# Riddle me this: how can 68 + (3x1) = 70? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 24, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306 "2002-04-24T06:37:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mandielise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mandielise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandielise)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/1 "2002-04-24T06:37:07Z")
Y’all are just too smart for your own good! The riddle’s so easy! The magician must cross the bridge one time with two of the pieces of gold, leave them on the other side, and retrieve the third piece of gold and bring it to the other side. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/2 "2002-04-24T08:08:10Z")
Cecil’s column dated May 24, 1996: [Riddle me this: how can 68 + (3x1) = 70?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a960524.html) If you’re so smart, how does he guard his gold when he’s on the other side of the bridge? Hmmm? ---
**Author:** ![mandielise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mandielise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandielise)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/3 "2002-04-24T14:39:00Z")
I never claimed to be smart. I claimed to be simple. However, I suspect that a magician who’s capable of 1) figuring out all these crazy math equations y’all have been doing and 2) juggling these heavy pieces of gold as everyone has said, would find a way to put, i dunno, a force field or something around his gold. Otherwise, if someone happens to be in the area, he might just ask for help instead of doing it himself anyhoo. There are more nice people in the world than you’d suspect! Finally, he could always hide it under the bridge or something and hope no one noticed it. In fact, I’m apparently not very intelligent, seeing as I can’t figure out this whole system. I got onto Cecil’s page for the first time yesterday, and I’ve been having quite a time trying to figure out how to post. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/4 "2002-04-24T15:53:19Z")
Actually, you don’t have to be a magician to create a force field, as this Staff Report explains: [Is it possible to create a science fiction-type force field? (17-Jan-2002)](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mforcefield.html) ---
**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:** [April 24, 2002, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/5 "2002-04-24T23:29:55Z")
Well, yes, **Noodles** , but what the magician would need would be a forcefield which either nullifies gravity, or violates Newton’s Third. Unless **mandielise** meant to use the forcefield to guard the gold, while the magician is making his second trip. The version of the riddle I’ve heard also puts some sort of time constraints on, so there was only time for one crossing… But it does get to be rather a matter of patching holes, especially considering that the “right” solution probably wouldn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Balor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Balor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balor)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/6 "2002-04-25T12:41:07Z")
Mandielise is quite justified in challenging the question. Sometimes you need to push the envelope a bit, and think outside the paradigm. The minute I read the puzzle, I said “Hey stupid, leave one behind you and run over with the other two.” There is an issue of much greater importance. This magician has serious problems without trying to learn juggling. Why is he carrying three kilos of gold? If he has this much gold, he can afford to pay someone to guard it and to help carry it. There is no way that his insurance policy will cover him for theft or loss, unless he arranges far greater levels of security for his bullion transportation. Indeed, he is encouraging crime by announcing that he has this gold on his person. I have no sympathy for him, although he is clearly a successful magician. Cecil should discourage this kind of anti-social behaviour, not help people to resolve self-inflicted difficulties. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Juan\_Agudelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Juan\_Agudelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juan_Agudelo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2002, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/7 "2002-04-25T13:24:59Z")
The easiest way for the magician to cross the bridge is to get on a diet!. With one of the many “miracle” things there are now in the market, he can loose 1 or 2 kilos in a matter of a couple days. Does anybody really think he can do it without cheating on the question? ---
**Author:** ![sford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@sford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sford)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/8 "2002-05-03T04:07:16Z")
No no no! You guys are ALL wrong! He carries two across, drops one, carries the other back to the first side, drops it and picks up the first, carries it over … … wait a minute … which peice of gold was the goat? ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/9 "2002-05-06T05:39:05Z")
Hey, my clothes weigh 6 pounds easy. Shit, I have shoes that weighted that much. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/10 "2002-05-06T05:40:07Z")
So no diet necessary I mean ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/11 "2002-05-06T15:40:53Z")
The real issue is why would anyone cross a bridge where the safe load tolerance is one kilogram less than the total load? What if a butterfly lands on the bridge whilst the magician is crossing? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/12 "2002-05-06T15:46:29Z")
I think everyone has missed the key word in the puzzle. The person in the problem is a magician. He simply casts a teleportaion spell which teleports the third piece of gold to the other side. Or, alternatively, he casts a levitation spell which causes the third gold piece to fly overhead without exerting any downward force. 😃 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/13 "2002-05-06T15:59:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > **I think everyone has missed the key word in the puzzle.** Nonsense. Cecil is one of everyone. His column says “Well, you did say he was a magician. But if we rule out the supernatural…” The link is above. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/14 "2002-05-06T17:09:49Z")
D’oh! That’s what I get for only skimming the column and not reading the words of the master in full. 🙂 Thanks **RM Mentock**. [sub]I’ll just fade back into the background now…[/sub] Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![samwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@samwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samwolf)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/15 "2002-06-13T10:00:05Z")
He couldnt juggle the things anyway, as soon as one hit is hand it would be travelling at speed and the change in the bar’s momentum would exert a much larger impulsive force than the 9.81N force expected, breaking the bridge. Also being a magician, AND neglecting the supernatural, he could cross the bridge with one bar, having tied one of his extra long magician’s hankies to the other bar, and once he’d crossed, simply pull the other bar across on its own. Simple. ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/16 "2002-06-13T16:55:41Z")
He needs to flap his arms. A bird flapping its wings gains enough lift to raise its body off the ground. A magician flapping his arms won’t generate enough lift to fly (even if he’s got a big cape on), but he should be able to reduce his weight slightly. In fact, if he has a cape on, then angling it and running at speed will generate lift similar to that provided by an airplane wing. (Although the force of his running footsteps is likely to be greater than the weight of his standing body, so I wouldn’t want to try it out.) ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/17 "2002-06-13T19:18:23Z")
How the magician can cross the bridge(assuming a time constraint): 1. Take off all of his clothes, cross bridge naked with three gold pieces. 2. Go to bathroom before crossing. 3. learn to swim. 4. Assuming bridge over giant canyon, learn to pole vault. 5. Hire an European Swallow to carry a piece of gold. 6. Go to other bridge, answer three questions, cross bridge. 7. Leave gold, go home, use wizard powers to turn lead into gold. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/18 "2002-06-14T14:04:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tars Tarkas \* > \*\* > 5. Hire an European Swallow to carry a piece of gold. > \*\* A five-ounce bird cannot carry a one-kilo gold piece. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/19 "2002-06-14T16:35:56Z")
What about an African swallow? ---
**Author:** ![mikee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@mikee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikee)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2002, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306/20 "2002-06-19T07:47:54Z")
to solve the problem, that magician should poof himself to the other side of the bridge with his three damn golds. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddle-me-this-how-can-68-3x1-70/105306.md?page=2)