# 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:** 161
**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, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3202 "2020-06-17T18:49:18Z")
**Chuck realized he wanted to die so he played the piano. Why?** ---
**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:** [June 17, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3203 "2020-06-17T19:01:39Z")
Did he believe that playing the piano would cause him to die? If yes, was he correct in this belief? Or was he playing the piano for some other reason, e.g. to improve his mental state? Was he a professional musician? Is the reason why he wanted to die relevant? Is his geographical location relevant? Is the time period relevant? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3204 "2020-06-17T19:02:58Z")
Is Chuck a human person? ---
**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:** [June 17, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3205 "2020-06-17T19:13:31Z")
Does “die” mean “cease living”? Does “piano” mean “a keyboard instrument containing a harp with strings struck by hammers”? Does “play” mean to produce music using the piano by pressing keys on the keyboard? ---
**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, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3206 "2020-06-17T19:20:07Z")
**reply to Fretful Porpentine** : Did he believe that playing the piano would cause him to die? **Yes** If yes, was he correct in this belief? **No** Or was he playing the piano for some other reason, e.g. to improve his mental state? **No** Was he a professional musician? **No** Is the reason why he wanted to die relevant? **Yes** Is his geographical location relevant? **Yes** Is the time period relevant? **Yes** ---
**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, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3207 "2020-06-17T19:21:14Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Is Chuck a human person? **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:** [June 17, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3208 "2020-06-17T19:27:04Z")
**reply to Chronos** : Does “die” mean “cease living”? **Yes**. Does “piano” mean “a keyboard instrument containing a harp with strings struck by hammers”? **Yes**. Does “play” mean to produce music using the piano by pressing keys on the keyboard? **Yes**. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3209 "2020-06-17T20:38:24Z")
Was the whole setup some sort of laboratory experiment? ---
**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, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3210 "2020-06-17T20:45:44Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Was the whole setup some sort of laboratory experiment? **No** ---
**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:** [June 17, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3211 "2020-06-17T21:55:48Z")
Was Chuck an elephant? ---
**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, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3212 "2020-06-17T23:35:12Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Was Chuck an elephant? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3213 "2020-06-18T09:32:37Z")
Was Chuck an animal? ---
**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 18, 2020, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3214 "2020-06-18T10:41:05Z")
Is this a real life scenario or fiction? Was Chuck a capable (if not professional) piano player? In his mistaken belief, could he have played a different instrument to cause his death? Was it a particular song that he felt would cause him to die, and he played that song on the piano? Would knowing the song he played be relevant in any way? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3215 "2020-06-18T10:53:48Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Is this a real life scenario or fiction? - Caught in a landslide No escape from reality\* ---
**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 18, 2020, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3216 "2020-06-18T12:08:54Z")
Following, reading, and thinking with this one. Thank you for coming up with one! I was running on empty there… ---
**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 18, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3217 "2020-06-18T14:39:10Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Was Chuck an animal? **Yes** ---
**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 18, 2020, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3218 "2020-06-18T14:44:19Z")
**reply to Cheesesteak** : Is this a real life scenario or fiction? **fiction** Was Chuck a capable (if not professional) piano player? **Not sure. Probably not.** In his mistaken belief, could he have played a different instrument to cause his death? **Yes. A harp, for one.** Was it a particular song that he felt would cause him to die, and he played that song on the piano? **No** Would knowing the song he played be relevant in any way? **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:** [June 18, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3219 "2020-06-18T15:27:51Z")
**Chuck realized he wanted to die so he played the piano. Why?** +++++ > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Following, reading, and thinking with this one. Thank you for coming up with one! I was running on empty there… Glad to be of service. ---
**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 18, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3220 "2020-06-18T15:35:36Z")
Fictional animal playing a piano or harp… Is it a cartoon? ---
**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 18, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3221 "2020-06-18T15:43:44Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Fictional animal playing a piano or harp… > > Is it a cartoon? **Yes** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=160) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=162)