# 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:** 134
**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:** [March 2, 2018, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2661 "2018-03-02T04:38:57Z")
Was the chemical reaction just rusting? I don’t know if that by itself would lower the oxygen enough. If rusting was involved, was it in combination with another chemical reaction? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2018, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2662 "2018-03-02T04:41:46Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Was the chemical reaction just rusting? I don’t know if that by itself would lower the oxygen enough. If rusting was involved, was it in combination with another chemical reaction? Just rusting. [You win!](https://books.google.com/books?id=AzFv6QVuS2wC&pg=PA435&lpg=PA435&dq=man+dies+in+tank+rust+used+up+oxygen&source=bl&ots=a2BLIWCJEi&sig=w1X8tTd6E9sGXQF9C22FlVzLTIU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiTyo606czZAhXK2lMKHU7uBicQ6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=man%20dies%20in%20tank%20rust%20used%20up%20oxygen&f=false) ---
**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:** [March 2, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2663 "2018-03-02T04:44:28Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Just rusting. > > [You win!](https://books.google.com/books?id=AzFv6QVuS2wC&pg=PA435&lpg=PA435&dq=man+dies+in+tank+rust+used+up+oxygen&source=bl&ots=a2BLIWCJEi&sig=w1X8tTd6E9sGXQF9C22FlVzLTIU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiTyo606czZAhXK2lMKHU7uBicQ6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=man%20dies%20in%20tank%20rust%20used%20up%20oxygen&f=false) Cool! Well, not cool that someone died. You know what I mean… I wouldn’t have thought that rust could scrub a large percentage of oxygen from air. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2664 "2018-03-02T13:12:56Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’m not sure I get your question, but I think **NO**. > > It was a tank with water. Certainly the tank is made up of molecules made up of atoms. I should have said “substance,” but I guess the answer is still no. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2665 "2018-03-03T17:33:07Z")
**A certain multinational company changed its plans some time back, and this change in plans has resulted in a significant boon to the conservation efforts for some endangered species. Despite this, this company is unpopular among many animal-rights groups, for completely unrelated reasons. Explain.** Amusingly, when I went to do research to verify the details of this one, I ended up at a Straight Dope article. Oddly, the link I found wasn’t to [straightdope.com](http://straightdope.com), but to a city newspaper that runs the column. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2666 "2018-03-03T18:22:46Z")
Is the change something to do with New Coke? Is it a change like that where a company changed something they make? Is it a change in something the company does? Is the change something to do with recycling? Is the change something to do with testing on animals? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2667 "2018-03-03T19:10:36Z")
Is the change something to do with New Coke? **No** Is it a change like that where a company changed something they make? **No** Is it a change in something the company does? **Question vague; please rephrase** Is the change something to do with recycling? **No** Is the change something to do with testing on animals? **No** ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2668 "2018-03-03T19:21:21Z")
Is the change related to the environment? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2669 "2018-03-03T19:27:40Z")
Oh, one other detail that I didn’t manage to get into the puzzle statement: The change in plans was due to something company never expected. ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2670 "2018-03-03T19:27:58Z")
Is the change related to the environment? **No** ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2671 "2018-03-03T20:12:34Z")
Is the boon to birds? Mammals? Plants? Fungi? Reptiles? Is there a negative effect on birds? Mammals? Plants? Fungi? Reptiles? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2672 "2018-03-03T22:14:23Z")
Is the boon to birds? **No** Mammals? **Yes** Plants? **No** Fungi? **No** Reptiles? **Yes** Is there a negative effect on birds? Mammals? Plants? Fungi? Reptiles? **No to all** ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2673 "2018-03-03T22:36:50Z")
Is the boon to reptiles to large (2m+) reptiles? Medium-sized ones (0.5m+)? Or small ones? Is the boon sex-related? Egg-related? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2674 "2018-03-03T22:50:53Z")
Is the boon to reptiles to large (2m+) reptiles? **No** Medium-sized ones (0.5m+)? **No** Or small ones? **Yes** Is the boon sex-related? **Yes** Egg-related? **No** ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2675 "2018-03-03T22:53:05Z")
Are the endangered species closely related to one another? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2676 "2018-03-03T22:59:20Z")
Are the endangered species closely related to one another? **No** ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2677 "2018-03-03T23:31:23Z")
Is the boon also to fish? Amphibians? Sharks? Cephalopods? Is there a negative effect on fish? Amphibians? Sharks? Cephalopods? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2678 "2018-03-03T23:43:03Z")
Is the boon also to fish? **Yes** Amphibians? **No** Sharks? **No** Cephalopods? **No** Is there a negative effect on fish? Amphibians? Sharks? Cephalopods? **No to all** ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2679 "2018-03-04T00:20:51Z")
Is the multinational company involved in food production? ---
**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:** [March 4, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868/2680 "2018-03-04T01:20:30Z")
Is the multinational company involved in food production? **No** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=133) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/53-bicycles-a-lateral-thinking-puzzle/790868.md?page=135)