# 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:** 238
**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:** [September 27, 2021, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4743 "2021-09-27T23:38:54Z")
Are any of the following relevant to why the fish was useful: Texture? Density? Buoyancy? Appearance? Biodegradability? Reactivity with some other substance? Size? Friction properties? ---
**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 27, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4744 "2021-09-27T23:45:52Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Are any of the following relevant to why the fish was useful: Texture? No Density? No Buoyancy? No Appearance? Yes Biodegradability? Yes Reactivity with some other substance? No Size? No Friction properties? 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:** [September 27, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4745 "2021-09-27T23:47:21Z")
Is the work in some aspect of the transport industry? Equipment maintenance? ---
**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 27, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4746 "2021-09-27T23:56:49Z")
reply toAspidistra Is the work in some aspect of the transport industry? Equipment maintenance? No to all ---
**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:** [September 28, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4747 "2021-09-28T00:19:00Z")
If Bob and all of his co-workers had been without a sense of smell, would the rotting fish still be useful? If all relevant humans in the situation had been without a sense of smell, would the rotting fish still be useful? Was the usefulness of the odor in serving as a warning for something? (don’t think anyone has asked this yet) Is this related to the odorants they add to natural gas so that humans can detect a leak? ---
**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 28, 2021, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4748 "2021-09-28T03:01:51Z")
reply to Chronos: If Bob and all of his co-workers had been without a sense of smell, would the rotting fish still be useful? Yes If all relevant humans in the situation had been without a sense of smell, would the rotting fish still be useful? Yes Was the usefulness of the odor in serving as a warning for something? No. As noted earlier, the odor of the fish did not play a part in their usefulness. (don’t think anyone has asked this yet) Is this related to the odorants they add to natural gas so that humans can detect a leak? 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:** [September 28, 2021, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4749 "2021-09-28T05:29:30Z")
Is the relevant aspect of the fish’s appearance its shininess? Ability to be seen in the dark? ---
**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 28, 2021, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4750 "2021-09-28T05:58:14Z")
reply to Aspidistra: Is the relevant aspect of the fish’s appearance its shininess? Ability to be seen in the dark? 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:** [September 28, 2021, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4751 "2021-09-28T06:04:22Z")
OK, I’m not sure how close I am here. They had to work in the dark or low light conditions, and they used the rotting fish to mark things, making it easier to see what they were doing? ---
**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 28, 2021, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4752 "2021-09-28T06:12:59Z")
Getting pretty warm, Aspidistra! Where are such conditions found? Where might rotting fish be the only acceptable source for light? ---
**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:** [September 28, 2021, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4753 "2021-09-28T08:34:47Z")
Did they work in caves? Or mines? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4754 "2021-09-28T12:30:07Z")
When you call them “fish” you mean “jellyfish”, right? bioluminescent jellyfish? ---
**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 28, 2021, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4755 "2021-09-28T12:39:18Z")
Did they work in caves? Or mines? You got it. Sometimes the only safe source for light is dead fish. > **[By the light of the fish, or how bioluminescence works](http://nevertoocurious.com/2014/08/28/bioluminescence/)** > > 18th century miners worked in pitch dark caverns. To remedy that, they relied on a natural phenomenon known as bioluminescence. It also involved fish. > **[Miners Used to Use Fish To See in the Dark - Fact Fiend](http://www.factfiend.com/miners-used-use-fish-see-dark/)** > > As weird as it is going to sound, to avoid dying in a fiery explosion, miners in the past used to carry around dead fish to help them see in the dark in relative, but rather smelly safety. No, this isn’t a joke, it’s something that really happened,... ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4756 "2021-09-28T12:42:20Z")
Aside: now they’re harvesting the bioluminescent chemicals to make longer lasting, eco-friendly, and rechargeable glowsticks: [https://www.lightbynyoka.com/](https://www.lightbynyoka.com/) ---
**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:** [September 28, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4757 "2021-09-28T15:09:54Z")
That was a satisfying, reasonable conclusion. Thanks! I’m surprised that would result in any amount of usable light, but I guess when you are in absolute cave darkness, it doesn’t take much. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4758 "2021-09-28T15:14:56Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Did Bob and his friends work on land? Yes, I guess technically… Missed opportunity here by me. Bob and his friends technically work on land, but not high in the air, so where could they be? …maybe underground. ---
**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:** [September 28, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4759 "2021-09-28T17:01:57Z")
It’s unusual that I learn something when a lateral thinking puzzle is resolved. Well done. ---
**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 28, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4760 "2021-09-28T17:24:37Z")
Agreed, an excellent puzzle! ---
**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:** [September 28, 2021, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4761 "2021-09-28T19:14:07Z")
How much fish was required? ---
**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 28, 2021, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/4762 "2021-09-28T20:48:29Z")
reply to Peter\_Morris: How much fish was required?I +++++ Good question. Most everything I find reports about how fish were used for light in mines and how weird that is, but further details are scant. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=237) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=239)