38 Riddle: This woman was born in 1975.

 

Imagine: while browsing the news, you come across this strange wording. “The woman was born in 1975 and died in 1975. She was 22 years old.” Suddenly you are completely confused. Unclear? Confusing? There must be a catch somewhere… but where? Hold on, because this puzzle tests our logic, our reflexes and requires a bit of imagination. What if the key is not to think in the usual way?

A puzzle that complicates things?

We all love a good logic puzzle: it makes you think, entertains you… or makes you dizzy! This one has been circulating the internet for years, causing misunderstandings wherever it goes. And for good reason: it looks puzzling.

The opening sentence seems counterintuitive: a woman was born and died in 1975, but would she be 22 years old? Unless you're a time traveler (and even then!) it seems impossible. So of course we offer some explanations. A mistake in Strike? A different schedule? We're making things complicated... even though the answer is much simpler than we think.

A little girl sits at the table and plays innocently with a spoon while looking at her mother.

“Mom, while you were at work, a stranger came into the house.”

Mom, busy with her shopping, suddenly falls silent.

"Someone else's wife? We'll see how Dad responds."

The tone is sharp, but the girl shrugs, unimpressed.

A few hours later, Dad arrives. He struggles to put down his briefcase while his mom looks at him with her arms crossed, as if ready to fight.

“So tell Dad what you told me earlier,” she asks the girl.

The girl jumps excitedly from her chair.

“A lady came, Dad!” She was very beautiful and wore a bright red dress. She said she would come to help you find… Documents?”

Dad is frozen with surprise. His face turns pale and he begins to stammer:

"Uh... The papers?"