Paul Harvey Riddle
Gary C. sent me this riddle which has been doing the rounds on email for quite a while, though I had never seen it before. As Gary pointed out, the interesting thing about this is not whether it really is a Paul Harvey riddle (I have no clue), or even the riddle itself. It's the claim that 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer while 83% of Stanford graduates were unable to. Instead of trying to track down whether or not a group of Stanford graduates ever has been tested with this riddle, I thought I'd do the next best thing. Take an unscientific poll of Museum of Hoaxes readers to see how many of you are able to figure out the answer right away vs. aren't able to. That'll give a rough approximation of the percentage of (presumably over-kindergarten age) people able to solve the riddle, assuming people answer the poll honestly.I have to admit that I couldn't get the answer. I finally gave up and googled for the answer.
If you've seen the riddle before and already know the answer, then base your response to the poll on the first time you ever saw the riddle. Did you figure out the answer immediately? If you were in kindergarten when you first were given the riddle, then don't respond to the poll.
I put the answer in a link below for those people, like myself, unable to figure it out.
Paul Harvey RIDDLE:
When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of Stanford University seniors.
What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, The poor have it, The rich need it, And if you eat it, you'll die?
Send this to 10 people and then press shift and you will get the answer.
P.S. You won't believe this, but this really does give you the answer!!!!
The Answer
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
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I already knew the answer to this, so you can't count my vote either way. I had to be told the answer, and I am neither a knidergardener or a Stanford grad so it won't skew the stats either way.
Posted by JoeSixpack on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 08:27 AM
No, I'm still interested in your answer. You mustn't have seen the line where I said:
If you've seen the riddle before and already know the answer, then base your response to the poll on the first time you ever saw the riddle.
Maybe I should bold it.
Posted by Alex in San Diego on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 08:36 AM
If you've seen the riddle before and already know the answer, then base your response to the poll on the first time you ever saw the riddle.
Maybe I should bold it.
Wow, this is an old one. I worked it out really quickly last time I saw it, but I'm not sure if that was the first time or ifI qwas subconsciously remembering it.
BTW, I think your introduction skews the poll, because it warns us not to look for "all kinds of complicated things (alphabetic sequences, hidden mathematical formulae...)"
Joe
Posted by Joe Mason on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 08:52 AM
BTW, I think your introduction skews the poll, because it warns us not to look for "all kinds of complicated things (alphabetic sequences, hidden mathematical formulae...)"
Joe
Joe, you're right. I just removed that line.
Posted by Alex in San Diego on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 08:56 AM
Well I got the riddle right away, but I had to Google Paul Harvey.
Posted by andy in e.vil on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 09:18 AM
OK alex, I voted.
Posted by JoeSixpack on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 09:40 AM
I can't figure it out.
Posted by Hairy Houdini on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 09:58 AM
I've seen the question before and wasn't able to get it. I'm not in kindergarden or a Stanford grad. It's a little hard for a non-religious person like myself.
I don't believe that kindergarteners succeed at the rates listed.
As for my reaction, I could tell it was clearly some sort of trick answer, and I was right.
Also, you'd have to believe quite firmly in the whole God/Satan thing to find something which satisfies the first two phrases to begin with.
Posted by cvirtue in deleted on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:01 AM
As for my reaction, I could tell it was clearly some sort of trick answer, and I was right.
Also, you'd have to believe quite firmly in the whole God/Satan thing to find something which satisfies the first two phrases to begin with.
...Wondering about the religious aspect too. I wasn't brought up Christian, so it wouldn't be the first thing that came to mind.
Posted by Winona on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 10:32 AM
I just never cared enough to think what it was... 
Posted by Drunk Stepdad on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 11:13 AM
I've seen this riddle before, not sure if it was in an old riddle book or a Mensa book. Or maybe on a diner placemat? I am not religous but I found it easy to figure out.
Maybe this one is easier for you all.
How much dirt is in a 8 inch by 12 inch by 8 inch hole?
Posted by Katey on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 11:26 AM
Maybe this one is easier for you all.
How much dirt is in a 8 inch by 12 inch by 8 inch hole?
there is no dirt in a hole. however, if a rooster is on top of a barn and lays an egg, which way will the egg roll? East or west?
Posted by thephrog on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 11:39 AM
"If a rooster is on top of a barn and lays an egg..." is another old one. I don't know which way the egg would roll, but The Globe and all the other checkout stand tabloids would be paying a fortune for the photos. I just wonder if anyone would believe a rooster (a male) could lay an egg (biologically the function of a female)?
However, if we are going to repeat old joke/riddles, how about the one "If a plane crashes on the border between the U.S.A. and the Dominion of Canada, where do they bury the survivors?"
Posted by Christopher Cole in Tucson, AZ on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 12:47 PM
However, if we are going to repeat old joke/riddles, how about the one "If a plane crashes on the border between the U.S.A. and the Dominion of Canada, where do they bury the survivors?"
Christopher, it's not a question of where, but when.
Posted by Big Gary in Dallas, Texas on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 02:32 PM
Big Gary, in all the times I've used that alleged puzzle, your's is the first with that response. And, I forgot to mention that I hadn't got the Paul Harvey puzzle although I knew I had heard it before. All those in favor of outlawing bad memory say: "Huh?"
Posted by Christopher Cole in Tucson, AZ on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 02:53 PM
At first I thought it was money, but then when I saw "The poor have it and the rich need it" that was a dead give away.
My mom got all uptight when I asked her the question and started screaming "NOTHING IS GREATER THAN GOD!" ..So that's why she got it. She didn't listen to the rest of the riddle.
Posted by Rita on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 03:21 PM
My mom got all uptight when I asked her the question and started screaming "NOTHING IS GREATER THAN GOD!" ..So that's why she got it. She didn't listen to the rest of the riddle.
I didn't get it, but then I didn't try very hard.
Posted by PlantPerson on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 04:27 PM
Indeed. The riddle is easier for people who are used to the "nothing is greater than god" thing.
Maybe it should be rephrased, to something like "what is greater than the greatest thing" and so on.
Then at least we would not have that excuse of being atheists for failing to solve it. (what's greater than god? What god?)
Posted by Kentaro Mori on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 07:26 PM
Maybe it should be rephrased, to something like "what is greater than the greatest thing" and so on.
Then at least we would not have that excuse of being atheists for failing to solve it. (what's greater than god? What god?)
Kentaro's right. I'm a religious person and I thought it was really easy. But at the same time, I'm a computer nerd and know that pushing shift does nothing. (Sorry I just gave the answer away!)
Posted by Cathy on Sat Feb 12, 2005 at 09:00 PM
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