# 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:** 23
**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:** [November 13, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/441 "2019-11-13T23:32:35Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Is it built periodically? NO > Is it destroyed after it is built? and then built again? NO and NO > Is only one built at a time? YES > Is the liquid water? YES kk ---
**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:** [November 13, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/442 "2019-11-13T23:46:17Z")
Is it the [Great Bath?](https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/walkthroughs/great-bath) Is it another historic site? Is it a tourist attraction of any sort? ---
**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:** [November 13, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/443 "2019-11-13T23:55:34Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is it the [Great Bath?](https://www.romanbaths.co.uk/walkthroughs/great-bath) NO > > Is it another historic site? NO > > Is it a tourist attraction of any sort? NO KK ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/444 "2019-11-14T00:22:46Z")
Is it a pool? Is it a reservoir? Is it a dam? Is it a lake created by a dam? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/445 "2019-11-14T00:29:50Z")
Is it filled by natural processes, such as rainwater…? …Or does the process of filling involve human intervention at some stage? ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/446 "2019-11-14T00:30:50Z")
Is there exactly one of these filled things in the world? Are there fewer than ten of these filled things in the world? Are there fewer than a million of these filled things in the world? Do people go into the water? Is the water meant to be drunk? Can the water be drunk? Is there anything visible in the water aside from possibly people (handled by earlier question)? I also realized I might be misinterpreting “It is still built and filled.” I took that to mean (1) “There is still a process of building and filling this or similar objects” but it might mean (2) “It was built and filled once, and those fixed characteristics of the object (built and filled) haven’t changed.” So, for the question: Is it meaning (1)? Is it meaning (2)? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/447 "2019-11-14T00:55:26Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Is it a pool? YES > Is it a reservoir? NO > Is it a dam? NO > Is it a lake created by a dam? NO > [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Is it filled by natural processes, such as rainwater…? > …Or does the process of filling involve human intervention at some stage? Both, I guess. > [@Pasta](#): > > Is there exactly one of these filled things in the world? YES > Are there fewer than ten of these filled things in the world? YES > Are there fewer than a million of these filled things in the world? YES > Do people go into the water? NO > Is the water meant to be drunk? NO > Can the water be drunk? NO(not safely) > Is there anything visible in the water aside from possibly people (handled by earlier question)? NO > > I also realized I might be misinterpreting “It is still built and filled.” I took that to mean (1) “There is still a process of building and filling this or similar objects” but it might mean (2) “It was built and filled once, and those fixed characteristics of the object (built and filled) haven’t changed.” So, for the question: > Is it meaning (1)? > Is it meaning (2)? **2** Not exactly 2, but closer to 2. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/448 "2019-11-14T01:15:47Z")
Is the water undrinkable because … … it is contaminated with microorganisms? … it is contaminated with a poisonous substance? … it is radioactive? … it is salt water? Would the water have been drunk back when the thing was used? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/449 "2019-11-14T01:17:24Z")
Is the pool dangerously polluted? If yes, is the pollution chemical? biological? radioactive? Is it the cooling pool at Chernobyl? Edit - ninja’d ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/450 "2019-11-14T01:51:29Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > Is the water undrinkable because … > > … it is contaminated with microorganisms? NO(unsure, actually) > > … it is contaminated with a poisonous substance? NO > > … it is radioactive? NO > > … it is salt water? YES > > Would the water have been drunk back when the thing was used? NO > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Is the pool dangerously polluted? NO(unsure, actually) > > If yes, is the pollution chemical? biological? radioactive? NONE > > Is it the cooling pool at Chernobyl? NO > Edit - ninja’d KK ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/451 "2019-11-14T04:50:20Z")
Was the pool built to contain only one animal? Was it something that normally lives in the ocean? Was it an orca? Did it star in a movie? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/452 "2019-11-14T13:34:40Z")
I thought it’d be a coffin at first, but the liquid part doesn’t seem to apply unless the coffin was washed out to sea or something. Was it originally constructed as a pool? Was it originally filled with salt water? Did it get misplaced from its original location? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/453 "2019-11-14T19:04:26Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Was the pool built to contain only one animal? NO > Was it something that normally lives in the ocean? NO > Was it an orca? NO > Did it star in a movie? NO > [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I thought it’d be a coffin at first, but the liquid part doesn’t seem to apply unless the coffin was washed out to sea or something. > > Was it originally constructed as a pool? YES AND NO > Was it originally filled with salt water? YES > Did it get misplaced from its original location? NO KK ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/454 "2019-11-14T20:21:09Z")
Was the water used for industrial purposes? Was the water used for mining purposes? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/455 "2019-11-14T20:29:54Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Was the water used for industrial purposes? > Was the water used for mining purposes? 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:** [November 14, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/456 "2019-11-14T20:34:27Z")
Was it constructed in the 20th century? When it was being used, was it open to the public? Is is open to the public now? Is it no longer (even in principle) able to be used in the manner it originally was? Is the cessation of use primarily due to technological progress making its use obsolete? ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/457 "2019-11-14T20:40:39Z")
Did the water come from a natural salt water body such as the ocean, etc. Was is ever meant to be emptied (e.g., were there plans or mechanical provisions for emptying it)? Once filled, was it ever emptied? If so, was the filling/emptying repeated more than once? If so, more than ten times? Is there anything other than water that could be / could have been used instead and still have a functioning “system”? Is or was the water used to moderate the temperature of something? Is the pool made of metal? dirt/clay/mud? rock/stone? brick? plastic? something else? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/458 "2019-11-14T20:43:20Z")
Is the pool intended for harvesting of salt? ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/459 "2019-11-14T20:47:54Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was it constructed in the 20th century? YES > When it was being used, was it open to the public? NO > Is is open to the public now? NO > Is it no longer (even in principle) able to be used in the manner it originally was? YES > Is the cessation of use primarily due to technological progress making its use obsolete? NO > [@Pasta](#): > > Did the water come from a natural salt water body such as the ocean, etc. YES > Was is ever meant to be emptied (e.g., were there plans or mechanical provisions for emptying it)? NO IDEA(irrelevant) > Once filled, was it ever emptied? NO > If so, was the filling/emptying repeated more than once? NO > If so, more than ten times? NO > > Is there anything other than water that could be / could have been used instead and still have a functioning “system”? NO > Is or was the water used to moderate the temperature of something? NO > > Is the pool made of metal? MAYBE > dirt/clay/mud? NO > rock/stone? MAYBE > brick? MAYBE > plastic? NO > something else? MAYBE Not sure on the materials, I doubt it will be a factor. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2019, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/460 "2019-11-14T20:50:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the pool intended for harvesting of salt? NO [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=24)