# Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Let's do it again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [October 23, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193 "2019-10-23T21:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 160
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3182 "2020-06-04T15:32:28Z")
Is the design an alert of some kind? Does it involve measuring weight? Does it provide a safety measure? ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3183 "2020-06-04T17:13:28Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I forget what it is called, but is it that type of elevator that is constantly moving and you step on and off while it goes by? > > Is it something associated with or associated with the lack thereof of: > elevator doors? > buttons? > cable? > lighting? > shaft? > motor? > elevator box or enclosure? **He designed the first elevator shaft** > [@kitap](#): > > Lighting up the buttons? NO > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Does it have to do with a passenger operated elevator? > > YES > > An elevator specifically intended for passengers rather than freight? > > YES - the shaft was for people(they had elevators for objects already) > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Is the design an alert of some kind? > Does it involve measuring weight? > Does it provide a safety measure? NO to all So Pete designed the first elevator shaft for a building. Let’s look at the puzzle again. \*\* Pete was a bit of an odd kind of guy. An inventor and tinkerer. He eventually designed something that was initially seen as ludicrous and dangerous, but was later viewed as brilliant. What did he design? \*\* I’ll add the obvious follow up. If he designed the elevator shaft, why was it seen as initially ludicrous and dangerous, but later viewed as brilliant? ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3184 "2020-06-04T17:25:50Z")
I saw a youtube video once. I think it was by Tom Scott and about the very first elevator shaft. If I remember correctly, the very first elevator shaft was a round tube instead of square. Is that it? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3185 "2020-06-04T18:54:22Z")
Did elevators not have walls? That would make a shaft hella dangerous. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3186 "2020-06-04T19:41:24Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I saw a youtube video once. I think it was by Tom Scott and about the very first elevator shaft. If I remember correctly, the very first elevator shaft was a round tube instead of square. > Is that it? It was round, but that was not the issue. > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Did elevators not have walls? That would make a shaft hella dangerous. No. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3187 "2020-06-04T20:03:23Z")
Hmmm…Probably would be cheating to go back and watch the video again. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3188 "2020-06-04T20:10:46Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Hmmm…Probably would be cheating to go back and watch the video again. Yes, I just checked. Tom Scott’s video covers my puzzle, though I did not get this puzzle from him at all. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3189 "2020-06-04T20:42:06Z")
Was the concern: physical injury from contacting the shaft suffocation motion related injury, with the shaft affecting the car’s motion fall related injury mental/emotional injury ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3190 "2020-06-04T22:24:20Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the concern: > physical injury from contacting the shaft > suffocation > motion related injury, with the shaft affecting the car’s motion > fall related injury > mental/emotional injury Fall Related Injury ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3191 "2020-06-04T22:40:54Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I forget what it is called, but is it that type of elevator that is constantly moving and you step on and off while it goes by? [Paternoster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster_lift) ---
**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:** [June 4, 2020, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3192 "2020-06-04T22:45:36Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > [Paternoster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster_lift) Pretty sure Tom Scott did a video about those too. 😃 ---
**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:** [June 5, 2020, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3193 "2020-06-05T03:05:36Z")
Nope, not a paternoster. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2020, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3194 "2020-06-05T09:36:15Z")
Was the concern that people would walk into the shaft thinking an elevator was there? ---
**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:** [June 5, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3195 "2020-06-05T14:40:27Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Was the concern that people would walk into the shaft thinking an elevator was there? Yes, I’m going to end this one at this point. Pete designed the first elevator shaft before the first elevator was invented. He could tell that an elevator was going to be necessary and most likely invented fairly soon, so he designed the first building with an elevator shaft a few years before an elevator was invented to go in it. It’s still there, with an elevator in it. It was round, but had a rectangle elevator for years. I believe it has a round elevator now, though? [Tom Scott’s video is not where I heard of it, but it is quite good.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL4xc5bsSUU&vl=en) ---
**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:** [June 5, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3196 "2020-06-05T14:54:26Z")
Ha ha. The entire video is about the elevator shaft being designed before the elevator was invented and mostly I just remembered that it was round. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2020, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3197 "2020-06-05T15:13:48Z")
nm - wrong thread. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2020, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3198 "2020-06-05T15:59:07Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Ha ha. The entire video is about the elevator shaft being designed before the elevator was invented and mostly I just remembered that it was round. Yes and I am glad you showed me that. I have seen Tom Scott and yet have no memory of seeing this one before. He does a better job than I would showing it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3199 "2020-06-06T00:20:13Z")
Very interesting event, hard to uncover, but neat that the elevator shaft was invented before the elevator. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3200 "2020-06-10T04:21:30Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Very interesting event, hard to uncover, but neat that the elevator shaft was invented before the elevator. Similar to the fact that the fax machine was invented before the telephone. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3201 "2020-06-17T18:46:58Z")
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