# 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:** 121
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2401 "2018-01-25T15:41:11Z")
Oh, thought of another one: Has there been a relevant change in the population of any non-mammal animal? (rabies only affects mammals, but some other animal might be relevant indirectly) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2402 "2018-01-25T15:42:44Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > **Rabies has been on a meteoric rise in India over the past 20 years or so. The reason behind this is, I think, fascinating. What happened?** Does this refer to rabies in humans? Rabies in domestic animals? Rabies in wild animals? ---
**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:** [January 25, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2403 "2018-01-25T17:06:36Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Does this refer to rabies in humans? Rabies in domestic animals? Rabies in wild animals? I’ll break that into clear three answers: 1. Humans? Yes. 2. Domestic animals? No, I don’t think so.\* 3. Wild animals? Yes. \*Maybe, I have no info. on that. It’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2404 "2018-01-25T19:09:50Z")
Are the wild animals rats? Are the wild animals drawn to cow dung? ---
**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:** [January 25, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2405 "2018-01-25T20:58:37Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Are the wild animals rats? > > Are the wild animals drawn to cow dung? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2406 "2018-01-25T21:23:52Z")
You appear to have missed some of mine: > [@](#): > > Are cows becoming rabid at a greater rate than previously? > Are rabid cows infecting humans at a greater rate than previously? > Are rabid cows infecting some other animal at a greater rate than previously? > Has there been a relevant increase in the population of cows? > Has there been a relevant increase in the population of humans? > Has there been a relevant increase in the population of some animal other than cows or humans? > [@](#): > > Oh, thought of another one: > Has there been a relevant change in the population of any non-mammal animal? > (rabies only affects mammals, but some other animal might be relevant indirectly) ---
**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:** [January 25, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2407 "2018-01-25T21:48:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Are cows becoming rabid at a greater rate than previously? NO > Are rabid cows infecting humans at a greater rate than previously? NO > Are rabid cows infecting some other animal at a greater rate than previously? YES > Has there been a relevant increase in the population of cows? NO > Has there been a relevant increase in the population of humans? NO > Has there been a relevant increase in the population of some animal other than cows or humans? NO > [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, thought of another one: > Has there been a relevant change in the population of any non-mammal animal? YES > (rabies only affects mammals, but some other animal might be relevant indirectly) kk ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2408 "2018-01-26T07:02:03Z")
Are bats involved? Are snakes involved? ---
**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:** [January 26, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2409 "2018-01-26T15:00:48Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Are bats involved? Are snakes involved? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2410 "2018-01-26T17:38:06Z")
Because of religious beliefs, have they stopped spreading any type of pesticides because it resulted in mosquito’s being killed? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2411 "2018-01-26T17:45:49Z")
OK, this is my first time participating in this thread, so I hope I’m doing this right… Based on these two questions and answers: _Has there been a relevant increase in the population of some animal other than cows or humans? NO_ _Has there been a relevant change in the population of any non-mammal animal? YES_ I’ll ask this question: Has there been a relevant decrease in the population of any non-mammal animal? ---
**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:** [January 26, 2018, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2412 "2018-01-26T18:42:01Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Because of religious beliefs, have they stopped spreading any type of pesticides because it resulted in mosquito’s being killed? NO > [@Railer13](#): > > OK, this is my first time participating in this thread, so I hope I’m doing this right… > > Based on these two questions and answers: > > _Has there been a relevant increase in the population of some animal other than cows or humans? NO_ > > _Has there been a relevant change in the population of any non-mammal animal? YES_ > > I’ll ask this question: > > Has there been a relevant decrease in the population of any non-mammal animal? YES kk ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2413 "2018-01-27T14:58:37Z")
Is the relevant non-mammal animal (or at least, one of them) a… …bird? …reptile? …amphibian? …fish? …insect? …non-insect invertebrate? Is the relevant non-mammal animal (or at least one of them) a… …predator… …prey… …parasite… …commensalist symbiote… to a mammal which is carrying rabies? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2018, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2414 "2018-01-27T17:06:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the relevant non-mammal animal (or at least, one of them) a… > …bird? YES > …reptile? NO > …amphibian? NO > …fish? NO > …insect? NO > …non-insect invertebrate? NO > > Is the relevant non-mammal animal (or at least one of them) a… > …predator… NO > …prey… NO > …parasite… NO > …commensalist symbiote… NO > to a mammal which is carrying rabies? So, no to everything except “bird”. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2415 "2018-01-27T17:08:21Z")
If anyone would like to try and summarize what you know so far, I will happily correct it or comment on its accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2416 "2018-01-27T19:07:36Z")
Is the bird in question a scavenger? A vulture? Is the bird in question a seed-eater? A parrot? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2417 "2018-01-27T20:19:56Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is the bird in question a scavenger? A vulture? > Is the bird in question a seed-eater? A parrot? It’s a scavenger. It’s vultures. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2418 "2018-01-27T20:28:03Z")
Is it something to do with sky burial? ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2419 "2018-01-27T21:56:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > If anyone would like to try and summarize what you know so far, I will happily correct it or comment on its accuracy. So, if I’m following correctly, the vulture population is decreasing, and somehow this has led to an increase of rabies. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2420 "2018-01-27T21:59:55Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is it something to do with sky burial? NO > [@Railer13](#): > > So, if I’m following correctly, the vulture population is decreasing, and somehow this has led to an increase of rabies. YES, but a fuller explanation will be needed to solve it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=120) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=122)