The legend of Einstein's riddle
The name of our friend Albert has been associated with many things, but there is something in particular that departs from traditional physics and, at the same time, presents us with an interesting challenge. Generally known as "Einstein's riddle", it is an exercise that, according to its creator, can only be solved by 2 percent of the population. Its story speaks of foreigners who drink, smoke, and have pets, but in the background we discover an excellent logical process of comparison and elimination…
Anyone who wishes to study the scientific career of Albert Einstein has an impressive adventure ahead, but they will also be surprised by the human side of this unrepeatable genius. Among his extraordinary achievements and the recognitions he received, we find a man who had trouble making ends meet and missed his family. Over the years, his name was linked to many things, including a riddle. Unfortunately, there is no evidence solid enough to confirm that the "Einstein's riddle" was written by the great Albert. Other sources mention Lewis Carroll as its creator and use an alternative name, "the zebra riddle". What exactly does it propose? Five houses, all of different colors, one next to another. Five foreigners, each living in their own house, have preferences for a brand of cigarettes, a drink, and a type of pet. Taking the following clues as reference, the goal is to determine who owns the fish:
The 15 clues
- The Englishman lives in the red house.
- The Swede has a dog.
- The Dane enjoys tea.
- The Norwegian lives in the first house.
- The green house is to the left of the white one.
- The owner of the green house drinks coffee.
- The person who smokes Pall Mall raises birds.
- The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
- The man who lives in the middle house drinks milk.
- The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who has a cat.
- The man who has a horse lives next to the one who smokes Dunhill.
- The man who smokes Bluemaster prefers beer.
- The German smokes Prince.
- The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
- The man who smokes Blends is a neighbor of the one who drinks water.
Fifteen precise facts, no hidden elements, and a single question: Who owns the fish? Einstein's riddle is often accompanied by a statement: Only 2 percent of the population can solve it. To tell the truth, I think that is nothing more than a classic hook, seeking to attract more people to the riddle. Now, I am not going to tell the answer. It has been published on the Web for years, it is correct, it has been verified, and anyone who says "there is no answer" is wrong. The "2 percent" thing is definitely an exaggeration, since it is possible to solve the riddle with paper, pencil, and about 30 minutes of our time. Do you have half an hour to spare? Why don't you try it?
