• 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    This might be an interesting thought experiment on language.
    Or perhaps on how our minds read groups of words.
    Could also have psychological aspects, or something.

    Philosophically, the ability to see the relationships between things, and subtle grades of difference is essential. Seeing everything as black and white is not only boring and inaccurate,
    but may be at the root of fallacies and biases… and perhaps conflicts.

    Anyhow…

    The ‘rules’ of the experiment:

    Come up with a list of anything.

    Then put it in some kind of order, a ‘spectrum in word form’.

    An example:
    Yellow - Amber - Orange - Vermilion - Red - Magenta - Purple -
    Violet - Blue - Teal - Green - Chartreuse - Yellow …
    (The primary, secondary, and tertiary colors in the order of color wheel.)

    Another example:
    coffee - breakfast - brunch - morning tea - second breakfast - elevenses - lunch -
    late lunch - afternoon tea - dinner - supper - milk - midnight snack …
    (Meals and snacks in chronological order, with help from a handful of hungry Hobbits).

    The name of the list could be included… or not included (if it’s to be a riddle).

    Example of a riddle spectrum:
    Glass Onion - Penny Lane - Help - Love Me Do - Revolution #9 - It’s All Too Much
    (Songs by the Beatles. But in what order? Alphabetical? No. Chronological? No…
    Top 6 personal favorite songs? Not really… Shortest to longest? No, it’s random;
    but you get the idea).

    A fairly simple experiment / game… but oy, the infinite varieties and variations. The mind boggles.

    If this somehow reminds you of some other linguistic, logic, or mathematical concepts…
    please share, explain, and discuss.

    I would say that it’s better not to make the lists too political, controversial, or oddly perverse…

    ( …but I don’t want to lie).

    Ok… ready… set… take a nap… have a snack… GO! Spectrum all the things! :nerd:
  • Vera Mont
    3.3k
    pears, spinach, apples, mangoes, bananas, cranberry juice
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    pears, spinach, apples, mangoes, bananas, cranberry juiceVera Mont

    Wow, that was fast! Hope I can guess the order of your list nearly as quickly.

    Fruits and vegetables, from hard to soft? Sweet to sour? Hmm… :blush:
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k

    No need to answer now. Let others sweat it out lol. :sweat:
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    Pandas, hippos, iguanas, lemurs, owls, seagulls, ocelots, pigeons, horses, yaks

    :monkey:
  • wonderer1
    1.8k
    Pandas, hippos, iguanas, lemurs, owls, seagulls, ocelots, pigeons, horses, yaks0 thru 9

    Toads, owls, ocelots
    Elephants, ants, seagulls, yaks
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    Haha… well, easy puzzles first! I didn’t want anyone to strain a brain synapse or anything early in the morning lol. I did just that some years ago, and I still have flashbacks. :starstruck:

    Thanks for playing along. You win a year’s supply of Turtle Wax! (turtle not included).

    Your turn… (but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a riddle, as mentioned above).
  • wonderer1
    1.8k
    Tarot, Mu, Savior, Introvert, Babel, Nine
  • wonderer1
    1.8k
    Water, Helium, Batteries, Galaxy Quest, Hanover
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    Water, Helium, Batteries, Hanoverwonderer1
    This one is funny even without an answer. (Bonus points for humorous lists and answers :grin: ).

    Question: Before my brain overheats, do these puzzles happen to probably need Google to solve, or can the ‘average person’ probably do it alone? Absolutely no problem either way! Just curious if I should Google the atomic weights of water, helium, and Hanover… :chin:
  • wonderer1
    1.8k
    Just curious if I should Google the atomic weights of water, helium, and Hanover… :chin:0 thru 9

    Before googling atomic weights, see my edit. ;-)
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    Ok thanks! :up: I’m going to ask @Hanover if he happened to inhale any helium balloons lately. This may be a deadend, but it’s what Sherlock Holmes would do.

    (I think my riddle starting with ‘Panda’ probably stretched the concept of ‘spectrum’ past its breaking point… just in case anyone is wondering lol).
  • Hanover
    12.1k
    Another way to play is to ask what could logically follow as next in the series. As people respond, you tell them if they are correct or not. The ones left guessing get additional hints from the prior correct and incorrect guesses until finally they get it or they beg someone to tell them the answer.
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    Yes, I like that idea. :up: That totally could work. Thanks.
    I tried not to impose too many ‘rules’ because no one likes an imposer! I couldn’t sleep last night at all (which is rare since melatonin usually knocks me out) and tried to lull myself to bed with word games.

    That didn’t work, but this strange idea arrived. It was probably deep in my memory, stolen from Games Monthly magazine.
  • 0 thru 9
    1.5k
    This example is not a riddle. (or is it? :chin:)

    Kundalini is a prototypical / archetypal spectrum.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQwewwtGo_gkCXp9eMcMMCGzxzxUpOwgYLJPw&usqp=CAU
    kundalini.png



    (mentioned in another post in relation to awareness and the nondual.)
bold
italic
underline
strike
code
quote
ulist
image
url
mention
reveal
youtube
tweet
Add a Comment

Welcome to The Philosophy Forum!

Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.