M i n d s p O r T The Write Stuff
E4 What’s the difference between a vegetable and a fruit? As a rule of thumb, if it’s sweetish, it’s probably a fruit and if it’s not, then probably a veggie. This works okay till you l earn t hat t here’s another definition which happens to be a botanical one and it’s much more definitive. If the thingy has a seed or several of them inside then it’s a fruit; if it doesn’t, then veg. With that total trivia in hand, have a nice five minutes figuring out what’s what you eat. Only remember that bananas have seeds and so do tomatoes and cucumbers.
And if your time’s up, then know that I’ve written my name in 1 cm letters with a pen without any other help than my naked hands. I can make the letters grow ( but not the material on which they’re written) to 2 or even 3 cms and then make them decrease to their original size. Also, I can destroy the letters ( without affecting the material where they are written) and then rejoin them without using any adhesive substance. If I’ve not written my name on sand, skin, a rubber balloon or any other ridiculous place, then where did I write it? The PE of the balloon does increase as it rises. But this is because the air above moves down to displace it, losing PE in the process. A given volume of air loses more PE sinking than the balloon gaining it ( over a certain distance). Thus the potential energy of the entire system decreases as the balloon rises. We should keep in mind that the balloon rises due to the buoyancy of air and not due to work done against gravity. — Saifuddin S F Khomosi,
saif_ sfk@ hotmail. com
( The Lewis Carroll problem was: “The Governor of Kgovjni wants to give a very small dinner party and invites his father’s brother- in- surya661666@ yahoo. com
If the members of the Governor’s family marry within the family, the answer is 1. This is because his father’s brother- in- law, his brother’s father- in- law, his father- in- law’s brother, and his brother- in- law’s father are all one and the same person.
— Jaelyne Tauro, jaelynetauro@ gmail. com
You could call it brother- in- law or even fatherin- law, but ultimately the guest list works out to ONE!
( The third one was: “When Mike was twice as old as Judy was when Mike was t hr e e t i mes as ol d as J udy was when Mike was as old as Judy is now, Judy was half as old as Mike was when Judy was half as old as Mike is now. So exactly how old are they now?” — MS)
Mike’s age works out to 14J - 8M while Judy’s age turns out to be ( 3/ 4) M - ( J/ 2). The difference in ages must be the same. We get 39M = 62J as the equation. The only whole number combination is 62 and 39. — Saishankar Swaminathan, saishankar482 @ gmail. com
ENDGAME( S) 1. Can a ball roll on ice in ( ideally) zero friction conditions? 2. A cube is made of white material but its exterior is painted black. If the cube is cut into 64 smaller cubes of exactly the same size, how many of the cubes will have at least two of their sides painted black?
( Mukul can be reached at mukul. mindsport@ gmail. com)
TAURUS apr 20 may 20
A boost in your financial affairs will have you on a roll. This is one of the best periods for buying, selling or trading. This can be an electrifying period for you, with bursts of artistic originality and inventiveness. That long awaited communication regarding a new venture may reach you and you should not hesitate to say yes.
GEMINI may 21 JUN 21
Your positive nature presents a somewhat intense yet unusually magnetic quality to others. You have a way about you that other people will find strangely attractive, but also slightly “dangerous”. Family matters are favoured and any existing difficulties can be worked out. Travel opportunities may also be yours this week.
CANCER JUN 22 JUL 22
You have the opportunity for careful and sustainable growth in a number of areas now. This can be a good time for expanding a business, or applying yourself to intellectual, spiritual or political work. You have a good balance between caution and optimism, so you are unlikely to over- extend yourself. This is a stock- taking week.