# 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:** 181
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3601 "2025-07-02T14:37:48Z")
Yes. No. Regular bathroom mirror with built-in cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3602 "2025-07-02T16:26:04Z")
Is the fogging happening through what we assume is standard means? Like the mirror is colder than the humid warm air, causing the water vapor to crash out onto the surface of the mirror? I’ve been assuming something is ‘different’ about the summer situation…but… Is something unexpected happening in the winter situation where you are not getting as much condensation on the mirror as we should expect? Is someone coating the mirror in the wintertime with antifog material, and not doing it in the summer time? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3603 "2025-07-03T01:26:35Z")
Yes. Standard means. As far as the winter situation being different…sort of. It’s not so much the winter that’s affected by it as the summer is, but it’s the same circumstance. It’s more that the summer has more condensation than expected for a specific reason and this is less of a thing in the winter. No antifog material involved. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3604 "2025-07-05T20:09:32Z")
Since there hasn’t been any additional questions in a few days, I’ll drop a small hint: There are three full baths in our home. Although I don’t shower in the other two, if I did, one would have the same mirror fogging issues, and one would not. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3605 "2025-07-07T00:37:04Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > There are three full baths in our home. Is the one you use on an upper floor? Ground floor? Basement? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3606 "2025-07-07T21:27:07Z")
Basement-ish. In Chicago, many buildings are laid out where the first/ground floor is about one-half story above ground and the basement is sometimes occupied by an English garden style apartment where that living space is a half-story below grade but otherwise has standard egress doors. Our condo occupies two floors. The top floor sits half-story above grade with two entrances/exits. The bottom floor (no egress other than windows that are at street-level), is a half-story below grade, like and English garden without doors. The one I use is on the bottom floor. ---
**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:** [July 8, 2025, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3607 "2025-07-08T03:13:13Z")
Do you take the same length of shower in the summer than in the winter? Do you take them at the same time in the summer vs in the winter? Is it your shower that is fogging up the mirror? Is there a house guest that is there in the summer but not the winter? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3608 "2025-07-08T17:43:45Z")
Yes Irrelevant Yes No ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3609 "2025-07-13T05:12:58Z")
Another hint: The key part of the puzzle is the location of the bathroom as established in the above post. It is directly connected to two factors that explain why the mirror fogs up more in summer than winter despite the thermometer being set to a higher temp in summer. Figure out those two factors, and the puzzle is solved. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2025, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3610 "2025-07-14T00:12:26Z")
Is the location of the heating /cooling system relevant? ---
**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:** [July 14, 2025, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3611 "2025-07-14T00:33:54Z")
Is the mirror attached to a wall that has the outside on the other side? Does this involve steam pipes at all? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3612 "2025-07-14T03:32:18Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Is the location of the heating /cooling system relevant? There are a lot of parts that go into an HVAC system, but if you’re referring to the unit that contains the furnace and AC compressor, then no. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Is the mirror attached to a wall that has the outside on the other side? > Does this involve steam pipes at all? No to both. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2025, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3613 "2025-07-14T03:45:32Z")
Not sure this has been asked: Is there a window involved? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3614 "2025-07-14T04:01:28Z")
No window involved. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2025, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3615 "2025-07-14T09:53:54Z")
Does it have to do with the fact that you are heating the home in winter and cooling it in summer? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3616 "2025-07-14T20:20:35Z")
Certainly. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3617 "2025-07-14T20:25:08Z")
Does hot or cold air blow on or near the mirror? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3618 "2025-07-14T20:51:15Z")
Not near enough to itself matter for this puzzle. It could be a contributing factor at making the mirror steam up worse than otherwise, but it would only be a booster for the main reason this happens. In other words, even if the HVAC isn’t running at that moment, the scenario is still observed. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3619 "2025-07-15T01:38:28Z")
can you confirm that the temperature difference between the steam and the mirror is greater in the summer (causing more condensation), than the temperature difference in the winter? Is the greater condensation in the summer related to a larger temperature difference between the steam and the mirror than is found in the winter? ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/3620 "2025-07-15T03:29:33Z")
Yes to both questions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=180) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=182)