Brain Teasers
Ice Boat
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
On a hot summer day by a lake you are determined to build a boat made of ice, using a refrigeration unit and a large mold in which you can pour water. Nearby you notice an Egyptian mummy resting on a pile of wood pulp. What is the best strategy for building an ice boat that will not melt before you sail it across the lake?
Answer
Forget about the mummy. Add the wood pulp to the water and freeze the mixture. The resulting solid, called pykrete, will have incredibly useful properties. For example, several decades ago Geoffrey Nathaniel Pyke (1894-1948) showed that the frozen mixture was extremely hard to break and very slow to melt. If a ship were made of pykrete, it would be unsinkable; torpedoes could hit it and do little damage. Pykrete has a crush resistance of greater that 3,000 pounds per square inch. A 1-inch column of pykrete can support an automobile. The wood pulp also makes the pykrete extremely stable at high temperatures. If a .303 caliber bullet is fired at the pykrete, it will penetrate only 6.5 inches. The United States and Canada were so impressed with the idea of assembling pykrete warships that a 60-foot-long, 1,000-ton pykrete ship was built in one month on a Canadian lake and never melted through the hot summer.Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
That's impressive! And thanks for properly calling Canadian summers hot!
good 1
I agree canadian summers are properly recognized, finally!;)
I like cheese to, but very great teaser
Very informative and interesting thank you
great work
Very interesting but not easy to get unless you are an expert on 19th Century engineering. Good fun though, like the red egyptian herring!
Nov 22, 2002
That's cool! It's amazing that a substance that simple can be so strong. Thanks for the info.
very clever, but did you make it up or get it from some where like the internet?
Good job
HOT Canadian summers??????? AAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa, ROTLMAO. What does Canada know of hot summers. Listen fella's 3 days when temperatures reach the 80's does not a summer make.
Rayn, you are just showing your ignorance.
Canadian summers are hot? I'd trade a Canadian summer for an aussie one any day, the way I feel at the moment. It's gotten to forty this summer (that's in celcius, it would be about 104 degrees fahrenheit). So bring on the Canadian summers! Oh, and good teaser.
Is that Pykrete for real or did you make it up? It's not in my encyclopaedia!
That was interesting, and thanks for bringing Pykrete to our attention; I had never heard about it before. However, I did some research and stumbling on this link, which seems to present a well balanced view on the substance, and may explain why it is not that well known, nor is it being used as you would expect given its supposed 'super properties': http://jwgibbs.cchem.berkeley.edu/CFGoodeve/pykrete.html.
Real Cool! Learnt something new.
I'm impressed.
or ya could just wait for winter, if the lake freezes over...
Hmm. I guess no one told that to the makers of the Titanic! (Probably would've been a really good idea...)
I don't get how some teasers with relatively reasonably-known facts can be rejected as "too uncommon knowledge," while things like this (which no one knows!) aren't. I personally think this is a good teaser (not because the teaser is fun.. lol, but because the information is really cool). I think both should be acceptable ;P
I don't get how some teasers with relatively reasonably-known facts can be rejected as "too uncommon knowledge," while things like this (which no one knows!) aren't. I personally think this is a good teaser (not because the teaser is fun.. lol, but because the information is really cool). I think both should be acceptable ;P
Look up Pykrete on http://www.wikipedia.com
omg i LOVE wikipedia... its soo cool =D
That's pretty neat. I knew it had something to do with the wood pulp....
Supplies: Refrigeration unit, water, and wood pulp
Process: Freeze water and wood pulp
though it is a minor fault...wouldnt you have to have a freezer unit instead of a refrigeration unit? A refrigerator only cools things..not freezes
other than that...great teaser
Process: Freeze water and wood pulp
though it is a minor fault...wouldnt you have to have a freezer unit instead of a refrigeration unit? A refrigerator only cools things..not freezes
other than that...great teaser
Well you learn something new everyday
Nov 23, 2004
i actually got that you freeze the wood pulp with the water, but didnt know that other stuff good teaser
BOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRING!
Hey Celenbe... I bet you learned interesting and informative scientific facts from this teaser. Knowledge is WISDOM, and someday you may share your knowledge with others. Thanks for the grat teaser.
great sp.
Would have never guessed that in a million years.
this one should have been a trick too lol
Wow, I can't believe I actually got that right! I sort of just worked it out with my weird logic.
VERY INGENIOUS "IM PARA NOID"! .THE OLD BRAIN STILL WORKS....... .THIS ONE I LIKED!!!!! KEEP EM COMIN'. THANX.
Wow, I can't believe I got this right! It was one of those teasers I worked out with my weird logic.
Sorry, I must not tell a Lie: This Teaser was good, but I still donn't understand the wood pulp. If the ice melts would the wood pulp just scatter in the water? NO, of course not, Iam missing the Glue, or Nails, or you're just lying to the Braingle Community. Boring, Boring.
Like all trivia - you either know the fact or you don't. I didn't, and there was no way to figure it out without doing internet searches.....
This was very interesting
Fascinating. I had actually guessed that you threw the pulp atop the ice, as I remember that's how it was done in Little House on the Prairie books when i was a kid. That's how they rigged up refrigeration in the warmer months...
they dug out a cellar, took blocks of ice from the winter, covered them in sawdust or woodpulp, and that's what preserved their perishables in summer.
Informative, and thanks also for the link. Woohoo.
they dug out a cellar, took blocks of ice from the winter, covered them in sawdust or woodpulp, and that's what preserved their perishables in summer.
Informative, and thanks also for the link. Woohoo.
Boy oh boy, Mr. Noid, you sure are good at making people think!! It's great to learn neat stuff like that!!!
Excellent job!!!
Excellent job!!!
That was fun. Got me pretty go, first thing I thought was the mummy! I think those of you that didn't like it are just mad that you didn't get it.
I actually got it even though I usually miss the Science teasers
Yep, good teaser! I am using the wood pulp...that was my guess! I liked it and I'm always up for learning something new every day!! Although, I have heard of Pykrete before! Good one!
I guessed at freezing the wood pulp into the water but didn't know what the mixture was called. Thanks for the lesson!
Cool!! I want to go out and build one right now !!! Listen, Y'all don't know "hot" until you all come to Texas!! its November and I am still wearing shorts and a t-shirt!!! We BBQ for Christmas!!! Other than that I enjoyed it!!!! Thanks you da bomb!!! Snaps for you!!! (snap snap)
VERY INTERESTING!!! Who would have thought that frozen wet wood pulp would have those kind of properties!!! Amazingly though, I guessed right! Somehow the mummy just didn't fit logically. Good one!!!
Who knew? Thanks for that bit o' trivia.
I thought this one was very informative. I like learning new things everyday. This one is the first to go on the fav list! keep stuff like this coming!
Hard and easy at the same time.
Hard if you consider to get it right you had to know the specific info regarding pyecrete. Sorta easy if all you had to do is guess the right answer. Process - first dismissing the mummy as an obvious red herring and then thinking about what one would do with the remaining element the saw dust. that leads to obvious consideration of mixing it with water but had to think about how to turn that soup hard .........duh ..... freeze it!
All a bit too educational for a Braingle LOL
Hard if you consider to get it right you had to know the specific info regarding pyecrete. Sorta easy if all you had to do is guess the right answer. Process - first dismissing the mummy as an obvious red herring and then thinking about what one would do with the remaining element the saw dust. that leads to obvious consideration of mixing it with water but had to think about how to turn that soup hard .........duh ..... freeze it!
All a bit too educational for a Braingle LOL
wow talk about wierd facts. thats awesome! this is going on my favorites list just because its so uncommon. i never knew anything about pyecrete. do you think they could do somthing similar w/ concrete?
What a wonderful way to start my day!!! I got it but didn't know about the big boat that was built!! Thank you
i like it d i dont really bother reading long things but i had to read it coz i really wanted to know!
I actually got this one. !i just noticed the wood pulp and thought why not mix it in with the water? that must do something !
It wasnt all a guess though....
It wasnt all a guess though....
and how does anyone get hot Canadian summers from this teaser??????i want to know!!!!!!
I guess I used to think this site was fun and challenging. No offense to those of you who try, but these teasers get worse daily...at least someone is enjoying it. I am officially taking Briangle off of my homepage.
amazing, thanks for the interesting info. keep it up! I like to learn
Is Canada hot in summer? I can't remember because I spent my entire time there swating the biggest mosquitos on the face of the planet.
Yeah it is hot there.
Great teaser.
Yeah it is hot there.
Great teaser.
Hey, I think this is a great teaser! I especially like the whole "this just HAPPENS to be here" theme! Lol, keep it up, it really was good!
I knew what to do, but I never knew the proper name or even that there was a proper name for the frozen mixture of water and pulp. And those facts you threw in are pretty wild, albeit somewhat difficult to believe.
For a more practical application of similar principles, newspaper is great to wrap frozen food in to keep it from thawing for a few hours like when traveling
For a more practical application of similar principles, newspaper is great to wrap frozen food in to keep it from thawing for a few hours like when traveling
Very interesting. I had no clue what the solution was, knowing very little of science, but I found this interesting none-the-less!
Thank you ~ ~ ~ very interesting!
god youre so stupid
I remember seeing this on the History channel. During the latter part of WWII the British wanted to build and aircraft carrier out of this stuff. During a meeting with American Admirals a british officer took out his pistol and fired at a block of it. The bullet bounced off and in the American Admirals leg. Istill didn't figure it out.
Cool!!! Very informative. I've never in all my life heard of "pykrete." It was interesting tho.
(Hot summers in CANADA??! )
(Hot summers in CANADA??! )
Ok, no one would actually know that exept you! That was dumb!
Interesting I guess????? Way out of my LEAGUE A scientist I am NOT Any way,Who in his RIGHT mind would want a boat made out of ICE????????
wHO knew? That's very interesting! I thought of mixing the pulp in first. Then I thought that that wouldn't doo anything, but putting the wood pulp in the mold as a coating, then pour the water in an freeze it; I figured that would make the wood pulp freeze on the outside, acting as an insulation! Then, because there's a mummy you might as well use it, you unwrap the mummy *risking bringing an ancient curse for anyone who disturbs the corpse* and wrap the material around the outside of the iceboat, thereby holding the woodpulp on and further strengthening and insulating the ice! In any case, I think that even if you know about the Pykrete you may as well use the mummy wrap to make it stronger! Thanks, this was fun!
well... i thought it was hard..... but... i never thought about that kinda thing o well.... wen m i ever gonna need it!?!?
Being technically minded as I sometimes can be , I immediatley noticed the "...not melt *before* you sail..." part. Of course, if the ice has to remain solid *before* the sail arcoss the lake, once the ice has been frozen, the task is done once you place the ice in the lake (and it melts).
Interesting. I figured using the wood pulp with the mold and freezing it.. however, I did not know of the existence of Pykrete. Kudos.
sorry i didn't like it i thought it was boring and it's like who would know that anyway?!
boy...looks like someone pulled this one out of the archives. There must be more recent teasers than this that are worthy of being the daily teaser. This one just isn't my cup of tea...no offense!
I was just reading the comments and noticed all this talk about Canadian summers, then re-read the teaser: there's NOTHING about being in Canada, and the person who wrote the teaser lives in Wisconsin!!!! It's like Whisper Down the Lane! And then, everyone is like: YOU think YOUR summers are HOT! You should feel OUR hot summers! Hilarious!!!
Canada is mentioned in the answer. I went once in Aug. and it was around 60 degrees, so I really can't agree with the hot summer thing.
Yeah. summer;s get pretty hot in california too. a few years ago, it was like, 112 for like 2 weeks stright.
Great teaser. Idda never guessed.
And what is wrong with Wisconsin???
yawn.
this brain teaser is STUPID!
I didnt like this one at all.
Hey! I saw the same Discovery Channel special! You built more suspense though
nice but so easy for me
GOOD 1!!
THAT WUZ SOOOOOOOOOOO HARD 4 ME!!!!
iGUESS I AM REALY STUPID!!!
THAT WUZ SOOOOOOOOOOO HARD 4 ME!!!!
iGUESS I AM REALY STUPID!!!
That is the stupidest teaser ive ever seen. Even i can make a better one than that i just don't want to take the time.This was boring!!!!!!
considering the category, i dont know what some people's problem is,,,maybe they should stick with tic tac toe, and leave the trivia matters for others to enjoy or not.
not my type of teaser, but i found it interesting and informative and fun
not my type of teaser, but i found it interesting and informative and fun
Oh yeah, Canada IS in the answer, wadda ya know????? Who said there was anything WRONG with Wisconsin? Gee whiz, lol. I wish some of you would just not say anything instead of saying it's stupid, dumb, boring, etc. Either say why you think that, or don't say that, or write your own so you can see how hard it is. Have just a LITTLE consideration for the author's feelings! These are by members!
BLah that waz weird!!!!!! Made no sense 2 me!!!!
oh yeah, you think Canadian summers are hot???
wait until you come to Vermont!!!! Our summers are waaaaay hotter than yours.... (hint of sarcasm...)
Stop competing over whose summers are hotter!!! I get it!! Canada is cold...
wait until you come to Vermont!!!! Our summers are waaaaay hotter than yours.... (hint of sarcasm...)
Stop competing over whose summers are hotter!!! I get it!! Canada is cold...
i saw something about this within the past month or so on discovery or the history channel . whichever of the nerd networks i always watch !
*cough*
"Canadian" and "hot summer" shouldn't be allowed in the same sentence!
"Canadian" and "hot summer" shouldn't be allowed in the same sentence!
Please DO NOT "forget about the mummy." If you're going to "sail" across the lake, the windings, bones and pine tars will be needed to build the sail.
A fact I don't see is the buoyancy of pykrete. It must be less than that of ice because the pulp must lose its buoyancy before it will mix with water. That suggests pykrete will float deeper, making it less manuverable and slower. Slower, in turn, means more time to melt.
I like the trivia, even though it may be less than accurate.
More outside the box - Make a propulsion device (sling from mummy bandages, cannon powered by refrigerant, etc.) and a tiny little boat. Then, catapult or "sail it across the lake." The question doesn't lock you into sailing in the boat! And, considering the looney expenses of pykrete related tests, this may be the best way.
A fact I don't see is the buoyancy of pykrete. It must be less than that of ice because the pulp must lose its buoyancy before it will mix with water. That suggests pykrete will float deeper, making it less manuverable and slower. Slower, in turn, means more time to melt.
I like the trivia, even though it may be less than accurate.
More outside the box - Make a propulsion device (sling from mummy bandages, cannon powered by refrigerant, etc.) and a tiny little boat. Then, catapult or "sail it across the lake." The question doesn't lock you into sailing in the boat! And, considering the looney expenses of pykrete related tests, this may be the best way.
Why would someone just leave a mummy near a lake, much less on a pile of wood?
wow how interesting
somewhat random, but cool b^^d
somewhat random, but cool b^^d
It would not be an ice boat, more like a Wet Wood and cold float.
Good Teaser, I guess.
Good Teaser, I guess.
Really interesting teaser. Worthy of its TOTD spot. It's good to have a think and then learn something.
Well written!
Nicely written, informative and educational. Thanks for posting.
Good one.
I've read about pykrete before so I was lucky to come up with the answer.
I think that I learn something new, like every day.
Look up the pykrete article in Wikipedia where it is reported a small-scale boat was made of this stuff and only lasted 23 minutes in the water before it began springing leaks. (Maybe it could get across a very small lake.) This is a myth, as the judges should have known, and substantiated proof should have been cited by the maker.
Why forget about the mummy? Mummies are cool!
Feb 14, 2010
Does no one hear watch mythbusters? Just google "mythbusters ice boat". They showed it's possible to build a small boat, but impractical as it melts quickly. And a 60 ft pykrete boat was never built, do your research.
fail.
I knew the answer, but I don't know how I knew. I must have heard about pycrete before and it was lodged in my mind waiting to come out.
NICE!!!
They made a boat out of it in Mythbusters
That is very interesting! Thanks for the information about it! I enjoyed learning of it.
Yessssssssssssss !!!!
First to comment in 2014 AND ....
I challenge everyone to c'mon in until we get 10 more comments.
Then I'll come in again.
Really, folks, Braingle will "die" if we don't get some conversations going in the comment sections.
I and my Dad have been here for almost 15 years and can tell you that's what makes Braingle thrive.
It's worth fighting for.
Please do it.
BB02 - OK ... who's next ?
First to comment in 2014 AND ....
I challenge everyone to c'mon in until we get 10 more comments.
Then I'll come in again.
Really, folks, Braingle will "die" if we don't get some conversations going in the comment sections.
I and my Dad have been here for almost 15 years and can tell you that's what makes Braingle thrive.
It's worth fighting for.
Please do it.
BB02 - OK ... who's next ?
The information was most interesting and informative, but as for a teaser how is the average person on this sight supposed to know all this, and be able to solve it? A few did who have read something at sometime, but to me it is not a good teaser.
Thanks, Babe.
That's comment #1.
Next - ????
That's comment #1.
Next - ????
You don't have to know ANYTHING about mummies, wood pulp, or pykrete to solve this puzzle.
#1special Braingler (wayyyyy above) got it:
Simply wait until winter.
BB02
#1special Braingler (wayyyyy above) got it:
Simply wait until winter.
BB02
BadBunnee- Give us a break. We are tired of all your multiple remarks.
Thanks, cutebug .......
At least my tactic is working.
You are #2 in the comment column for this teaser for 2014.
Who's next?
BB02
At least my tactic is working.
You are #2 in the comment column for this teaser for 2014.
Who's next?
BB02
Oh I LOVE the comments on this site! What a wide range of people and their ideas! This wasn't my favorite puzzle but I did learn a lot. Now back to my outside life -I'll return later to see any new comments that are posted!
Yeaaaaaa !!!! COMMENTS !!!
GayleWolf is # 3 !!!!!
Anybody wanna wager that we'll get seven more ??
I'll bet 50 of my Braingle points against 50 of anybody elses that we DO !!!
BB02
GayleWolf is # 3 !!!!!
Anybody wanna wager that we'll get seven more ??
I'll bet 50 of my Braingle points against 50 of anybody elses that we DO !!!
BB02
No bet, BB. Loved this teaser, but that's because I figured if they mentioned the wood pulp in the teaser it must be important. Then I remembered how strong pyrete is and the rest was easy.
Do I lose points for spelling ? Sorry.
Wowsie Wowsie ......
A-Sis is #4 and that leaves only six more !!!!!!!!!!!!!
And ... no cost for missspelt stuff.
AND ... (We really can't wager our points 'cause the Eds told me years ago that we don't actually OWN our points ... they are the property of the ruling class here) .... so ...
HEY ... we could do BraingleBucs (a-la BitCoins) !!!
Anybody up for that ????
Ok ... (anyway) ... who's next for #5 and that'll put us half-way there !!
BB02
A-Sis is #4 and that leaves only six more !!!!!!!!!!!!!
And ... no cost for missspelt stuff.
AND ... (We really can't wager our points 'cause the Eds told me years ago that we don't actually OWN our points ... they are the property of the ruling class here) .... so ...
HEY ... we could do BraingleBucs (a-la BitCoins) !!!
Anybody up for that ????
Ok ... (anyway) ... who's next for #5 and that'll put us half-way there !!
BB02
Well, BB - you crack me up! And how about a reply to my last message I sent you here recently. Did I give you too much information? I guess I DID get carried away!
Good to see you Auntie Sis. HUG!!
Good to see you Auntie Sis. HUG!!
BooHoo .... no hug for BB ????
Patience GW .... (I'm a slow reader)
Patience GW .... (I'm a slow reader)
HUG for someone - and you know who you are.
Sorry, readers - I'm getting off of our true purpose here - to comment on the quiz!!
It's a beautiful spring day here in the US - hope you all spend it with someone you love!
Sorry, readers - I'm getting off of our true purpose here - to comment on the quiz!!
It's a beautiful spring day here in the US - hope you all spend it with someone you love!
I knew about Pykrete but I'd have brought the Mummy on the boat as I was always taught, "Never cross without holding on to Mummy."
Hey, JD - hilarious !!!
And a good addition to the comments.
That makes you ... what .... # 5?
We might make 10 by midnight.
TALLY HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!
And a good addition to the comments.
That makes you ... what .... # 5?
We might make 10 by midnight.
TALLY HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!
Wellll ..... we didn't make our goal of 10 new 2014 comments in one day on this TOTD ......
But that's OK. We got five and that's a lot better then none.
Besides, my credo is:
"Shoot for the stars and you just might make it to the moon !"
We'll do better next time.
See ya at the next TOTD.
BB02
But that's OK. We got five and that's a lot better then none.
Besides, my credo is:
"Shoot for the stars and you just might make it to the moon !"
We'll do better next time.
See ya at the next TOTD.
BB02
Dang it! I got another one wrong.
I figured that since there was an Egyptian mummy that there was probably a pyramid nearby. My solution was to freeze the ice boat and place it inside a pyramid. Pyramids are known to magically know what to do to objects placed inside them. Sharpen razor blades. Keep fruit from rotting. Etc...
Kinda like how a Thermos bottle automatically knows when you want it to keep something hot or cold.
BTW: I knew the real answer.
I figured that since there was an Egyptian mummy that there was probably a pyramid nearby. My solution was to freeze the ice boat and place it inside a pyramid. Pyramids are known to magically know what to do to objects placed inside them. Sharpen razor blades. Keep fruit from rotting. Etc...
Kinda like how a Thermos bottle automatically knows when you want it to keep something hot or cold.
BTW: I knew the real answer.
Hey ....
Did anyone think about freezing the mummy?
Since it was already "dried" ...
.. then you would have a .....
......
......
......
(wait for it)
.... FREEZE-DRIED mummy !!!!
yoik, yoik, yoik
Did anyone think about freezing the mummy?
Since it was already "dried" ...
.. then you would have a .....
......
......
......
(wait for it)
.... FREEZE-DRIED mummy !!!!
yoik, yoik, yoik
Looked it up. It is a real deal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pykrete
Thanks for an interesting post pal!!🤔
Thanks for an interesting post pal!!🤔
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!