# 53 bicycles: A lateral thinking puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 9, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868 "2017-07-09T19:51:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 110
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2181 "2017-12-24T05:37:57Z")
Is the object used in the process of farming? Is it used for raising animals? Is it used for raising crops? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2182 "2017-12-25T14:09:27Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Is the object used in the process of farming? > > Is it used for raising animals? > > Is it used for raising crops? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. No. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2183 "2017-12-25T15:13:21Z")
Is it used for providing food or water for animals? Is it for a particular species ? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2184 "2017-12-25T16:40:26Z")
Is the top pole hollow? Is this for chickens? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2185 "2017-12-25T16:44:58Z")
Is the device related to breeding or birthing? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2186 "2017-12-26T03:41:36Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Is it used for providing food or water for animals? > Is it for a particular species ? No to both. > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Is the top pole hollow? > Is this for chickens? I don’t think the top pole is hollow. No, not for chickens. > [@raventhief](#): > > Is the device related to breeding or birthing? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2187 "2017-12-26T09:08:27Z")
Is it for animals to scratch their backs? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2188 "2017-12-26T13:59:08Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > Is it for animals to scratch their backs? Yes, Sydney Smith was the inventor. He was tired of various animals scratching their backs on his fences and knocking them down. He invented a “universal scratcher” that was just two vertical poles with one sloping horizontal pole. He put, I think, various levels of roughness on the pole and the animals automatically began going to it to get scratched and it saved his fence. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2189 "2017-12-27T19:36:41Z")
A nice touch to make the thing sloping, so that every animal can find a place of suitable height. I would probably have had the thing welded together from I-beams though – the kind used for construction of medium-sized bridges – and secured it to the ground with tons of concrete. Cows are some pretty mean weightlifters! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2190 "2017-12-27T20:46:32Z")
This one is historical, so googling will provide the answer. You also just might know it. If that is the case, please stay out(don’t even spoiler-box your knowledge!). I hope this one works for those that don’t know it already: \*\*Jasper announced he needed some water. Because he did this, he potentially saved countless lives. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2191 "2017-12-27T21:05:51Z")
Did Jasper’s announcement affect the timing of some other event? Is the quality of the water relevant? Did Jasper need the water to drink? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2192 "2017-12-27T21:09:48Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Did Jasper’s announcement affect the timing of some other event? \*\*I can’t answer this. You need to clarify what you mean by “the timing of some other event”. \*\* > > Is the quality of the water relevant? **NO** > > Did Jasper need the water to drink? **NO** (though he was a normal human who consumed water like anyone else) kk ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2193 "2017-12-27T21:11:28Z")
Did Jasper wake someone up? Did someone fetching water find some other non-water-related problem? Did he save people from death within the next few hours? Or did Jasper’s request save lives in the long-term future? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2194 "2017-12-27T21:15:18Z")
Were the lives saved human? Was Jasper human? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2195 "2017-12-27T21:56:18Z")
Did Jasper’s announcement cause a person, group of people, or government to take (or not take) some specific action? Was the announcement itself more relevant to saving the lives than the specific reason Jasper needed the water? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2196 "2017-12-27T22:27:06Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Did Jasper wake someone up? NO > > Did someone fetching water find some other non-water-related problem? NO > > Did he save people from death within the next few hours? NO > > Or did Jasper’s request save lives in the long-term future? **Well, longer than a few hours.** > [@Biotop](#): > > Were the lives saved human? YES > > Was Jasper human? YES > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Did Jasper’s announcement cause a person, group of people, or government to take (or not take) some specific action? YES > > Was the announcement itself more relevant to saving the lives than the specific reason Jasper needed the water? YES Embedded. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2197 "2017-12-27T22:55:27Z")
Could Jasper have announced completely different words and had the same effect? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2198 "2017-12-27T22:57:19Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Could Jasper have announced completely different words and had the same effect? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2199 "2017-12-27T23:07:17Z")
Was Jasper thought to be unconscious until his announcement? Was Jasper thought to be dead until his announcement? Was the presence of Jasper not known until his announcement? Did the realization that Jasper was conscious, or not dead, or present, lead a person or persons to realize that there may be others in a similar state as Jasper? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2200 "2017-12-27T23:53:31Z")
Had Jasper ever spoken prior to making the announcement? Had Jasper not spoken for a specific period of time prior to making the announcement? Did the announcement result in an action being taken? Did the announcement result in an action not being taken, or being delayed? Was the action taken (or not taken) by an individual? Was the action taken (or not taken) by a group of people? Was the action taken (or not taken) by a government? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=109) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=111)