Four tablets that are identical to the touch, two colors that are impossible to distinguish, and the obligation not to make mistakes. There is a way out, but it requires rethinking what it means to “take a pill.”
The mixed pills
Riddle statement
A person must take one blue and one red pill every day.
There are exactly two blue and two red pills left. By accident they mix and you can no longer distinguish one from the other.
You can't risk taking two of the same color in one day.
Can you still ensure the correct dose for two days?
Show solution
Solution
Answer: Yes.
Explanation:
Cut the four pills in half.
Then:
on the first day take one half of each of the four pills;
on the second day take the other four halves.
Why does it work? Because among the four pills there are exactly:
- 2 blue ones,
- 2 red.
When taking one half of each pill, on the first day ingest:
- 1 complete blue pill in total (two blue half pills),
- and 1 complete red pill in total (two red half pills).
On the second day, exactly the same thing happens with the remaining halves.
This way, without distinguishing colors, you get the correct dose both days.