# 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:** 20
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/381 "2023-08-09T23:13:38Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > But if someone decided they wanted to do it, and put in a reasonable effort, could the typical American be expected to be able to accomplish it once? **Not necessarily** Is this because: - Doing the thing requires a talent or ability that many people don’t have? (If yes: physical ability? Intellectual ability? Artistic?) - It requires a lot of money? - It requires a lot of some other resource? - There’s some limiting factor affecting how many people _can_ do the thing? (Like visiting the International Space Station or something?) - There’s an element of luck / being in the right place at the right time involved? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/382 "2023-08-09T23:21:43Z")
Would a sufficiently-capable (but still bound by the laws of physics) nonhuman being (such as an animal, a robot, or an alien) be capable of consistently doing this thing once? **This is tricky because I can imagine a hypothetical scenario where an AI does this thing. But would it even count? Let’s just say that Tony’s story would not have played out the way it did if he wasn’t human.** Would such a being be capable of doing it multiple times? **See above, because this just brings us even further into “would it even count?” territory.** Does this thing depend on a conventional but arbitrary standard (such as the length of a meter, the International Date Line, or the arrangement of the calendar)? **It concerns the definition of a term, if you count that.** Specifically, does it involve any convention concerning the measurement and/or recording of time? **No** ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/383 "2023-08-09T23:22:53Z")
Is this because: Doing the thing requires a talent or ability that many people don’t have? (If yes: physical ability? Intellectual ability? Artistic?) **Yes, artistic ability** It requires a lot of money? **No, though it probably doesn’t hurt** It requires a lot of some other resource? **No** There’s some limiting factor affecting how many people can do the thing? (Like visiting the International Space Station or something?) **No** There’s an element of luck / being in the right place at the right time involved? **Yes** ---
**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:** [August 9, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/384 "2023-08-09T23:26:19Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > **Tony did something five times that should only be possible to do once. What did he do?** Do most people do it once? Or zero? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/385 "2023-08-09T23:27:19Z")
**Most people do it zero times. However, there is a reason doing it multiple times is a lot weirder than doing it once.** ---
**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:** [August 9, 2023, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/386 "2023-08-09T23:30:55Z")
Does it involve interacting with other people? Requiring artistic ability, is it creating a work of art? Music, photography, painting? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/387 "2023-08-09T23:32:01Z")
Does it involve interacting with other people? **Yes** Requiring artistic ability, is it creating a work of art? Music, photography, painting? **Yes, music** ---
**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:** [August 9, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/388 "2023-08-09T23:33:28Z")
Was it something like a Lifetime Achievement Award? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/389 "2023-08-09T23:33:53Z")
Was it something like a Lifetime Achievement Award? **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:** [August 9, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/390 "2023-08-09T23:38:33Z")
Did he play with multiple bands? Did he play with 5 different famous bands? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/391 "2023-08-09T23:43:53Z")
Did he play with multiple bands? **Yes** Did he play with 5 different famous bands? **Famous might be stretching it, but he did play with five different bands.** You’re almost there. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2023, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/392 "2023-08-09T23:50:36Z")
Did he play in 5 different Super-bowl halftimes? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/393 "2023-08-09T23:51:05Z")
**No** ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/394 "2023-08-10T00:01:11Z")
Did he win a Grammy award with each of five bands in the same year? Or some other award? ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/395 "2023-08-10T00:01:50Z")
Did he achieve a certain achievement with 5 different bands? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/396 "2023-08-10T00:03:39Z")
Did he win a Grammy award with each of five bands in the same year? **No** Or some other award? **No** Did he achieve a certain achievement with 5 different bands? **Yes** ---
**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:** [August 10, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/397 "2023-08-10T00:04:28Z")
> [@Ana\_Byrd](#): > > Did he achieve a certain achievement with 5 different bands? **Yes** Did he record a top hit with 5 separate bands? I bet he was a studio player who plays with bands when they come in. ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/398 "2023-08-10T00:07:42Z")
Did he record a top hit with 5 separate bands? **Yes** I bet he was a studio player who plays with bands when they come in. **Basically yes, but there’s one other element** Hint: the answer is an oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/399 "2023-08-10T00:10:24Z")
Just asking because he’s the first suspect I can think of named Tony. Is he Tony Levin? ---
**Author:** ![Ana\_Byrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ana\_Byrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ana_Byrd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214/400 "2023-08-10T00:10:47Z")
Just asking because he’s the first suspect I can think of named Tony. Is he Tony Levin? **No** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-third-time-is-best/987214.md?page=21)