The logic question six-year-olds can answer, but leaves adults baffled

[SecularMotion]

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A logic puzzle that baffles adults can supposedly be solved by children in seconds.

The puzzle, from a Hong Kong primary school admission test for six-year-olds, is supposed to be solved in under 20 seconds.

It has now gone viral, perhaps because of its absurd simplicity when actually worked out. (Spoiler: the answer is below, but try and figure it out on your own first!)

http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/the-questions-sixyearolds-can-answer-but-leaves-adults-baffled-20150618-ghr2bu

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[TM99]

1. Wow, adults are getting stupid.

Took only a few seconds to figure out the correct answer.

But I am good at spatial awareness and puzzles.

Hell, forget educating the youth, we need to re-educate the adults.

[MH1]

2. Not sure how many seconds it took me but probably a tad over 20.

(then again, I'm multi-tasking with the TV on)

But yes, it is simple.

[marym625]

3. Love it!

I got it but took me more than 20 seconds. Though it was fewer than 60 seconds.

[ladjf]

4. Hmm. It took me about 4 seconds and I'm 80 yrs. old.

Must be getting senile. I didn't exactly figure out anything. I just started on the right, realizing that the numbers were inverted.

[rock]

5. 2,673,414?

Of course, I'm just guessing.

[mainstreetonce]

7. I think if the car

was drawn better with headlights clearly showing the front,it would be more obvious.

I had seen this on TV,so I knew the answer.

I don't think I would get it right looking at that picture.

[LiberalElite]

9. Depends on how someone parks in the space then? -

some people back into it.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. That baffles people?

Why?

[Skittles]

39. because they think parking spaces might not be numbered sequentially?

not sure

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Red! Red! It's the red one.

I suck at word problems.

[Snobblevitch]

10. It took me close to a minute.

At first I tried to look for a mathematical solution to the problem looking for patterns while starting at the left. Then I realized that most 6-year olds have not learned much past simple addition, if even that.

This is one of those interesting little puzzles, but it is not a measure of intelligence, or lack thereof.

[marle35]

11. Dang. I thought it was 1.

It looks like that one parking space to me.

[Springslips]

14. That was my answer too...

Because I didn't see a patern I thought it was a word trick, therefor what designates the spot is numerals not numbers. The number of spaces the car takes is one! I was wrong though, over thought it.

[MattBaggins]

12. 42

[Krytan11c]

17. Someone brought their towel

+1

[Blue_Adept]

20. Always bring your towel!

[awoke_in_2003]

25. You're a cool frood who knows where your towel is. nt

[ET Awful]

34. Don you mean a hoopy frood?

[awoke_in_2003]

36. Oops

I have lost my towel, and am out of sorts

[edhopper]

13. And it's the only number in the sequence

you can't type upside down.

[JaneyVee]

15. I got this in under 10 seconds.

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. Took me about 20 seconds. n/t

[Bonobo]

18. About 4 seconds here.

It was so easy that I thought it must be wrong... I'm shocked anyone would have trouble with that.

[progressoid]

24. Me too

Does that mean I'm smarter than a six year old?

[seveneyes]

19. Poor drafting skills and if six were nine

[randome]

21. It's not an exercise in logic, it's a visual illusion.

Interesting, nonetheless. Took me close to the 20 seconds to see it.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[ensemble]

35. yes, there are no visual cues...

in the shape of the numbers to show which side is up, and the car is parked in such a way as to make you think the numbers should be right side up.

[pink-o]

22. I got this immediately and I'm 60 years old

Does that mean I think like a child? (Resounding YES!)

[Jim__]

23. Do the 6 year olds take the test on a computer? Or on paper?

I think that would really make a difference.

[A Simple Game]

29. A big difference even for the adults. n/t

[GeorgeGist]

41. Tablets are easy to flip; rotloc on

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. I'm old and I got it.

87. The numbers are upside down from this angle but a driver would see them right side up.

[NikolaC]

27. I think that since the car is facing forward

so are the numbers. 87 is the answer. Hubby couldn't get it at first and it took me a couple of minutes, sad .

[marble falls]

28. I figured 78. But then I am left handed and dyslexic.

[johnp3907]

30. My inner child got it in a few seconds.

[treestar]

31. I saw that right away

which is unusual for me when it comes to these things.

[krispos42]

32. 87

From the driver's viewpoint.

[Marrah_G]

33. its 87

[Scuba]

37. I'd seen this before and still couldn't figure it out, but I'm 11-times older than a six-year-old.

[PATRICK]

38. Double misdirection

Misdirection pointing to numbers only and secondly that is is a logic test rather than a lesson on adult guile. And since adults don't like to face the guile issue they proceed with their higher knowledge of numbers and sucker superiority further into the easy trap with no path to a solution.

I did well on tests but resented very much the trickery used in the question methodology to separate finer levels of ranked performance.

It's bad enough when some smiling trickster has possession of one of these to play on you but then points out this is all about education. The Bible also teaches us you be better off with enough guile to fend off the false.

Some would assume it is a simple trick and not stick at seeing through the funny ruse and instead exercise their intellect down other paths- as long as there was some time to waste. Such as perhaps there is no clear number since the car is parked far to its left that some of the number should be visible(though the car in this case seems to have covered adequate space anyway. I would only suggest this to make the testers alarmed or uncomfortable as payback.

[GeorgeGist]

40. Took me ~10 secs ...

I'll test my granddaughter tomorrow.