# Lateral Thinking Puzzles: Fourthcoming Mysteries **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [May 29, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468 "2026-05-29T01:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/41 "2026-10-04T14:19:43Z")
In 1922, a 29-year-old Nebraska pig farmer named Charles began an otherwise routine day. In 1982, an 89-year old Charles appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and talked about that day. Why? ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/42 "2026-10-04T14:34:23Z")
Did he spend the whole day on his farm? Did he meet somebody? Are the days exactly 60 years apart? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/43 "2026-10-04T14:46:00Z")
Was he involved in an event that historians would consider noteworthy? Did he observe something special? Did the thing Carson had him on for relate to farming? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/44 "2026-10-04T14:51:58Z")
reply to kk\_fusion: Did he spend the whole day on his farm? Not sure. Did he meet somebody? No. Are the days exactly 60 years apart? No. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/45 "2026-10-04T14:53:35Z")
reply to Mahaloth: Was he involved in an event that historians would consider noteworthy? No. Did he observe something special? No Did the thing Carson had him on for relate to farming? No. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/46 "2026-10-04T15:03:09Z")
Is it the day he started a collection, or created something? ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/47 "2026-10-04T15:40:32Z")
Is the fact that he was a pig farmer (and not, say, a wheat farmer or a cattle rancher) relevant? Was Charles a well-known person prior to his _Tonight Show_ appearance? Did Charles suffer an accident or injury on that day in 1922? Did he experience some other life-changing event? Did he continue to be a farmer after that day? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/48 "2026-10-04T15:43:29Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Is it the day he started a collection, or created something? No. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/49 "2026-10-04T15:49:55Z")
reply to Fretful\_Porpentine: Is the fact that he was a pig farmer (and not, say, a wheat farmer or a cattle rancher) relevant? Yes. Was Charles a well-known person prior to his _Tonight Show_ appearance? Not especially. Maybe to a few. Did Charles suffer an accident or injury on that day in 1922? Yes. Did he experience some other life-changing event? Yes. Did he continue to be a farmer after that day? Yes. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/50 "2026-10-04T15:51:53Z")
Are the two Charleses the same person? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/51 "2026-10-04T15:57:12Z")
- > [@Chronos](#): > > Are the two Charleses the same person? Yes. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/52 "2026-10-04T16:57:52Z")
Did he lose a limb or another part of the body? Was there a farming accident? Was one of his animals remarkable in any way? I should point out that I am thinking of the chicken who lived without a head, but that isn’t the only kind of animal trait that could be remarkable. Is this related to Charlotte’s Web in any way? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/53 "2026-10-04T17:19:16Z")
reply to Mahaloth: Did he lose a limb or another part of the body? No. Was there a farming accident? Yes. Was one of his animals remarkable in any way? No. I should point out that I am thinking of the chicken who lived without a head, but that isn’t the only kind of animal trait that could be remarkable. Is this related to Charlotte’s Web in any way? No. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/54 "2026-10-04T17:39:21Z")
Was anyone other than Charles injured in the farming accident? Killed? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/55 "2026-10-04T17:49:47Z")
- > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Was anyone other than Charles injured in the farming accident? > > Killed? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/56 "2026-10-04T17:55:30Z")
Had he not slept since then? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/57 "2026-10-04T18:03:49Z")
- > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Had he not slept since then? 🙀 No. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/58 "2026-10-04T18:59:57Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Had he not slept since then? This did make me wonder. I think the sleep deprivation record is now 18 days, 21 hours. Guinness will not take any more claims for safety reasons. Nothing to do with Charles though. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/59 "2026-10-04T19:30:54Z")
Did the accident result in damage to something inanimate? Damage to crops? One or more injured animals? ---
**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:** [October 4, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468/60 "2026-10-04T19:52:02Z")
- > [@dirtball](#): > > Did the accident result in damage to something inanimate? > Damage to crops? > One or more injured animals? No to all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-fourthcoming-mysteries/1030468.md?page=4)