Can you solve the secret werewolf riddle? - Daniel Finkel

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  • 4,713 Questions Answered
  • TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

You’re on the trail of a werewolf that’s been terrorizing your town. After months of detective work, you’ve narrowed your suspects to one of five people. You’ve invited them to dinner with a simple plan: to slip a square of a rare antidote into each of their dinners. Unfortunately, you only have one square left. Can you divide it into perfect fifths and cure the werewolf? Dan Finkel shows how.


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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Daniel Finkel
  • Director Outis
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Nemanja Petrovic
  • Sound Designer Nemanja Petrovic
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez
Additional Resources for you to Explore

One of the fascinating things about this puzzle is that it’s even possible to create fifths given the constraints of the problem. What other fractions is it possible to create?

Consider the fractions on this list, and try to find a way to make each one according to the parameters of the laser cutter in the problem. Are there any that can’t be made? How do you know?

One half
One third
One quarter
One sixth
One seventh
One eighth
One ninth
One tenth
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Avatar for Kostas Kalatzakis
Kostas Kalatzakis
11/08/2018 • 
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Avatar for 종무 김
종무 김
11/10/2018 • 
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Avatar for Rui Fujino
Rui Fujino
Can You Solve The Secret Werewolf riddle?
Nice to mee to you.anser grandfather big mouth?
11/10/2018 • 
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Avatar for Lee YeongEun
Lee YeongEun
How do you notice if another wolf appears?
We can tell if they are lying because were always lying.
11/12/2018 • 
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Alejandra T
11/15/2018 • 
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Oliver Langley • , California, United States • COMPLETED LESSON
11/28/2018 • 
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Avatar for Violet Hughes
Violet Hughes
How did the werewolf from your town get infected?
the werewolf, or the carpenter got infected by a werewolf in a town were all the people tell the truth, but at least one of those humans is a Lie-telling werewolf. there are 100 people, all claiming, "at least one of us is a human" . How many of them are actually werewolves?
11/20/2022 • 
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Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Daniel Finkel
  • Director Outis
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Nemanja Petrovic
  • Sound Designer Nemanja Petrovic
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez

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