BOOM!!

Shot != killed, or gone from the tree.

zero

No birds remain. They all got scared by the shot sound

Assumption 1) Dead birds fall from trees.
Assumption 2) Birds don't stay put when shot at.

Trouble with questions like these are those assumptions. Since they are implicit, you don't know to what extend they apply.

'Sides: "How many blackbirds remained". Implies what? Remained alive? Remained in the tree? Remained Blackbirds?

Remained alive could be a valid conclusion

I for one would ask...

what does this have to do with MENSA?

i totally agree w/ Cavanaugh "none of them" in post #7...not assuming but knowing from the begining that you are asking how many remained in the tree. t.a.anderson

Twice Four looks like a name, not a number.
That makes 1+20==21.
1/7th==3
21-3=18.
Looks like 18 remained.

MENSA has little to do with the question. It is an organization. http://www.mensa.org/

ahm but is that part of thr riddle?

could it be that MENSA saved the birds and caused there to be all of them left



it not that far out an idea. I bet I am right.

maybe if you can answer the question, you get in the organization.

???

mensa in spanish means stupid girl. Things that make you go Hmmm.

ah... so it doesn't mean round table??

/me goes to join MENSA to find out the answer to the question

I bet someone already posted the answer.

OK Guys and Gals, I will give you the answer very soon this afternoon after I practise walking, but first.



MENSA is an organisation in which the members have a High IQ (normally an IQ above 150)



The question is correctly laid out, it is up to you to work out what is being said to you, for example certain words will give you the answer, and it is these words that will give you the answer, which is the whole idea of Lateral or Logical thinking.



There could be an exact answer, but the answer is acutally general, to cover the two correct eventualities.



I have said before, there is one or two answers in this thread that could be accepted, but they are not exact and need a slight alteration to be correct. Look for >>







[Message Edited]

/me counted four... but if frogboy sees this thread and sneaks his pesky bird in that number could rise to five if we don't solve the problem first. .... and if Hoppity gets hungry and has dinner all bets are off.....

OK Guys and Gals, here is the answer.



Twice Four and Twenty - it has to be (2*4)+20 = 28 (see next line)



I shot one seventh - 1/7 of 28 = 4 (because 1/7 of 48 = 6.86


[Message Edited]

End Of Thread (Maybe)

For all those who wondered about what this had to do with MENSA.



It is because to become a member you have to take an IQ test, and questions like this are part of that test.







[Message Edited]

Oh and BTW, the rest flew away due to sound of shotgun

but surely the spray of pellets will of hit a few

Don't start confusing everyone, the shotgun pellets hit 4 of the Blackbirds, surely that's enough

no. I want more pellet action

Message #43 has gone wrong, let me know if you can see all the explanation of the answer, thanks >