The Square Root of Murder (Professor Sophie Knowles)

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    “Oh, that,” I said, containing my own excitement.
    “So, of course that’s what your meeting was about the other night,” Courtney said, triumphant.
    “Of course.”
    “Awesome!” she said.
    I had to agree.

BRAIN (TEASERS)
     
    Sophie Knowles doesn’t expect that everyone will be able to unwind with arithmetic, but she feels that doing puzzles and mental arithmetic keeps you sharp, and improves your memory and your powers of observation. Here are some samples of puzzles and games that exercise your wits.
    Browse in your bookstore and library, and online for more brainteasers and have some fun!
     
     
    MATH RIDDLES
     
    1. Why is 6 afraid of 7?
     
    ANSWER: Because 7 8 9.
     
    2. Try solving this classic riddle.
    As I was going to St. Ives
    I met a man with seven wives
    Each wife had seven sacks
    Each sack had seven cats
    Each cat had seven kits
    Kits, cats, sacks, wives
    How many were going to St. Ives?
     
    ANSWER: Only 1, the narrator. There’s no indication that the others were going to St. Ives.
    Another interpretation, that all were going to St. Ives, requires a considerable amount of arithmetic:
    1 narrator
    1 man
    7 wives
    49 sacks (7 x 7)
    343 cats (49 x 7)
    2401 kittens (343 x 7)
    Total = 2802
     
    MENTAL ARITHMETIC
     
    Multiplying a 2-digit number by 11
     
    There are several shortcuts for this case. Here’s a two-step device for multiplying a 2-digit number by 11 without using paper.
     
    1. Take the number (we’ll use 52) and imagine a space between the two digits:
    5_2
     
    2. Now add the two numbers together and put the sum in the middle:
    5_(5+2)_2 = 572.
     
    That’s it!
    If the numbers in the middle add up to a 2-digit number, just “carry 1 over”—that is, insert the second number in the middle, and add 1 to the number on the left. For example, for 99 x 11, the steps are:
    9_(9+9)_9
    9_(18)_9
    (9+1)_8_9
    10_8_9
    1089 is the answer!
     
    Another way to multiply by 11 is to multiply the number by 10, then add the original number:
    52 x 10 = 520
    520 + 52 = 572
     
     
    For the second problem, 99 x 11:
     
    99 x 10 = 990
    990 + 99 = 1089
     
    The correct answer, again!
    WORDPLAY PUZZLES
     
    The doublet, attributed to Lewis Carroll, involves transforming one word into another by changing only one letter, with each intervening change being a word.
     
    Example: Transform HEAD into TAIL.
     
    ANSWER: (the letter in bold is the letter changed on the way to the final word):
    HEAD
    HEA L
    T EAL
    TE L L
    T A LL
    TAIL
     
     
    Try turning WHEAT into BREAD!