# 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:** 204
**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 1, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4063 "2020-10-01T22:39:47Z")
Is the type of power plant that should have been supplying power relevant? If so, was it fossil fuel? Nuclear? Hydroelectric? Wind? Solar? Was the power outage targeted at specific customers? ---
**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 2, 2020, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4064 "2020-10-02T02:09:54Z")
reply to Chronos: Is the type of power plant that should have been supplying power relevant? No If so, was it fossil fuel? Nuclear? Hydroelectric? Wind? Solar? Not relevant. Was the power outage targeted at specific customers? Yes, I suppose you could say that… ---
**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:** [October 2, 2020, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4065 "2020-10-02T04:57:23Z")
Did it assist the commission of a crime? Or help to foil one? ---
**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 2, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4066 "2020-10-02T05:12:19Z")
A man walks into a bar. Later there is a massive power outage. Why? °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° reply to Peter\_Morris: Did it assist the commission of a crime? Or help to foil one? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4067 "2020-10-02T09:54:20Z")
Did the information that the man received in the bar relate to US law? Is there anything else relevant about the man’s conversational partner, other than that they passed a piece of information to the man? ---
**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 2, 2020, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4068 "2020-10-02T10:37:21Z")
Were the people whose power was turned off current in their electric bill? Were the people whose power was turned off in violation of some other term of service of the electric company? Were the people whose power was turned off in violation of the law? ---
**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 2, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4069 "2020-10-02T13:45:10Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Did the information that the man received in the bar relate to US law? No Is there anything else relevant about the man’s conversational partner, other than that they passed a piece of information to the man? 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:** [October 2, 2020, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4070 "2020-10-02T13:57:03Z")
reply to Chronos: Were the people whose power was turned off current in their electric bill? Yes Were the people whose power was turned off in violation of some other term of service of the electric company? No Were the people whose power was turned off in violation of the law? No ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4071 "2020-10-02T14:14:11Z")
Is the relevant thing about the conversational partner their job? ---
**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 2, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4072 "2020-10-02T14:39:49Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Is the relevant thing about the conversational partner their job? 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:** [October 5, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4073 "2020-10-05T02:10:56Z")
Did anybody in this puzzle commit a crime? Did the man and his conversation partner know each other prior to meeting in the bar? Was the conversation partner a woman? Is this relevant? Would it be useful to know the city / state where this happens (for someone not already familiar with the incident)? ---
**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 5, 2020, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4074 "2020-10-05T03:58:03Z")
reply to Fretful\_Porpentine: Did anybody in this puzzle commit a crime? Yes Did the man and his conversation partner know each other prior to meeting in the bar? Yes Was the conversation partner a woman? No Is this relevant? Yes Would it be useful to know the city / state where this happens (for someone not already familiar with the incident)? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2020, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4075 "2020-10-05T10:45:37Z")
Was the crime sexual? Financial? Violent? ---
**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 5, 2020, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4076 "2020-10-05T10:48:18Z")
Was the state California? Was Enron involved? ---
**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 5, 2020, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4077 "2020-10-05T13:24:11Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Was the crime sexual? No Financial? No Violent? 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:** [October 5, 2020, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4078 "2020-10-05T13:28:49Z")
A man walks into a bar. Later there is a massive power outage. Why? °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° reply to Chronos: Was the state California? No Was Enron involved 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:** [October 5, 2020, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4079 "2020-10-05T19:03:46Z")
Was the criminal the original man-who-walked-into-a-bar? His conversation partner? Both? Did their conversation involve plotting a crime? Did the power go out as a result of something going wrong during the commission of a crime? As a result of a crime that went off as intended? Does anybody die in this puzzle? If yes: original man? Conversation partner? Somebody else? ---
**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 5, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4080 "2020-10-05T19:50:06Z")
reply to Fretful\_Porpentine: Was the criminal the original man-who-walked-into-a-bar? No His conversation partner? No Both? No Did their conversation involve plotting a crime? No Did the power go out as a result of something going wrong during the commission of a crime? No As a result of a crime that went off as intended? An indirect result Does anybody die in this puzzle? Yes If yes: original man? Yes Conversation partner? Yes Somebody else? Yes ---
**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:** [October 5, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4081 "2020-10-05T20:02:47Z")
Was the power outage accompanied by mass loss of life? Was there a giant explosion? ---
**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 5, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4082 "2020-10-05T20:07:50Z")
reply to Folly: Was the power outage accompanied by mass loss of life? No Was there a giant explosion? No [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=203) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=205)