# Lateral Thinking Puzzles - third time is best! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [July 18, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214 "2023-07-18T13:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 105
**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:** [June 27, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2081 "2024-06-27T23:33:44Z")
I don’t this we determined what caused the fire. Was it caused by the light apparatus? The light itself? Cooking? Smoking? A giraffe arsonist? ---
**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:** [June 27, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2082 "2024-06-27T23:33:48Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > A burning giraffe fell on him No… ---
**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:** [June 27, 2024, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2083 "2024-06-27T23:35:34Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Cooking? > > **It did start from the kitchen stove, yes.** yeppers ---
**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:** [June 27, 2024, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2084 "2024-06-27T23:37:30Z")
Did something on the stove like eggs or a pot or a kettle or the stove itself explode in the fire and the shrapnel killed him? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2085 "2024-06-27T23:38:56Z")
Did his death involve a ship? (Thinking it might be an ironic death) Was the lighthouse keeper actually in the lighthouse when the fire broke out? Or when he died? ---
**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:** [June 27, 2024, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2086 "2024-06-27T23:52:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Did something on the stove like eggs or a pot or a kettle or the stove itself explode in the fire and the shrapnel killed him?. **NO** > [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Did his death involve a ship? (Thinking it might be an ironic death) > > NO > > Was the lighthouse keeper actually in the lighthouse when the fire broke out? > > **YES** > > Or when he died? > > **NO** Interesting, interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2087 "2024-06-28T00:25:25Z")
Wait a minute, so he 1) didn’t die in the lighthouse, but 2) if someone were to arrive they might guess that he burned to death. Which implies his body was in the wreckage, but the tower couldn’t have fallen on him because 3) he didn’t die of crushing. Anyway I guess I should ask questions… After his death, was his body in the wreckage of the lighthouse? Was it in one piece? ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2088 "2024-06-28T00:53:25Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Wait a minute, so he > > 1. didn’t die in the lighthouse, > > **CORRECT** > > but 2) if someone were to arrive they might guess that he burned to death. > > **NO** , did I say that? > > Which implies his body was in the wreckage, but the tower couldn’t have fallen on him because 3) he didn’t die of crushing. > > **He was not in any wreckage.** When did I say someone would assume he burned to death? ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2089 "2024-06-28T00:56:37Z")
I don’t have it 100% but I think I have everything but the ending Fire breaks out in the lighthouse from the stove. Keeper cannot put it out so he runs outside. Outside the bizarre death occurs like Electrocuted by lightning? Bitten by poisonous snake? Broken neck from tripping over the wood for the stove (irony)? Stabbed by a startled giraffe? Was the death outside associated with the cooking or fire on the stove? ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2090 "2024-06-28T01:16:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > When did I say someone would assume he burned to death? I didn’t say that, I said “if someone were to arrive they _might guess_ that he burned to death”, which I think is a fair restating of what you said in [post #2070](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2070): > [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I presume they would figure he burned to death or died of smoke inhalation, which he didn’t. I’m aware at this point that there is no charred body or anything. But the fact that a person the next day would not _rule out_ that he burned to death is significant. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2091 "2024-06-28T01:18:52Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Keeper cannot put it out so he runs outside. > > **NO** > > Outside the bizarre death occurs like > Electrocuted by lightning? > > **NO** > > Bitten by poisonous snake? > > **NO** > > Broken neck from tripping over the wood for the stove (irony)? > > **NO** > > Stabbed by a startled giraffe? > > **NO** > > Was the death outside associated with the cooking or fire on the stove? > > **NO** yeppers ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2092 "2024-06-28T01:19:42Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I’m aware at this point that there is no charred body or anything. But the fact that a person the next day would not _rule out_ that he burned to death is significant. It would be ruled out. I won’t go back to correct that post, but it was a convoluted concept I was trying to explain. **NO ONE figured he burned to death.** ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2093 "2024-06-28T01:24:10Z")
Gotcha, thanks, that resolves the apparent inconsistency ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2094 "2024-06-28T12:55:57Z")
Was he blamed for starting the fire, and killed/ executed for it? Did he blame himself, and commit suicide? ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2095 "2024-06-28T13:00:53Z")
Did he catch fire, so he jumped into the sea to put it out but unfortunately drowned? ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2096 "2024-06-28T13:01:22Z")
So let me get this straight. He was in the lighthouse when the fire started. He didn’t run out of the lighthouse due to the fire. He died outside of the lighthouse. Did he jump out of the lighthouse? Did he make the decision to leave lighthouse (for any reason and in any fashion) after the fire had started? ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2097 "2024-06-28T13:10:42Z")
Was his death directly caused by weather conditions? ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2098 "2024-06-28T14:52:29Z")
Did he die: - during the fire? - shortly after the fire? - within a day or two of the fire? - within a few weeks of the fire? - months after the fire? - years after the fire? ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2099 "2024-06-28T16:38:28Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Was he blamed for starting the fire, and killed/ executed for it? > > **NO** > > Did he blame himself, and commit suicide? > > **NO** > [@iamatractorboy](#): > > Did he catch fire, so he jumped into the sea to put it out but unfortunately drowned? **NO** > [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > So let me get this straight. He was in the lighthouse when the fire started. > > **YES** > > He didn’t run out of the lighthouse due to the fire. He died outside of the lighthouse. > > **YES. He did not immediately run out, he did run out eventually, though.** > > Did he jump out of the lighthouse? > > **NO** > > Did he make the decision to leave lighthouse (for any reason and in any fashion) after the fire had started? > > **YES, along with the other two lighthouse keepers.** > [@Chronos](#): > > Was his death directly caused by weather conditions? **NO** > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Did he die: > > - during the fire? > - shortly after the fire? > - within a day or two of the fire? > - within a few weeks of the fire? > - months after the fire? > - years after the fire? **He died 12 days later.** Note: There seems to be an assumption he never ran out of the lighthouse, but he did. He just didn’t immediately run out the moment he realized there was a problem. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2024, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/2100 "2024-06-28T16:43:35Z")
He didn’t run out because of the fire? Did he run out for a secondary reason associated with the fire? Did the fire directly or indirectly result in his death? Was a giraffe on of the other lighthouse keepers? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=104) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=106)