5 tips to remember your ATM PIN or any numerical password
I normally remember my ATM PIN without issue. But there have been two times where I completely blanked on my PIN. Had I needed money urgently, it would have been a big problem. It got me thinking that I needed a better system for remembering my ATM PIN. I did a ...

Traveling without a smartphone – 3 tips for getting information on the go
Don't get me wrong, I am all for smartphones. I am amazed at how much computing power is available on the go, and I am aware that smartphones are the way of the future. But I am not excited about their cost. Data plans run from $30 to $50 a month, ...

How to visit a museum in one hour and still see the masterpieces
I love to check out museums when I travel. There is something special about viewing an art piece in person or admiring a historical document preserved over decades or centuries. I usually plan my museum visit in advance and then spend a few hours enjoying all the exhibits. But occasionally I am ...

Why are Coke and Pepsi never on sale at the same time? An answer from game theory
I regularly check ad papers, and it always struck me as odd that competing brands were never on sale at the same time. One week Coca Cola products might be on sale, but the next week it would be Pepsi. But rarely would the two ever be on sale at the ...

Monday puzzle: paying an employee in gold
In honor of Labor day, I thought I would offer the following interview brain teaser as today's puzzle. You have a solid gold bar, marked into 7 equal divisions as follows: | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | You need to pay an employee each ...

Group birthday parties are unfair
Someone enjoyed my post about splitting the check and emailed me another interesting situation that arises in group meals. I would like to pose the following problem to you, a real life scenario. My wife participates in a "Birthday Lunch Group". Each month when it is someone's birthday, the "non-birthday" girls split ...

How stupid people make fools of us all
People are so familiar with survival of the fittest, we often forget there are situations that favor the weakest. Four years ago I wrote about survival of the weakest and discussed a game in which it can be better to be weak: your very weakness lets you hide as tougher players ...