# 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:** 191
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3803 "2020-08-28T00:30:24Z")
Are the lamps relevant due to a particular technology in use in them? Are they incandescent? Are they fluorescent? Are they LEDs? Are they some other form of light emitter? Would the display work just as well with a different light-emitting technology? Do the lamps have programmable electronics inside of them? Are the lamps controlled in any way by software? Does anything about the lamps (such as their color, or which direction they’re pointed) change while they’re being watched? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3804 "2020-08-28T00:36:08Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Are the lamps immediately adjacent to each other, eg, arranged in a 10x10 grid? Yes Are they in a rectangular grid? If so, is it 10x10? All in a line? A circle? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3805 "2020-08-28T03:00:51Z")
reply to Chronos: Are the lamps relevant due to a particular technology in use in them? I guess you could say that. Are they incandescent? Yes Are they fluorescent? No Are they LEDs? No Are they some other form of light emitter? No Would the display work just as well with a different light-emitting technology? No Do the lamps have programmable electronics inside of them? No Are the lamps controlled in any way by software? No Does anything about the lamps (such as their color, or which direction they’re pointed) change while they’re being watched? 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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3806 "2020-08-28T03:04:16Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Are they in a rectangular grid? If so, is it 10x10? All in a line? A circle? Rectangular grid, but not 10x10. I count exactly a hundred lamps in the picture I found. ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3807 "2020-08-28T03:36:52Z")
Are the lamps arranged in straight rows and columns? (like the 48-star US flag) Or more like the current US flag? Are the lamps illuminating something from behind? If so, is it a famous historical flag? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3808 "2020-08-28T03:52:14Z")
reply to Peter\_Morris: Are the lamps arranged in straight rows and columns? (like the 48-star US flag) Yes Or more like the current US flag? No Are the lamps illuminating something from behind? No If so, is it a famous historical flag? 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:** [August 28, 2020, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3809 "2020-08-28T10:49:07Z")
Is the heat produced by the lamps relevant? Is any form of nonvisible light other than infrared relevant? Is the grid arranged horizontally (e.g., on a floor or ceiling)? Is the grid arranged vertically (e.g., on a wall)? Do the lamps change color? Do the lamps change position? Do the lamps change orientation? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3810 "2020-08-28T14:01:36Z")
Are the lamps creating a projected image? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3811 "2020-08-28T14:26:39Z")
reply to Chronos: Is the heat produced by the lamps relevant? Yes Is any form of nonvisible light other than infrared relevant? No Is the grid arranged horizontally (e.g., on a floor or ceiling)? No Is the grid arranged vertically (e.g., on a wall)? Yes Do the lamps change color? No Do the lamps change position? No Do the lamps change orientation? 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:** [August 28, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3812 "2020-08-28T14:27:43Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Are the lamps creating a projected image? No ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3813 "2020-08-28T14:51:59Z")
Do the lamps move? Is it just the bulb, or the entire lamp? ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3814 "2020-08-28T14:52:32Z")
Lol, I just figured out what it is. Does something in the lamp move? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3815 "2020-08-28T14:57:24Z")
reply to Zyada: Lol, I just figured out what it is. Does something in the lamp move? Bravo. Yes ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3816 "2020-08-28T15:07:26Z")
Of course! I knew of this but never connected it. Zyada’s a genius! ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3817 "2020-08-28T15:17:50Z")
If you don’t know, does someone want to guess why the company encourages you to come look at their lamps? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3818 "2020-08-28T15:39:28Z")
Are these the lava lamps that are used for random number generation? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3819 "2020-08-28T16:01:14Z")
> **[The Lava Lamps That Help Encrypt the Internet](https://www.atlasobscura.com/videos/these-lava-lamps-help-encrypt-the-internet)** > > At Cloudflare in San Francisco, California, a wall of lava lamps encrypts up to 10 percent of the world wide web. Cameras record the groovy, random... Yes. And the fun thing is, you actually add to the “randomness” by visiting and entering into the field of vision of the cameras. By going to the wall of lamps, you make the results even more unpredictable. Your visit can help encrypt 10% of the internet! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3820 "2020-08-28T16:02:58Z")
Great choice, Biotop! ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3821 "2020-09-04T04:13:02Z")
Neil and his friends paint circles on cattle? Why? I forget, have we done this one before? ---
**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:** [September 4, 2020, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/3822 "2020-09-04T11:35:23Z")
Are the cattle living creatures usually found on farms? Is the paint typical brush on paint you might find in a hardware store? Spray paint? Is the color of the paint relevant? Are the circles filled in? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=190) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=192)