Here is the puzzle. As ever, please do NOT post your answers, but do say if you think you have solved the puzzle and how long it took. Solution on Monday.
Two fathers and two sons were seated round a table. There were four apples on the table. Each of them took one apple and ate it entirely yet there was still one apple left on the table. How was this possible?
I have produced an ebook containing 101 of the previous Friday Puzzles! It is called PUZZLED and is available for the Kindle (UK here and USA here) and on the iBookstore (UK here in the USA here). You can try 101 of the puzzles for free here.
Richard Wiseman 
Far too easy.
Yep – lawst week’s was too easy as well, getting lazy?
Aw c’mon Richard! Was hoping for something to think about this morning…
Ho hum. Its the familar 3 generations question (grandfather, father, grandson).
Yawn ………
Was it a good puzzle though, Damocles?
Up to your old tricks again Dave. Still seeking attention……..
I really am a prat aren’t I.
And I suppose calling yourself “Einstein’s Grandad” (note the correct use of the apostrophe) is not a giveaway to the answer?
If I follow my solution to its natural logical solution . . . . surely there are three sons in total and not two
Too easy, but mis-written. It should have said “2 fathers and 3 sons”, as each man is someone’s son!
I didn’t know you were so pernickety about grammar Dave. If I were actually Einstein’s grandad, then you would be correct in your usage of the apostrophe. Since I am clearly not actually Einstein’s grandad I can choose whatever moniker I want, and can choose whether to use an apostrophe or not. By the way, neighbour has a “U” in it.
Is it really that easy this week ?
About a second.
I’m sure you’ve done this one before.
dito… when i rethink it would be possible that there might even be two apples left….
About a second.
Yep, it took me three menutes to solve 😉
I think I got it. Took about 1/2 a second. But as PIL sang, “I could be wrong, I could be right”.
I didn’t know that iPads or iPhones could reproduce 🙂
Really that easy?
Back to The Puzzler for me
Took a out 40 mins to work out an answer – helps to know a thing or 3 about apples
Way too easy.
Straightforward today feeling smug
Took me 10 seconds
FFS.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz !
Seemed so easy (I had a feeling what the answer was before I even got to the end of the question) that I wonder if there’s a trick
me too. i think it’s a question of having done similar ones in the past!
Hello. I’ve solved it spending 5 seconds only. It’s very easy….with opened mind, of course.
Saludos. Iñigo👀🇪🇸
El 26/10/2012, a las 08:30, Richard Wiseman escribió:
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“Two fathers and two sons…” ok, got it. Next!
Easy peasy 🙂
Got it before I had even finished reading it.
Easy! 1 sec
Mr Richard , what happened , this is not puzzle
Yup, saw the answer before finishing the question.
this one is at least a hundred years old, I have seen it so many times before in riddle books. I’m not sure it counts as “easy” when the reason you know it is that you have seen it before
Ooooh, at last I think I can solve one of your puzzles!! And it took me about 30 seconds!
As long as it took me to read it, but I think I’ve seen it before.
The first five words were enough.
I would have to classify the solution to this puzzle as trivial. How could anyone not get it immediately?
Methinks you post easy ones from time to time to make us all feel better, lol
I discussed this with my dad and my son and suddenly realised ……..
Yes it was easy, and yes I got it before I finished reading the question, but that doesn’t mean you can post the answer in the comments.
I could make a good argument there would be two apples left…
Two apples left is the “right” answer unless one of the fathers came about via spontaneous generation.
One apple left does’t make sense.
I got it!
For the morning, under a minute isn’t too bad! If I’m right, of course!
Even a thick-o like me got this one 🙂
(Yawn) I’d solved it before I’d reached “How was this possible?”
Whatever happened to the taxing puzzles? Could we club together and buy Richard a decent puzzle book for Christmas? 🙂
Got it, less then 10 sec 🙂
got it in seconds…
Anyone who already knows this one (it’s an “old saw” as they say) can’t really claim to have “figured it out.” But there should be some people to whom it’s new. Unless they saw Dave’s typical spoiler. A better puzzle would be: Why is Dave such a schmuck?
SilverMarc, I will give you the answer on Monday
Solved it in a few seconds.
He lies. There were 3 sons there.
that’s what I was going to say
This was a hard one for me…. back when I was 6.
Yes really easy this week! 🙂
It’s impossible, because every father is also a son.
Unless you believe in Adam & Eve…
As long as it took me to read it, and I haven’t heard this particular riddle before. 🙂
These are getting to be rather old and far too easy
how do I kickstart it?
For everyone saying that it was too easy or that it’s written wrong, you’re not thinking enough outside the box.
Think about cloning and how Fry is his own grandfather. That should put you on the right track. 3 apples are eaten.
Stephen Fry is his own grandfather?
And he’s gay as well
Way, WAY too easy. (However, I do note some ‘geniuses’ here who don’t understand what “As ever, please do NOT post your answers” means…)
No one posted an answer prior to your posting of genius Barney.
Instant
It took me about 30 seconds.
About one minute after reading it.
I believe you’ll find that there were two fathers and *three* sons.
You’ve got to be kidding, Richard. The answer was obvious before I finished reading the question.
Took about 10 seconds. 🙂 it’s a variation on one I’d heard before though so I can’t feel so good about it.
15 seconds max.
2 seconds. Come on, dude, lift your game!
A variation
Three fathers went to a dinner without their spouses.
Each was accompanied by their oldest child.
They all sat together at the same table.
No others sat at that table.
Both sexes were at the table
6 pieces of Rhubarb pie were brought to the table for dessert.
Each parent ate a piece of pie, to set a good example for his child.
Each of the three children claimed to eat a piece of pie.
After the meal there were three pieces of pie left.
What sex was the child that lied?
female
There were four people. One of the sons was sitting inside his father’s stomach, and ate the same apple as his father.
One second really, not even two seconds.
I want to know what happened to the third apple.