People struggle with 'impossible' riddle but answer is 'staring you in the face'
You'll need to be able to think outside of the box if you want to solve this riddle. We all know that exercising our brains is just as important as keeping the rest of our body fit and healthy, as physical health and mental health are equally vital.
One of the best ways to work your brain is through brainteasers and other puzzles that can boost your cognitive function, as utilising your mind this way can improve problem-solving skills and can even help to slow the onset of degenerative diseases such as dementia. So if you're in need of a brain boost today, why not give this tricky riddle a go?
The question was posed during an episode of Lateral with Tom Scott, which is a comedy panel game podcast about strange questions that have even stranger answers.
In a clip of the podcast shared on TikTok, host Tom Scott asked his panellists: "Massachusetts' New England merch only names Irish cities. Why is this ironic?"
The statement left many people completely baffled, with panellists instantly pointing out the obvious fact that merchandise based on England wouldn't make sense to include the names of Irish cities at all.
Several people were also confused by the first part of the statement. Massachusetts is a US state that is in the region known as New England, so it would seem strange for a state to be selling merchandise that encompasses multiple states outside of its own.
But there is a trick to solving this puzzling riddle - and it's staring you right in the face.
After the panellists struggled with the answer for some time, Tom eventually told them the "same would be true of Maine", letting them know that whatever the question is hinting at isn't exclusive to Massachusetts.
He also corrected people several times when they repeated the question back to him but said "lists Irish cities" instead of "names", telling them that the exact wording of the statement was very important.
Have you worked out the "impossible" riddle yet? Don't scroll any further if you haven't, as we're about to give you the answer.
Answer
The statement is a mnemonic, a phrase used to help you remember important information or how to spell tricky words. Think "Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants" as a phrase to teach children how to spell "because", or "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain" as a way to remember the colours of the rainbow.
"Massachusetts' New England Merch Only Names Irish Cities" is also a mnemonic, and the reason it's ironic is because of the word it helps you remember how to spell - it's a mnemonic for the word mnemonic itself.
The comments admitted that the riddle left their brains scrambled, with many saying they gave up trying to solve it long before the answer was given.
One person said: "I can't handle the confusion." Another added: "I would actually hang up the call."
Someone else wrote: "I love this podcast, I hated this question. Not because it's a bad question, I just had loading screen brain the whole time."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My hair's so thin you can see my scalp but miracle £8 product fixes it in seconds, it's an instant confidence boost
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MUM has revealed her top hack for making thin hair look instantly thicker - and it will only cost you £8. Yasmine Fagerson, 31, started suffering from hair loss as a child and found her locks thinned even more when she went on to have kids of her own. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Yasmine Fagerson has suffered from hair loss and thinning for 20 years Credit: Tiktok/@yasminefagerson 5 The mum left people stunned after revealing her clever hack to make her hair look fuller Credit: Tiktok/@yasminefagerson As a result, she has been left with very little coverage on the crown of her head which she admits leaves her feeling self-conscious. Although completely natural, hair loss and hair thinning are two very common concerns for millions of people across the UK. We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, according to the NHS. It is not usually something to worry about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition. These include illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and iron deficiency. The NHS advises to book an appointment with your GP to see if you can get to the cause of it if it is affecting your wellbeing. For mum-of-four Yasmine, from Scotland, hair loss is something she has struggled with for the past two decades. She told Fabulous: "My hair loss journey started when I was 11-years-old due to a stressful event in my life. "My doctor prescribed medical shampoo, but it was still very thin and fine on the top. "Also with three pregnancies it's not exactly helped either with the hair on top." Dani Harmer shares shocking insight into perimenopausal hair loss as she admits she's got bald patches & severe thinning She added: "My hair is healthy and I saw the hairdresser today who said that, it's just very thin on the top. "Because my natural hair is so dark too it's really obvious that it's thin as you can see my white scalp easily." The brunette beauty, married to Scottish rugby hero Zander Fagerson, has tried root sprays in the past but struggled to find one that would successfully stain her scalp to give the illusion of more hair. Now, however, she has opened up about her clever haircare routine that has given her a major confidence boost. And it's all thanks to the Josh Wood Colour Airbrush Root Spray, which is available in blonde, brown and dark brown. While the product is designed as a "temporary quick fix" to disguise stray greys or strips of regrowth between colouring, Yasmine has found it is also the perfect solution for her thinning hair. She said: "I'm not wanting to cover grey hair, I'm wanting to stain my scalp. Which the Josh Woods root spray is really good at doing. "It's like a dry shampoo kinda texture, I don't even use dry shampoo anymore because my hair doesn't look greasy after using it." 5 Yasmine's tutorial using the miracle root spray proved a huge comfort for others Credit: Tiktok/@yasminefagerson 5 She swears by the bargain product as part of her haircare routine Credit: Tiktok/@yasminefagerson The Josh Woods root spray is priced at £10 on Amazon or just £8 from Boots - with a current buy one, get one half price offer bringing that cost down even more. Yasmine uses the miracle product two to three times a week and only has to stock up once a month. She swears by the root spray for covering her scalp to "hide the fact she has thin hair on the top". And she insists it is both sweat-proof and waterproof if you go swimming. She added: "It lasts for ages, I had to wash my hair multiple times to show how thin I am. I just do a light touch up here and there." Yasmine took to TikTok (@yasminefagerson) to show just how effective the bargain product is with a quick hair tutorial. In the clip, she said: "When I tell people I have thin hair on the top, they're always like, no you don't. "This is me out of the shower, I've washed it really well and this is because I normally use root spray to cover my head so I don't look bald. But as you can see from here, that is a very thin head. "So I'm going to do my hair and then I'm going to show you what I do to hide it." 5 Social media users hailed Yasmine's amazing results Credit: Tiktok/@yasminefagerson Yasmine revealed she always dries and straightens her hair as normal, before generously applying the root spray to the thin patch on the top of her head. After she's sprayed it, she uses her hairdryer and a large paddle brush to set the product and style her hair. And the results are incredible, with her locks looking instantly thicker and fuller. "Look how much better that is already. I feel so much more confident and happy with my hair", she gushed. "So yes, that is my insecurity but this little thing helps with it massively. So if anyone else has got this kind of problem, have a wee check out of the root spray because it is amazing. "I normally buy it off Amazon but I actually went to the website this time because they didn't have my colour and I'm using the dark brown for obvious reasons." SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT Yasmine's video quickly racked up 11,000 views and proved a huge comfort for other women who struggle with insecurities over their thinning hair. One exclaimed: "WOW would never have known, lots of people suffer with this, myself included." "Looks great, it makes it look so thick", insisted a second. A third wrote: "What a fab tip! Thank you for sharing. I have thinning hair on top too, I believe PCOS has caused mine. I think it's much more common than we think!" A fourth echoed: "Thanks for sharing - I have thin hair on top, so to hide it I usually pull it back to hide, but my sides are very thin too, and can't stand having my hair down." "I have a similar problem and have tried a few things but this looks fab. Your hair always looks so thick so thanks for sharing", added a fifth. Meanwhile, a sixth said: "Thank you for posting this - I have the same problem and just ordered this spray." HAIR LOSS REASONS Jack Merrick-Thirlway, creative director at Neville Hair & Beauty, said hereditary hair loss is the most common type of hair loss and is transmitted through your genes. This type of hair loss can start from teen years and although will be difficult to treat, it can be slowed down if treated immediately. Hormonal imbalances may also cause you to lose hair. Pregnancy and the menopause are two key times when hormonal imbalances can occur, leading to changes in hair thickness. However, chronic stress and certain medications can also contribute to these imbalances. Another hair saboteur is excessive friction. Jacks says those who are wearing a tight ponytail repeatedly may find themselves experiencing hair loss. Finally, using the wrong products or having too many chemical treatments can lead to hair loss. HAIR GROWTH TIPS So, how can we encourage our hair to grow? Jack says that when shopping for new products to help with hair thickness, there are few ingredients to look out for. 'I'd advise looking out for ingredients such as biotin, collagen, amino acids and products containing vitamin B3. These all help strengthen the hair follicles and promote growth. 'That said, if you feel out of your depth, you can also seek advice with your hair stylist.' Be wary of too many chemicals in your styling products as they can exacerbate hair loss - and you should also not wash it too often. 'To ensure your hair stays healthy it is important not to over wash it,' advises Jack. 'Instead try and limit washing your hair to two or three times a week. "Use a gentle shampoo and conditioner to make sure you do not remove any moisture.'
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘Am I just an asshole?' Time blindness can explain chronic lateness - some of the time
Dr Melissa Shepard has a problem with managing her time. She had always been a high achiever, making it through medical school to become a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. But no matter how hard she worked, she struggled with one of life's simplest expectations: being on time. 'I really felt like I could just not crack the code,' Shepard said. 'I worried: am I just an asshole? Is that why I'm always late? No matter how hard I wanted to be on time, it was a struggle.' When Shepard learned about time blindness as a symptom of ADHD, which she has, it all clicked. Russell Barkley, a former clinical psychologist and expert on ADHD, coined the term in 1997 to describe what he calls 'the serious problem people with ADHD have with governing their behavior relative to time intervals and the passage of time more generally'. Time blindness can be a symptom of ADHD or other conditions such as anxiety or autism spectrum disorder. Shepard now frequently talks about time blindness and other mental health struggles on TikTok, where she has 1.5m followers. The term has become something of a buzzword in certain corners of the video-sharing app, with some pointing to its legitimacy as a symptom of a medically recognized disorder to explain why they can't get out of the door in the morning. Others use it to vent about their 'chronically late' friends. You know the type: you say 'let's have lunch at 1pm' but make the reservation closer to 2pm, because you've learned to factor in their perpetual tardiness. Everyone has their slow days, but some TikTokers argue that people who are habitually 30 or 45 minutes late are claiming time blindness when in reality they're being inconsiderate. As one person posted in a video liked over 125,000 times: 'I think that being chronically late is a character flaw, and I think that it's disrespectful across the board … I know people are like, 'time blindness' – no, you need to figure out how to be on time for things.' Some people are bad planners. But others, like Shepard, do live with time blindness. 'We all sort of have this internal clock that we use to estimate how much time has passed,' Shepard said, 'but people with ADHD tend to not have as good of an internal clock.' On social media, those who have time blindness share examples of their inability to gauge how long a task might take. For instance, one woman created a timetable for waiting for freshly brewed coffee to cool down, so she doesn't burn herself. (At 30 seconds: 'very hot - ouch!' One minute: 'Hot but could drink if urgent.' One minute 30 seconds: 'Ideal drinking temp.') Dr David W Goodman, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, clarified that time blindness as a symptom of ADHD or other conditions refers to a difficulty with the perception of the passage of time. He said it is different than poor time management, or when someone can successfully perceive how long it takes to do something but fails to plan accordingly. (So-called 'time optimists', or people who constantly underestimate how long it takes to get somewhere or complete a task, fall into the latter category.) The popularity of the phrase does seem to point to the proliferation of 'therapy speak', or how psychobabble has made its way into the mainstream to excuse poor behavior with fancy-sounding clinical explanations. Could 'time blindness' be a get-out-of-jail-free card for anyone strolling into work 45 minutes late, toting an iced coffee? According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, it is possible for people with ADHD to receive disability accommodations at work via the Americans With Disabilities Act, provided they have proper documentation of their condition from a medical provider. Shepard also noted that the rise of remote or flexible work has eased the strain people with time blindness feel, since it eliminates the need for a traditional commute. Still, one TikTok user sparked a mini-meltdown on the app in 2023 after suggesting that employers should allow for disability accommodations for people with time blindness. 'They exist actually!' one user commented. 'They're called watches and clocks and alarms.' On Reddit, professors have voiced frustrations that more universities are allowing students extra time to get to class or submit assignments due to time blindness. 'Any student, regardless of ability, who does not learn what they need to do to show up and turn work in, is not prepared for a job in most fields,' one wrote on r/Professors in 2022. 'We are setting these students up for failure.' Shepard has written accommodation letters for people with time blindness, but she'll also work with those patients on strategies to help them be more prompt. Many are common-sense solutions, such as setting alarms in the morning to denote it's time to start a new task (wake up, brush teeth, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast). Some are less obvious: Shepard said that people with time blindness do better working with old-fashioned, analog clocks that have hands, as it's easier to physically see the passage of time that way. Goodman said it's 'cloudy' whether or not time blindness constitutes a disability for which someone should get accommodations at work or school. 'You really do need to have a formal diagnosis in which that would fit,' he said. 'Not just that you didn't plan or anticipate. You have to make a decision: is time blindness an explanation or an excuse?'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Pharmacist's alarming warning about popular gym habit that could trigger deadly heart attack
A pharmacist has urged gym-goers to avoid popular pre-workout powders due to the severe damage they could do to your heart. Many supplements that claim to boost energy and exercise performance contain extremely high quantities of caffeine. This can, over time, increase blood pressure to dangerous levels and trigger heart rhythm abnormalities, according to Ireland-based drug expert, Lauren O'Reilly. In a recent video posted to her TikTok that has amassed over 82,000 views, Ms Reilly said she 'wouldn't touch' the powders. 'They contain over 300mg [of caffeine] per scoop or per serving, which is the same as having three cups of coffee all at once,' she warned. This instant hit can leave you feeling 'super anxious with jitters and heart palpitations'. Palpitations, she explained, show 'how much pressure all of that caffeine at once is putting on your heart, your vascular system, increasing blood pressure. 'Over time this can do real damage.' Experts have long warned of the dangers of high doses of caffeine, particularly for those with underlying heart rhythm problems that may be undiagnosed. Caffeine results in the release of hormones that increase heart rate and blood pressure. In some vulnerable individuals, this can lead to atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats rapidly and irregularly, increasing the risk of a deadly heart attack or heart failure. The pharmacist's warning follows last year's alert from the Government's Food Standards Agency regarding the safety of caffeinated workout supplements. The body warned of the dangers of the 'extremely potent' products, after the death of a 29 year-old man who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after miscalculating the his dose of caffeine powder. Personal trainer Thomas Mansfield died in January 2021 within hours of 'necking' a mixture that contained seven times the recommended daily dose of caffeine. Minutes after drinking the supplement mix he began 'frothing at the mouth' and 'clutching at his chest'. An inquest heard that Mr Mansfield, of Colwyn Bay, North Wales, had mistakenly taken nearly 16 times the recommended maximum dose listed on the packet. 'The dose he took was the equivalent of up to 200 cups of coffee,' said the FSA in its warning. Concerningly, they added that a survey found less than half of people look for dosage instructions on supplements. In the latest warning, pharmacist Lauren O'Reilly pointed out that the small print on products often advises 'for occasional only'. She added: 'People take these all the time and these are so so dangerous. 'And look you'll see loads of warnings there. So, yeah, these are a massive no from me.' Instead, she said eating a banana 30 minutes before your workout will leave you feeling 'plenty of pump'. The FSA recommends consuming no more than 400mg each day of caffeine, which is the equivalent to roughly four cups of coffee. In 2023, several lawsuits were launched in the US against fast food joint Panera Bread over the allegedly harmful effect of its highly caffeinated 'Charged Lemonade' drink. A 28 year-old Rhode Island woman took legal action against the chain, alleging the beverage left her with long-term heart problems. Lauren Skerritt, an athlete, drank two-and-a-half Charged Lemonades at a Panera location in Greenville, Rhode Island, in April 2022, according to the lawsuit. After drinking the lemonade, Skerritt allegedly experienced new episodes of palpitations and dizziness. Scans later showed that she was suffering atrial fibrillation. It followed the tragic death of a 21-year-old Pennsylvania college student in the US, who according to court documents, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after consuming the lemonade—which contained 390mg of caffeine. Ms Katz suffered a serious heart rhythm condition called long QT syndrome, which causes the heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia). She was diagnosed with the condition aged five and had managed it with medication and limiting caffeine, according to documents written by lawyers representing her parents. Dr Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York, told that caffeine can eliminate the vital breaks in between heart beats for people with long QT syndrome. 'Patients with this condition needs a little bit longer than usual to reboot after the heart muscle has contracted.' Caffeine, he explains, speeds up the beating pattern, placing too much stress on the already stretched organ. 'If there is too much activity when the muscle needs to relax, it can be potentially fatal or at least a major medical emergency.' Dr Fischer added that just 100mg of caffeine, which is the same as a large cup of coffee, could be enough to trigger a deadly attack.
