The Sphinx's Lair

12:34 AM

0

This is part of my "guess the 4-digit number" series. If you like, you can see the other puzzles here, here, here and here. I will skip the backstory this time (or maybe add it later), just will ask you to open this lock. P.S. I will appreciate if you give me feedback in case the puzzle is to...

visual

Gareth McCaughan

@Sconibulus I understand somewhat more of the alien message thing. But right now is Contact time :-).

Gareth McCaughan

1:45 AM

@Sconibulus so, I propose the following translations: 44-48 are respectively PERSON, SAYS, WHAT?, HAS, and GIVES, and each section of the block featuring those is a little conversation.

then in the last block presumably the aliens (if they are aliens) are describing themselves and their planet, star, etc., and asking about ours.

They want to know how much we weigh (they weigh about 52kg), what we're made of (roughly the same as them, it seems), what our planet's surface is made of (very much like theirs, it appears), what our star is made of (much the same as theirs, again). They seem to be saying their star system is binary.

Then the last bit seems like it might be proposing a trade where we sell them glucose and they sell us uranium, and they want to know what we propose for the other side of each trade? But that's rather strange.

I still haven't found any binary stars with the right masses, though, and it seems like that's a crucial part of the picture.

Sconibulus

Huh, that sounds interesting

how close are the masses to our sun?

Rubio

2:06 AM

about 10 kilometers away. very close orbit. ;)

Gareth McCaughan

@Rubio ho ho. @Sconibulus one is about 1.2 solar masses, one is about 0.15 solar masses. Unless I screwed up my arithmetic, of course, which is very possible; you might want to check.

Sphinx

4:55 AM

2

Q: What a Contradiction?

This contradiction, you must see, please take a guess, what must I be? To toss the outside, and keep the rest... but keep the outside and toss the mess!

riddle rhyme

stack reader

5:11 AM

I just got a sudden idea for a simple riddle, but it still feels sort of iffy.... I wonder if it's a bad idea to ask for opinions here.... if people who read the chat room answer my question it would kinda be a bummer XD

Techidiot

But if you ask for opinion on an idea, wouldn't that spoil your idea? ;)

stack reader

5:28 AM

Well whatever, I will trust the good people who read this to not answer my riddle XD.

Tell me what you think of a riddle like the following. Keep in mind I will probably use the riddle and lateral thinking tags.

Techidiot

Okay

Go ahead..

stack reader

Big or small. long or short ...... yet has no physical shapes.

I would probably add a few more physical opposites in the middle.

Techidiot

Hmm.. Air Packet?

stack reader

naw more lateral.

Techidiot

Or Voice

Voice fits nicely

Alconja

5:32 AM

Seems pretty broad. Lots of intangible things could fit... lives, ideas, time, etc

stack reader

maybe with only those 2 lines. what if I add hard or soft and roundish or squarish etc.

I was thinking of accepting an answer like "perception" or "opinion". But afraid it might be a bit iffy.

Alconja

my personal opinion (and that's all it is, so still do what you want) is that it will be pretty hard to make something like that not too broad...

also, roundish/squarish opinions?

stack reader

I meant like the human interpretation/opinion/perception of something. not the concept of an opinion itself.

Everything can be seen as big or small, it all depends on your point of view.

I guess I should give up. I feel like I am close to something but I don't want people to get irritated when they find out the answer.... Just want everyone to have fun.

Alconja

Yeah, it's a bit abstract. And once a riddle is abstract, it's easy to find other abstract concepts that fit (which makes the answer, when revealed, much less satisfying).

Not to say you shouldn't do it, but if you do, you should try to find some more clues which are less ambiguous (maybe some wordplay stuff)

stack reader

5:52 AM

What if I finish with : "what I am depends on you, yet you have no control over what I am. Whatever you make me out to be, I am sure your neighbor will disagree."

Techidiot

you have no control over what I am makes it too obvious

Thin line between too broad and too obvious ;)

stack reader

awww, but it sounded good being the opposite of "what I am depends on you" XD

Techidiot

Just opinions. If you like it, you can post it :)

stack reader

I wonder if lateral thinking is pushing it a little if I add these lines at the end....

Sphinx

6:33 AM

0

Q: What I am depends on you, yet you have no control over what I am.

I am big or small, tall or short, soft or hard, cold or hot, yet I am devoid of a physical shape. What I am depends on you, yet you have no control over what I am. Whatever you make me out to be, perhaps your neighbor will disagree. What am I?

riddle

ffao

7:32 AM

Agreed with Alconja that I am X / opposite of X can fit pretty much anything intangible

The facr that basically every riddle ends up having such lines is good evidence of their non-descriptiveness

Techidiot

9:59 AM

@stackreader Was your riddle's answer stolen? :-/

stack reader

10:16 AM

@Techidiot Which riddle? which answer? who's the thief? XD

Techidiot

I thought your riddle caught an immediate answers :) One of them is now deleted.

stack reader

yeah, when I posted my riddle, I got an answer alert, but when I clicked to see, it was gone...

Techidiot

@stackreader Or you can reach 10K and see them.

stack reader

If only I could become a MOD to see deleted answers ;P

oooh, but that will take times. Rubio is taking all the reps :P

Techidiot

11:36 AM

I dislike the idea of guessing and back solving. :(

Techidiot

11:57 AM

Am I being told that I answered my own question ? Or am I reading it wrong?

I'm sorry I didn't realise you wrote this answer as I didn't see your spoilers. Do you have any proof that I looked at your answer? And I'm Gonna ask you: How you got to this level? well I think you must have "plagiarised" my answer without giving me any credit! — S. Rafael 10 mins ago

Beastly Gerbil

You are reading it wrong

He's talking to the guy who answered not you

(I think)

Techidiot

@BeastlyGerbil Yeah. I got it. Was too late to edit that. Thanks

But, quite a lot is being said in those comments.

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