PLEASE DO NOT LOOK UP THE ANSWERS ON THE INTERNET AND POST THEM HERE. If you want to look up the answers that's fine. The answers are out there, they are not that hard to find. Some people like to try and solve the riddle before giving up and looking up the answers. This is for those people. Enjoy...




how many places are there on the earth that one could walk one mile south, then one mile east, then one mile north and end up in the same spot? to be precise, let's assume the earth is a solid smooth sphere, so oceans and mountains and other such things do not exist. you can start at any point on the sphere and walk in any direction you like.

be advised that walking north from the north pole (or south from the south pole) is illogical and therefore does not enter into the problem. all normal assumptions about directions will be used.

 

start at the north pole.

 

There is more than one place...

 

I heard the same riddle but it was presented a little differently:

You walk 1 mile south, 1 mine east, 1 mine north. You end up at the same place you started and you see a bear. What color is the bear?

 

Better yet, you see a bird. What color is it?

(No, it's not the penguin they just found in Alaska!)

 

I know this one.

 

We're certain you do.

 

Well if you are getting directions from my g/f, this could be just about anyplace on earth....

 

2 miles north of the south pole.

I know that's gotta be one of the answers, and I know there are more.

 

Wrong.

About 1.159155 miles North of the South pole.

(Where did that number come from? And why did he say "about"?)