As we grow older, keeping our brains active and challenged is just as important as looking after our bodies.
There are countless ways to keep your mind sharp, whether it’s a physical activity that also requires some mental agility – such as gardening or playing a musical instrument – or tackling brain-stimulating puzzles and games such as crosswords, Sudoku, chess or Scrabble.
Whichever way you choose, it’s good to keep challenging those grey cells, preferably on a daily basis. To give you something to think about, here are two brainteasers, a long one and a shorter one. Try to work out a solution for each one, but if you really can’t get it, the answers are below:
1. A travelling salesman on a long road trip was staying overnight in a small town many miles from anywhere. With some time to kill, he decided to smarten himself up with a much-needed hot shave and a haircut.
Setting out to explore the small town, he quickly found it had two barbershops, each offering a shave and a haircut for the same price. Peering into the first barbershop, the salesman noticed it was very untidy and none-too-clean, while the scruffily dressed barber badly needed a shave and his hair was shabbily cut.
Walking down the street, the salesman looked into the second barbershop, which was extremely neat and tidy, with everything polished and shining. The barber was smartly dressed, freshly shaved and his hair neatly trimmed.
Thinking for a moment, the salesman retraced his steps down the street and went into the first barbershop for his shave and haircut. Why?
2. Late afternoons I often bathe. I’ll soak in water piping hot. My essence seeps through my see-through clothes. Used up am I – I’ve gone to pot. What am I?
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Answers: 1. Because this salesman was no fool! He quickly reasoned that since there were only two barbers in town, each barber must give the other one a hot shave and haircut. Armed with this logic, he chose the scruffy-looking barber who had given his well-groomed rival the better service. 2. I’m a tea bag!
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