OK: a man is sentenced to death, but assures the judge that he is innocent, he claims that he can plunge his hands into boiling water for at least a minute without getting any serious injury, since he is blessed by the Gods; the judge impressed by his piety agrees, how does the man suffer no serious injury, and keep his hands in the water for a full minute?
Puzzles,conundrums, riddles and thoughts?
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OK: a man is sentenced to death, but assures the judge that he is innocent, he claims that he can plunge his hands into boiling water for at least a minute without getting any serious injury, since he is blessed by the Gods; the judge impressed by his piety agrees, how does the man suffer no serious injury, and keep his hands in the water for a full minute?
can't say i'm satisfied with my scenario yet - I think it was slightly underestimated
About your riddle, does it involve fancy stuff like decreasing the boiling point of water by decreasing pressure?
@Riffraff's: the water level lowers slightly. While on the boat, the lead is displacing its weight in water; at the bottom of the lake, it displaces its volume. Lead is denser than water, so it's displacing more when on the boat than after it falls in.
@Sidhe: does he have fake hands? (I recall hearing a puzzle with that kind of solution, involving angry IRA members and fake kneecaps.)
@Sidhe: does he have fake hands? (I recall hearing a puzzle with that kind of solution, involving angry IRA members and fake kneecaps.)
that's the second of my puzzles you've destroyed - I'm out for now, but I may be back...
False the lead sinks into the sand by x, so it displaces something less, unless the thing it falls on is more dense than it. Logically correct. The argument is that the lead sinks to the bottom but stays where it is, this simply wouldn't happen in real terms.
Also even with a small lake the level it sinks is so unbelievably small no one could measure it, even if it did just sit there. So no change, prove me wrong
try using an integration you'll find I'm correct unless the lake is 20mx20m across or less, no one could measure it and even then you'd have to call in quantum phsysicists to determine the lowering of the lake 
combined with the displacement of the boat your talking something so small that even quantum physics couldn't determine it. Not only that your assuming a uniform shore, but given any shore, it would rise by such a small amount it wouldn't be able to rise above the particulates on the shore, thus it would stay at the same height.And no, not correct he has human hands, try again.
Perfection
The Great Head.
I cry foul. Io's volcanoes are still extremely hot, over 1000K.There standing next to a volcanic explosion, what are the chances that they don't get "lava" on them? OK I'll edit the question to say flow as well? Suffice to say it's wrong. Sorry I didn't clarify I edited the original question so that no one could find it in a search but I forget this contingency
Correct, you get to put a question up if you want.
So obviously there space suits protected them
Oh what's that moon that has methane volcanoes, that's the one I meant, maybe it's Saturns moons? Anyway that was 3 millenia ago.
can't say i'm satisfied with my scenario yet - I think it was slightly underestimated
About your riddle, does it involve fancy stuff like decreasing the boiling point of water by decreasing pressure?
Well that's up to you to work out?
nonconformist
Miserable
Swedishguy
Deity
He puts on some really thick gloves first. I solved the riddle!
Perfection
The Great Head.
I don't recall any moons with methane volcanos. You really should verify facts before making claims on a quiz or else you'll look foolish.
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEM1531DU8E_0.html
You should verify your opinions before you make yourself look like a fool. Now if we may proceed without interruptions from pedants.
Nope no gloves. has to be his hands without clothing on them.
Going into space is not an option, take it that it's BC we're talking about. Although your on the right track.
Swedishguy
Deity
You didn't say anything about that, so I have still solved the riddle!
nonconformist
Miserable
Climb onto a huge mountain.
Perhaps the Gods really do love him?
Otherwise he could try to get the air out by lowering the pressure causing the water to boil at low temperatures (they were at least able to do this in the 17th century).
Can you think of another way, one that doesn't require 17th century technology? This is another riddle presented to Alexander the Great by Aristotle, it's most likely a story from India or maybe from Greece itself? How would the ancient Greeks have solved this riddle? OK Alexander was a child prodigy but it took him a few days, and he didn't have your education
Ok here's the answer someone solved it.
Spoiler :
You didn't say anything about that, so I have still solved the riddle!
It's a nice lateral idea but I don't think the judge is going to be too impressed with thermal gloves, not only that but fabric once wet would actually cause more injury, this is BC Greece not rubber glove 1927.
nonconformist
Miserable
A curious trial took place in Austria:
apparently, two aristorocrats, one of which has slighted the other through some kind of dishonouring, had taken it upon themselves to enact a duel, up in the Austrian Alps.
According to the remaining defendant's testimony, the two men had climbed onto different mountains, a mile apart, and were to, at exactly 6:00, fire off a shot at each other.
According to the sole witness, a climber just below the peak, he heard a single, polyphonic crack, and climbed to find the body of the dead man, a single round in his head, and a single round expended from his rifle.
A duel, would, of course, not be a murder trial, as it would be consentual, so manslaughter would be a more fitting charge. However, the state decided to prosecute for murder. Why?
apparently, two aristorocrats, one of which has slighted the other through some kind of dishonouring, had taken it upon themselves to enact a duel, up in the Austrian Alps.
According to the remaining defendant's testimony, the two men had climbed onto different mountains, a mile apart, and were to, at exactly 6:00, fire off a shot at each other.
According to the sole witness, a climber just below the peak, he heard a single, polyphonic crack, and climbed to find the body of the dead man, a single round in his head, and a single round expended from his rifle.
A duel, would, of course, not be a murder trial, as it would be consentual, so manslaughter would be a more fitting charge. However, the state decided to prosecute for murder. Why?
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
Sounds like suicide?
nonconformist
Miserable
Nope, a suicide wouldn;t lead to a murder charge.
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
Oh darn, I missed the first sentence. Sounded too easy. Sorry 'bout that. 
nonconformist
Miserable
Just to clarify, what would make the prosecution think that it wasn't a duel, or that it wasn't a fair one, at least?
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