Forum fun time!

Very good.

OTT is msgspeak for "Over the Top", but I hate to think what FFSS is! Oh - I get it! E?

My first thought was 'O' but I have let my mind stray after JW's

For those who tried the snooker ball challenge, the secret is to divide the balls into 3. You measure 4 against 4. If the scale balances, you know that the odd ball is in the 4 you didn't weigh but the harder task is if the scales tip one way or the other. In that case, the second weighing - you keep 2 balls on the left and 1 on the right in the same place. You swap 1 ball on each side for the other. You take away 1 ball from the left and 2 from the right and replace with 3 balls from the 4 you now know are normal. If the scales stay in the same place the ball must be the among the 3 that didn't move. If it tips the other way, it's the 2 that switched sides. If the scales balance the odd ball is amongst the 3 you removed. The final weighing involves putting 1 ball you think might be heavy and 1 ball you think might be light and put them on the left side of the scale. On the other side you put 2 balls that you know are normal. A third ball that might be light or heavy (and you know which from previous weighings) is left out. If the scale tips to the left, then the ball you think was heavy is the odd ball. If it tips to the right you know that the odd ball is the one you thought might be light. If it balances, you know that the odd ball is the ball you left out. Using the technique of leaving balls in place, swapping sides or taking off the scales will identify any ball and whether it is lighter or heavier than the rest. I'll do an illustration if someone wants one.

Hi Helen, I came up with a different answer but I think this will work. Put 6 balls either side, one side will be lighter. Discard the 6 heavier balls, put 3 of the balls from the lighter side either side. Again one side will be lighter. Discard the 3 from the heavier side. Put one ball either side, if one side is lighter you have found it. If both sides are the same the lighter ball is the one not on the scales. Would this work and does it break any of the rules?

Hi Anne. It would work except the ball might be heavier than the rest, not lighter. It took me years to solve it and by the time I did, my Dad couldn't remember the right answer. It took me another 3 years to persuade him to part with the 50p he bet me. Ooooh post 1966, a very special year.

Anne, my first thoughts were also to divide into 2 sets of 6, but then I realised, you don't know whether the duffer is lighter or heavier. It would be easier if we'd been told that the duffer was lighter, say. But we haven't been told that. After more thought, I realised that you had to divide into 3 sets of 4, then continue with the logic, but the solution's wording then becomes too long winded for my attention span! Interestingly, after snooker, we used to play billiards for half an hour. Billiards only has 3 balls, 1 red and 2 cues. One evening, my friend and I noticed that on some shots, we were missing because the cue ball drifted away as it slowed down. The manager was in fits of laughter. He'd given us a "joke" set of balls. Both cue balls were weighted off centre so that they wobbled slightly instead of going in a straight line. He told us that the balls were "duffers". I've paraphrased the actual word he used to describe them, as it wasn't duffer. Of course, if we'd had weighing scales there to begin with...

Hi, that's me again, not reading the instructions properly! Ignore my effort, thought it was too easy

I'm the queen of not reading instructions.

And the solution for the easy one: One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight etc.

.... and just when you thought I'd gone away...... The first puzzle which concluded with '2321', I referred to as Type A when I was doing a serious investigation. For those interested in continuing the theme, you could try Type B which is following exactly the same routine as before, following the same pattern but this time no spotting of a rule is necessary if you refer back to my explanation. The rule is there for you to use. The end result is different for Type B!!!! What is it?? You could start with a simple number such as '5'. 5 15 1115 and off you go ...

21 32 23 15

Sorry Slim. Wrong ... go to jail, go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £100.

Next is 3115?

If so... 132115