All thinkers

Ben Ames Williams: 2 puzzles worth knowing

2 puzzles from Ben Ames Williams, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• Five sailors, a monkey, and a pile of coconuts that never divides evenly

  Five shipwrecked sailors gather a pile of coconuts to split in the morning. In the night, each sailor in turn wakes, divides the pile into five equal piles with exactly one coconut…

  — Ben Ames Williams, Coconuts (short story)

• Five sailors, a monkey, and a pile of coconuts nobody can agree how to split

  Five sailors gather a pile of coconuts, then sleep planning to divide them fairly at dawn. In the night, each sailor in turn wakes, divides the pile into 5 equal piles with exactly…

  — Ben Ames Williams, Coconuts

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Subscribe