The Peculiar Accident
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.
Mr. Redneck was in a peculiar tea drinking accident that left him unable to suck in any way. (I said it was a peculiar accident.) His jaw was wired shut and both his arms were broken so he couldn't reach his mouth. His wife left him a drink on the table before leaving him all alone to go shopping. He was very thirsty but could not suck fluid through a straw or tip the drink in order to drink it. Then he noticed that his drink was in one of those sealed boxes where only the straw can enter through a small sealed hole. He leaned forward and drank it. Without tipping it or using any special devices (other than the straw) how was he able to get the drink out of the container?
Answer
He first blew into the straw pressurizing the container. When he stopped the pressure forced his drink out the straw enabling him to drink. As long as the straw is below the air in the container the drink will come out. When the pressure dropped he simply repeated the process until he was done.
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Comments
Codammanus
Apr 22, 2003
| Od-1,
This was refreshing. Although I got the answer with little effort, It was pleasing to see something quirky I have done (and sure others have at some point in their box-juice days) come to Braingle. |
Codammanus
Apr 22, 2003
| Can you imagine how many shirst I messed up doing this? |
Codammanus
Apr 22, 2003
| [shirts]. ..And yes, I have grown out of it. |
od-1  
Apr 23, 2003
| My kids like to mess up each others shirts using this method. |
MrBean
May 02, 2003
| Just like Capri Sun |
airhead3
Jan 27, 2004
| Alternative solution: No damage was done to his neck during this tea-drinking accident, so it would seem all he has to do is - with straw in mouth - push down on the drink box with mouth/lips using his neck's mobility to create the same increase in pressure from within. (This solution would seem to yield a more consistent flow, seeing as how he was so thirsty  )
Nice teaser. |
I_am_the_Omega
Dec 29, 2004
| I could be wrong, but I dont think, that if you couldn't suck, you could blow (so to speak). Sucking is the rush of air to the lungs, when the lungs expand; the air simply fills the cavity. The opposite is true for blowing... so.. =P |
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