# 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:** 177
**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:** [June 25, 2025, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3521 "2025-06-25T22:43:24Z")
- > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Is Billy being used to scare off some animals who would otherwise make noise and wake you up? No. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3522 "2025-06-25T22:55:13Z")
You said the fish might help you get more sleep “on some days”. Would it be possible to predict which days these would be in advance? If so, would it work on some particular days of the week, but not on others? Is the activity that Billy is now doing for you part of most people’s ordinary morning routine? ---
**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:** [June 25, 2025, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3523 "2025-06-25T23:33:34Z")
reply to Thing.Fish: You said the fish might help you get more sleep “on some days”. Would it be possible to predict which days these would be in advance? Yes If so, would it work on some particular days of the week, but not on others? Yes Is the activity that Billy is now doing for you part of most people’s ordinary morning routine? No I don’t think so. (Also Billy is not doing it at our home, but theoretically Billy could be on the job). ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3524 "2025-06-25T23:53:10Z")
Does the Billy used for this need to be equipped with motion sensors that activate it, as opposed to the models which have a switch that needs to be flipped? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3525 "2025-06-26T00:11:49Z")
- > [@Thing.Fish](#): > > Does the Billy used for this need to be equipped with motion sensors that activate it, as opposed to the models which have a switch that needs to be flipped? Yes ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3526 "2025-06-26T01:39:59Z")
Is the extra sleep you’d get from sleeping later in the morning, from getting to bed earlier, or from not having to get up (or having to get up less often) during the night? ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3527 "2025-06-26T01:54:41Z")
Is Billy Bass rigged so that when an animal walks by it triggers the bass movement to do a task for you? For example, your cat walks by, triggering the fish to move and unlock/open the cat door so they can be let in/out. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3528 "2025-06-26T02:32:27Z")
Is it one of those singing fishes (don’t worry be happy)? Does the fish do something to prevent outside animals from making noises? Are the animals that are involved birds? Are the animals that are involved mammals? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3529 "2025-06-26T02:44:37Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Is the extra sleep you’d get from sleeping later in the morning, from getting to bed earlier, or from not having to get up (or having to get up less often) during the night? Later in the morning. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3530 "2025-06-26T02:47:05Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > Is Billy Bass rigged so that when an animal walks by it triggers the bass movement to do a task for you? > > For example, your cat walks by, triggering the fish to move and unlock/open the cat door so they can be let in/out. Close, but not it. ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3531 "2025-06-26T02:49:44Z")
reply to Buck\_Godot: Is it one of those singing fishes (don’t worry be happy)? Yes Does the fish do something to prevent outside animals from making noises? No Are the animals that are involved birds? No Are the animals that are involved mammals? Yes ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3532 "2025-06-26T02:54:08Z")
Re the animals Cats? Dogs? Squirrels? Rabbits? mice? gophers? opossums? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3533 "2025-06-26T03:52:15Z")
- > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Re the animals Cats? Dogs? Squirrels? Rabbits? mice? gophers? opossums? No ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3534 "2025-06-26T03:56:14Z")
Any of [these](https://youtu.be/4qT4ypTuGLM?t=85)? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3535 "2025-06-26T11:05:42Z")
Any of [these](https://youtu.be/4qT4ypTuGLM?t=85)? Yes,😉 ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3536 "2025-06-26T12:09:47Z")
Domestic animals, or wild? What landmass is this on? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3537 "2025-06-26T12:12:46Z")
Wild. USA ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3538 "2025-06-26T13:16:20Z")
Trying to chase off the raccoons from making noise and waking you up? ---
**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:** [June 26, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3539 "2025-06-26T13:18:01Z")
- > [@Sigene](#): > > Trying to chase off the raccoons from making noise and waking you up? No ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3540 "2025-06-26T13:18:52Z")
Trying to chase off the raccoons to _stop your dogs barking_ and waking you up? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=176) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=178)