Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Let's do it again!

Thread Games
4123

The skeleton was asking questions. Why?

Is this Halloween related? No
Did the skeleton ask a person the questions? People? Person (one at a time)
Did the skeleton ask questions for more than a day?More than a week? A month? No to all (for any given person)
Is the skeleton still asking questions? Probably not
Was it one skeleton only that asked questions? Probably (Could have been many in an alternate universe)
Did the answers to the questions matter to anyone? Yes
Does the location matter? No
Did a skeleton asking questions surprise anyone? Yes
Was it a joke? No

4124

Is this a long-running cultural custom of some sort?

Is there a particular place where this happens?

Is there a particular time of year where this happens?

Does the ‘skeleton’ purport to have supernatural knowledge?

4125

Is this a long-running cultural custom of some sort? No

Is there a particular place where this happens? Hard to answer. It would be more associated with particular places.

Is there a particular time of year where this happens? No.

Does the ‘skeleton’ purport to have supernatural knowledge? No.

4126

Was there an educational purpose behind the skeleton asking questions? An entertainment purpose?

4127

No to both.

4128

Does this happen in a carnival, funfair or theme park?
Does it travel?

Does this happen in a play performed on stage?
Is it Yorick?
Is it the pointing skeleton in Treasure Island?

4129

No to all. Except maybe in theory the skeleton could be moved to different locations.

4130

Would it help to know more about …

– whose skeleton it was? (Or, if not an actual human skeleton, whose skeleton it supposedly was?)

– who it was asking the questions of?

– the content of the questions?

Did the person lending his / her voice to the skeleton already know the answers to the questions?

4131

Would it help to know more about …

– whose skeleton it was? (Or, if not an actual human skeleton, whose skeleton it supposedly was?) No

– who it was asking the questions of? Yes

– the content of the questions? Yes

Did the person lending his / her voice to the skeleton already know the answers to the questions? No

4132

Is crime involved? If yes, was the person being asked the questions a suspect in the crime?

Did this occur in an educational setting (broadly defined – school, museum, library, etc.)?

4133

Is crime involved? If yes, was the person being asked the questions a suspect in the crime? Yes

Did this occur in an educational setting (broadly defined – school, museum, library, etc.)? No

4134

Does this have anything to do with folklore about the corpses of murdered people being able to identify their murderers?

Was the person / people making the skeleton “talk” hoping to make the criminal give himself or herself away?

4135

Does this have anything to do with folklore about the corpses of murdered people being able to identify their murderers? No.

Was the person / people making the skeleton “talk” hoping to make the criminal give himself or herself away? Yes

4136

Calling it. Close enough. Good Job!

The skeleton relates to a patent from 1927 for a lie detector (or interrogation device) where a suspect would be placed inside a dark box, suddenly confronted by an illuminated skeleton interrogating them. Apparently, this should be enough to make anyone immediately and truthfully confess all their misdeeds.

Also, their reactions were recorded on film mounted inside (and out the back of the skull)

Tom Scott Video

Article

4137

OK, I’ve got a new one! It’s based on a situation that is currently in the news and may be local to some Dopers, so if you already know about it, please don’t spoil it:

Neither Adam’s untimely death nor Mike’s unexpected success would have done any harm to Angela on its own, but since they both happened, she’s likely to lose her job, at least for a while.

4138

Was Mike responsible for Adam’s death?

Were all three related? Coworkers?

Does Angela work in insurance?

4139

Was Mike responsible for Adam’s death? No.

Were all three related? Coworkers? No to both.

Does Angela work in insurance? No.

4140

Are all three human adults?

Is there a single point in time that determined Mike’s success?

Is the cause of Adam’s death relevant?

4141

Are all three human adults? Yes.

Is there a single point in time that determined Mike’s success? Yes (if I understand the question correctly).

Is the cause of Adam’s death relevant? No.

4142

Does Angela lose her job because she gets promoted to fill in for Adam or Mike?