A brainteaser based on telling the time has been deemed so difficult that only the top 2% of people can solve it – but it actually has an ‘easy’ solution
If you think you’re a certified genius, then try your hand at this brainteaser that is said to stump a whopping 98% of people. While being good at puzzles doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a mastermind, the speed and accuracy at which you tackle them can indicate how well you’ve honed your mental abilities.
Just like keeping your body in shape, exercising your mind is essential to staying mentally fit. Engaging in activities like brain teasers can stimulate specific areas of your brain, leading to improved cognitive function, enhanced problem-solving skills, and potentially even reducing the risk of degenerative diseases such as dementia.
Feeling up for a challenge? Take on this time-based brain teaser that only the top 2% of people can solve. If you emerge victorious, you can proudly declare yourself a puzzle master.
The puzzle, which has been doing the rounds on social media, was recently shared on TikTok by Jay Joseph. He took to the streets to ask Brits the tricky question face-to-face, and many struggled to come up with the correct answer.
Jay claimed in the caption: “Only 2% of people get this correct.”
So, what’s the question? It’s multiple choice, and it goes like this: “What is the closest time to midnight? A) 11:55 am, B) 12:06 am, C) 11:50 am, or D) 12:03 am.”
Jay posed this puzzler to several passers-by, and things took a turn for the worse when the first lady asked for some clarity on the question, querying: “Is midnight AM or PM?”
Upon learning that midnight is indeed AM, she concluded that the answer must be “A”, reasoning that 11:55 am would be closest to midnight. She wasn’t alone in her thinking, as numerous others in Jay’s video also plumped for “A”.
But what conclusion do you reach when you scrutinise the question? Think it over before scrolling down to discover the actual correct response.
Answer
The right answer is, in fact, D, 12:03 am.
The times are presented in a 12-hour format, which can muddle things up a bit, but midnight equates to 00:00 on a 24-hour clock, or 12 am on a 12-hour one. So, 12:03 am is merely three minutes past midnight, making it the time closest to midnight.
The times beginning with 11 are also in the morning, but this means they’re nearest to midday, or 12 pm, and are almost a full 12 hours away from midnight.
Some commenters contended that since 12:03 is after midnight, it’s technically the furthest away, being 23 hours and 57 minutes distant from the next midnight, which would make 11:55 am the correct answer in that context.
However, others countered that if you arranged to meet someone “close to midnight”, they’d be far more likely to anticipate your arrival at 12:03 am than at 11:55 am.
Did you get the answer right? Let us know in the comments!
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