# 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:** 82
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1621 "2020-01-15T08:10:21Z")
Did this happen in the U.S.? Does “the crime” refer to the killing of DJ’s brother? Was the initial suspect framed? Did DJ believe from the start that he or she was innocent? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1622 "2020-01-15T08:13:21Z")
Was the actual killer a human? Was the death in reality murder? manslaughter? accident? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1623 "2020-01-15T09:17:13Z")
_ **In 1991, D.J. helped find out the actual killer of his older brother, therefore freeing the person who had been unjustly convicted for the crime. How did he do it?** _ > [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Did this happen in the U.S.? **YES** > > Does “the crime” refer to the killing of DJ’s brother? **YES** > > Was the initial suspect framed? **NO** > > Did DJ believe from the start that he or she was innocent? **CAN YOU REPHRASE THAT?** > [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was the actual killer a human? **NO** > > Was the death in reality murder? **NO** > > manslaughter? **NO** > > accident? **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:** [January 15, 2020, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1624 "2020-01-15T09:46:38Z")
Was the death in reality due to some action of an animal? plant? non-living thing? Was there anything unusual about DJ’s brother that contributed to the death? Did DJ “help find out” by nearly dying the same way? Was DJ alive at the time the older brother died? Was the innocent person freed by DJ his mother? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1625 "2020-01-15T10:13:57Z")
_ **In 1991, D.J. helped find out the actual killer of his older brother, therefore freeing the person who had been unjustly convicted for the crime. How did he do it?** _ > [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was the death in reality due to some action of an animal? **NO** > > plant? **NO** > > non-living thing? **YES** > > Was there anything unusual about DJ’s brother that contributed to the death? **YES** > > Did DJ “help find out” by nearly dying the same way? **YES** > > Was DJ alive at the time the older brother died? **YES** > > Was the innocent person freed by DJ his mother? **YES** And I think we can call this one solved. In 1989 Patricia Stallings was accused of poisoning her son Ryan with antifreeze. Four months pregnant, her second son David Junior was raised by a foster family… only to suffer the same symptoms Ryan had, which turned out to be MMA. Years later, Patricia would donate 10000 dollars to the campaign of the guy running for Sheriff against the one who arrested her. Here’ s [a link.](https://www.mamamia.com.au/patricia-stallings-case/) DJ died fairly young, in 2017, sadly. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1626 "2020-01-15T11:07:27Z")
W00t! Well, to getting the puzzle anyway, not to folks dying young. OK, I’ve got one, and while I could have sworn this was based on a true story my Google-fu fails me, so I’m going to do it in the abstract. **There’s a war on, and a bomber is sent to attack a small town. There are no enemy troops stationed there, nor any military industry. Why is the town a target?** ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1627 "2020-01-15T11:29:14Z")
WAG: False-flag attack to draw a third party into the war? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1628 "2020-01-15T11:48:20Z")
Was it a fake town? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1629 "2020-01-15T11:55:02Z")
Was the town a significant point for transportation? Did the town have any strategic value at all (beyond that of any other similar-sized town in its nation)? ---
**Author:** ![Calavera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calavera/32/70_2.png) [@Calavera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calavera)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1630 "2020-01-15T11:55:35Z")
Are there actual people in the town? “An aircraft, whose primary purpose is to attack ground targets with explosive ordinance, dropped explosive ordinance on the town” Is that an accurate statement? ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1631 "2020-01-15T16:52:44Z")
Was it to test a new type of bomb? Was it to show off the range of the bomber? Did the people who ordered the attack mistakenly think there were militarily significant targets there? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1632 "2020-01-15T20:28:10Z")
Everyone’s answers so far: WAG: False-flag attack to draw a third party into the war? **NO** Was it a fake town? **NO** Was the town a significant point for transportation? **NO** Did the town have any strategic value at all (beyond that of any other similar-sized town in its nation)? **NO** Are there actual people in the town? **YES** “An aircraft, whose primary purpose is to attack ground targets with explosive ordinance, dropped explosive ordinance on the town” Is that an accurate statement? **YES** Was it to test a new type of bomb? **NO** Was it to show off the range of the bomber? **NO** Did the people who ordered the attack mistakenly think there were militarily significant targets there? **NO** Note on the topic: I think the place I got this out of was a fictionalisation of real events (rather than a vaguely recalled true reporting on real events). So it may or may not have happened at all, but the scenario is plausible and sensible to have struck me at the time as the kind of thing that totally _could_ have happened under the circumstances, with a reason that completely makes sense. No wordplay or tricks involved 😉 **There’s a war on, and a bomber is sent to attack a small town. There are no enemy troops stationed there, nor any military industry. Why is the town a target?** ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1633 "2020-01-15T20:39:54Z")
Was the town under enemy control? Was it close to the frontier? Would firing a missile at the town have had the same effect? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1634 "2020-01-15T21:04:12Z")
Was the bombing a diversion? Would the officers who sent the attack have preferred to bomb some other town, were it possible? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1635 "2020-01-15T21:11:14Z")
Was the town under enemy control? **YES** Was it close to the frontier? **IRRELEVANT/DON’T KNOW** Would firing a missile at the town have had the same effect? **YES** Was the bombing a diversion? **NO** Would the officers who sent the attack have preferred to bomb some other town, were it possible? **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:** [January 15, 2020, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1636 "2020-01-15T21:11:52Z")
Did the bomber attack with actual bombs? Was there something particularly relevant or unusual in that town? ---
**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:** [January 15, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1637 "2020-01-15T22:31:35Z")
Did the bomber attack with actual bombs? **YES** Was there something particularly relevant or unusual in that town? **As this question is worded … 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:** [January 15, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1638 "2020-01-15T22:49:27Z")
Was there \*\*\*someone \*\*\*in that town that was the actual target? ---
**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:** [January 16, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1639 "2020-01-16T01:12:03Z")
Was there someone in that town that was the actual target? **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:** [January 16, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/1640 "2020-01-16T03:23:42Z")
Was there a cause/effect relation to the bombing and a military target (example you bomb a dam and outside of town the wall of water destroys a guarded base)? Was the bombing meant primarily to kill? Or to disrupt the manufacture of something? Or to free someone or something? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=81) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=83)