearest and dearest or their annoying coworker comes across as rather stupid, without realising it. I mean, just have a read of these rather mortifying scenarios:
1. Who would believe this?!
2. Contrary to popular belief The Onion is not a reputable news source
3. Sorry Stacey, but no one cares
4. Wilfully ignorant people are the worst
5. No, it doesn't make you cool
6. I know sartorial preferences are highly personal, but...
7. Trying to look smart can massively backfire
8. Yup
9. It's 2017, come on!
10. Can no one have a civil discussion anymore?
11. They really are two different things
12. Age doesn't determine intelligence
13. There's nothing worse
Well, if that doesn't make you feel better about your shortcomings, I don't know what will. Ultimately, we've all looked stupid at some point or the other, and sometimes you've just got to laugh it off.
In search of more things to point and laugh at? These 16 men revealed the things that they will never understand about women, and some of them were just ridiculous...
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