Brain Teaser '7 Men Have 7 Wives' Stumps Social Media: Can You Solve This 'Harvard University' Puzzle?


(MENAFN- Live Mint) Brain teasers have a unique way of captivating social media users, offering both a challenge and a quick sense of accomplishment when solved. One such puzzle, recently shared on X, has taken the internet by storm. Dubbed as a Harvard University interview question, it's sparking a wave of discussion online.

The brain teaser is straightforward but tricky:“7 men have 7 wives. Each man and each wife have 7 children. Q: What's the total number of people?”

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The post, which claims that 95% of people couldn't solve it, has garnered significant attention with numerous likes, comments, and reshares across various social media platforms.

Here's how X users are responding to the puzzle:

One user calculated,“It looks tricky. 7 men + 7 wives = 14. No. of children for each man & each wife = 7. No. of children for each man with the seven wives = 49 (7×7). Overall no. of children = 343 (49×7). Total no. is 14+343 = 357.”

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Another user offered a different interpretation, stating,“So my guess: 7 men and 7 wives means 7 couples. So each couple had 7 children so 7 * 7 = 49, and the total number of people are: 49 children + 7 men + 7 women = 63.”

A third user questioned,“What's the correct answer and why?” while a fourth chimed in with an intriguing take:“The two answers are correct, depending on how you interpret the question. If you interpret it as each man having 1 wife, the correct answer is 63 people. However, if you interpret it as each man having 7 wives, the correct answer is 399 people.”

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So, what's your take on this brain teaser? Is it 63 or 399 people? The answer depends on how you interpret the puzzle, making it a fascinating topic for discussion and debate.

Dive into the comments and share your solution!nswer to this brain teaser?

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