home

Weekly Quiz

By Jeralyn, Section Off Topic
Posted on Sat Jul 09, 2005 at 08:17:06 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

America Blog writes:

This is one of those emails going around, and it worked for me, and now I'm kind of freaked out. Read through this - and finish each mathematical calculation before moving on to the next question - then post in the comments if it worked for you, and someone please explain why. Because it worked for me.

At the end of this message, you are asked a question. Answer it immediately. Don't stop and think about it. Just say the first thing that pops into your mind. This is a fun "test"... AND kind of spooky at the same time! Give it a try, then e-mail it around (including back to me) and you'll see how many people you know fall into the same percentage as you. Be sure to put in the subject line if you are among the 98% or the 2%. You'll understand what that means after you finish taking the "test".

It didn't work for me, but how about you?

Now... just follow the instructions as quickly as possible. Do not go to the next calculation before you have finished the previous one

You do not need to write or remember the answers, just do it using your mind.

You'll be surprised.

Start: How much is:

15 + 6

3 + 56

89 + 2

12 + 53

75 + 26

25 + 52

63 + 32

I know! Calculations are hard work, but it's nearly over. Come on, one more...

123 + 5

QUICK! THINK ABOUT A COLOR AND A TOOL!

Scroll further to the bottom...

A bit more...

You just thought about a red hammer, didn't you?

If this is not your answer, you are among 2% of people who have a different, if not abnormal, mind. 98% of the folks would answer a red hammer while doing this exercise.

< Alberto Gonzales and the Texas Death Memos | Newsweek to Name Rove as Cooper Source >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Weekly Quiz | 24 comments (24 topical)
    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    so does a blue wrench make me a "diversity valuing" Democrat instead of a "when your only tool is a hammer everything looks like a nail" Republican?

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#2)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    It worked on me. Barely, I thought it said a color and a TROLL, so I thought of Skull from PVP, who is blue. Realized my mistake and switched to red hammer. I wonder if people consistently think of red hammers without any math preample. If so, this quiz is just a way to attach a weird feeling to a normal phenomenon.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#3)
    by Randinho on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    A green drill for me.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#4)
    by N in Seattle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    I don't get it. What the hell do the sums have to do with either a color or a tool? Why would anyone think those sums would drive your mind toward a red hammer? Why, even if red is the nation's favorite color and hammer is its most familiar tool, would anyone believe that 98% of us would think of that pair? For the record, green screwdriver.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#5)
    by RSA on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    For what it's worth, I do research on tool use, and over the past few years I've informally asked several dozen people (students mostly) to name the first three tools that come to mind. The most common answer by far is hammer, screwdriver, and saw, in that order. I answered, "Blue hammer." Favorite color, most common tool-answer.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#6)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    Green hammer.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#7)
    by Linkmeister on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    Red hammer. Rats. What's the Twain quote? Ah, yes: "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:02 PM EST
    Nope, didn't work for me. I guess I'm a minority. Oh well, I'm used to it.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    blue wrench for me. tho it was creepy seeing the first comment had the same response as mine.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    Anyone who knows me would not be surprised that I am of the 2%---red saw

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    Red screwdriver. Does that mean I'm only half weird?

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#12)
    by terry on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    red hammer

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    Blue hammer. I think that the mathematics are pretty superfluous to the whole effort, except to get your brain cleared and thinking bland thoughts. My guess is that in America most people have red as the first color that comes to mind and hammer as the first tool that comes to mind.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#14)
    by ppjakajim on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    Color me in the 2%.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#15)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    green hammer

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#16)
    by roy on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    This just shows how far out of the mainstream y'all are. Please remember that and stay home next time we have a major election.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    I thought of a yellow bandsaw...mostly because I'm thinking about buying a bandsaw...I'm not sure why it was yellow though. I'll bet you a dollar Jeff Gannon didn't think of a yellow bandsaw.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#18)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    I thought it said a color and a TROLL...
    Sheesh... that's what I read too. All I could think of was that "under the bridge" troll. Oh man...

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#19)
    by LibbySpencer on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:03 PM EST
    I'm a gardener, I thought of green shovel. Of course I also had Rove and Sensenbrenner on my mind and was thinking about shoveling -um- manure. The Impolitic

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#20)
    by pigwiggle on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:04 PM EST
    red hammer; strange.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:04 PM EST
    Red drill here. Must have been thinking of the two Black and Decker cordless drills that don't work because the chargers no longer charge any of the three battery packs I have. I need to get to the B&D service store here in DC, but it's not open on weekends, alas. I wonder if the answer to the question in the quiz would be different if the problems presented were not math problems. In other words, if you're thinking of certain subjects, does your response to the question change with the subject? Ed

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#22)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:04 PM EST
    Magenta Mitre Box.....just kidding, I got red hammer. Most common color and tool perhaps? Pretty weird none the less.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#23)
    by Jlvngstn on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:04 PM EST
    I thought of a blue drill and based on the rest of the responses here there are a lot of 2% people in the world. Perhaps this poll was created by the same team that did Reagan's economic planning for the US.

    Re: Weekly Quiz (none / 0) (#24)
    by peacrevol on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:44 PM EST
    i dont know what this thing says about me, but it's kinda funny. brown - hoe?

    Weekly Quiz | 24 comments (24 topical)