# 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:** 127
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2521 "2018-02-21T00:35:38Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Is the trait spatial awareness? Is the toy a Rubik’s Cube? No to both. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2522 "2018-02-21T13:27:08Z")
Was the psychological effect the result of repeated activity? Were J&S’s alertness improved? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2523 "2018-02-21T13:29:03Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the psychological effect the result of repeated > activity? YES AND NO. > Were J&S’s alertness improved? NO That first question is too hard to answer any better than “yes and no”. You can re-ask it in parts or clarify it if you want. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2524 "2018-02-21T14:11:24Z")
Did John and Susan use/have the toy as toddlers? As elementary school kids? As middle school kids? As high school kids? Is the toy a game? Is the toy used for building or creating something? Is the toy still being made? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2525 "2018-02-21T15:35:42Z")
Is the trait a mental association of some sort (like Pavlov’s dogs associating the bell with food)? Is the trait something which the creator of the toy expected children would develop? Is the toy stereotypically associated with one gender? Does the trait relate to how they perceive the world? Is the toy a model of some non-toy thing? ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2526 "2018-02-21T15:38:46Z")
Is the trait they have in common related to music? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2527 "2018-02-21T15:55:10Z")
Is the trait a type of synesthesia? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2528 "2018-02-21T17:13:47Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Did John and Susan use/have the toy as toddlers? YES > > As elementary school kids? YES > > As middle school kids? NO > > As high school kids? NO > > Is the toy a game? NO > > Is the toy used for building or creating something? YES, kind of. > > Is the toy still being made? I don’t know. I think NO. Irrelevant. > [@Chronos](#): > > Is the trait a mental association of some sort (like Pavlov’s dogs associating the bell with food)? KIND OF(??) > Is the trait something which the creator of the toy expected children would develop? NO > Is the toy stereotypically associated with one gender? NO > Does the trait relate to how they perceive the world? YES > Is the toy a model of some non-toy thing? NO > [@StusBlues](#): > > Is the trait they have in common related to music? NO > [@Folly](#): > > Is the trait a type of synesthesia? YES We need more information, still. See if you can figure out the rest. We are on the way, though. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2529 "2018-02-21T18:30:39Z")
Does the synesthesia relate to colors? If yes, do the colors relate to sounds? letters? numbers? ---
**Author:** ![Bro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@Bro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2530 "2018-02-21T19:10:44Z")
Is the toy used for assembling multiple times? (like Lego or a puzzle) If not, is the toy used for assembling once? (like a model) ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2531 "2018-02-21T19:19:01Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Does the synesthesia relate to colors? YES > If yes, do the colors relate to > sounds? NO > letters? YES > numbers?NO > [@Bro](#): > > Is the toy used for assembling multiple times? (like Lego or a puzzle) NO > > If not, is the toy used for assembling once? (like a model) NO OK, Folly’s questions and answers should make it easier. What do you think is up? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2532 "2018-02-21T20:17:11Z")
The toy had letters of the alphabet in different colors. Perhaps cut out letters. Perhaps the cut out letters are matched to indentations in a board as a shape puzzle. Aside from the specific form of the toy, the exposure to the specific color association with the letters led to the synesthesia? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2533 "2018-02-21T20:41:53Z")
Were they magnetic letters that you might stick to a fridge? ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2534 "2018-02-21T23:07:50Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > The toy had letters of the alphabet in different colors. Perhaps cut out letters. Perhaps the cut out letters are matched to indentations in a board as a shape puzzle. > > Aside from the specific form of the toy, the exposure to the specific color association with the letters led to the synesthesia? Yes. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Were they magnetic letters that you might stick to a fridge? Yes. Answer: Scientists discovered that while 1 in 10,000 have synesthesia, over 6% born between 1979 and 1990 had identical synesthesia, where the letters of the alphabet had, to them, the same colors. It was found that these people had a certain Fischer-Price magnetic letter set. And their synesthesia lined up with it. It suggests part of synesthesia is learned. [Here is an article on it.](http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2015/03/04/synesthesia-based-alphabet-magnets/#.Wj3zHcaIanM) I tried my best to make this puzzle getable and satisfying. I hope I did. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2018, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2535 "2018-02-21T23:20:11Z")
My very first response was a guess along the same lines, just different components. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Among the theories attempting to explain Chromesthesia is one proposing that cross-modal associations are learned early in life, perhaps by > repeated pairings of pitches and colors (Binet, 1892, 1893-reported in > Marks, 1975;Howells, 1944; Shindell, 1983). This might occur, for example, if a child had experience with a toy xylophone with colored bars or used a piano or organ method that associated pitches with colors. Such a theory of early associations seems consistent with the fact that Chromesthesia is more prevalent in children than in adults, suggesting that associations may be learned early and gradually replaced by “another, more flexible mode > of cognition,” abstract language (Marks, 1975, p. 324 [PDF](http://mobile.www.daysyn.com/Rogers1987.pdf) ---
**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:** [February 22, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2536 "2018-02-22T01:08:49Z")
@Folly I noticed. Great first guess! ---
**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:** [February 22, 2018, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2537 "2018-02-22T16:11:00Z")
It needn’t be that early in life, either. I still have a touch of color-number synthaesia from the programming class I took in 7th grade, where the colors for graphics were coded by number. Of _course_ red is 4, and green is 7. ---
**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:** [February 22, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2538 "2018-02-22T20:24:17Z")
**_Is it food or weapon?_ Most people would say it is the former but many experts think it is instead the latter. What is it?** ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2539 "2018-02-22T20:46:04Z")
Caffeine? (IIRC it is believed to have evolved as a toxin protecting coffee plants against herbivores). ---
**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:** [February 22, 2018, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2540 "2018-02-22T20:51:13Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Caffeine? (IIRC it is believed to have evolved as a toxin protecting coffee plants against herbivores). \*\*No \*\* But I like the line of thought! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=126) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=128)