Brainteaser leaves people stumped as 'only 5%' of people can solve it in 30 seconds – The Mirror US
Stay sharp and give your brain a workout by giving this clever brainteaser a go.
Brainteasers aren't just fun; they are a fantastic way to flex those mental muscles by engaging in lateral thinking. However, many can find them quite challenging. TikTok has been buzzing with people testing their smarts on a puzzle featured on the game show 1% Club Australia.
A clip from the show claims "only the top 5% of brains will be able to find the missing letter" in a crossword-style grid within 30 seconds. The mystery letter is represented by an asterisk in the following grid:.
The grid reads:
R E T T
E L G N
I S S I
M E H T
D N I *
While some TikTok users proudly solved it in record time, others scoured the comments for clues. One user exclaimed: "Got it in 30 secs, but have to pause, the pressure of the music, the countdown, the waffling presenter makes it more difficult than what it is! " Another quickly chimed in: "Got it within 2 seconds … so easy."
Meanwhile, another was more reserved, commenting: "Some of these are easy and some are impossible." And yet another user speculated: "I thought d because then it would fit the pattern that every vertical line has only different letters, and the horizontal lines have different letters."
One user exclaimed: "Easier then expected. I saw 'Missing' and figured it out from there." Another chimed in with: "F was the only letter I guessed but I had zero confidence in it." As the video progressed, the host disclosed that the correct answer was indeed the letter F, followed by the puzzle grid rotating to clearly display the phrase 'find the missing letter'.
Emphasizing the significance of such puzzles, Mindvalley issued a statement saying: "Lateral thinking is a form of problem-solving that utilises a more creative, less direct approach to the problem. Analytical, logical problem-solving encourages vertical thinking, which is an approach we're often taught when dealing with math equations. Lateral thinking is the indirect approach. It helps us view problems in an entirely new light. It helps us find unique, creative solutions we might never have before imagined.
"The brain is neuroplastic, meaning it has the ability to shift and change over time. Many people believe our brains age as we do, growing less powerful, less capable, and less competent over time.
"What most don't realize, however, is that you have the ability to manipulate your brain the way a sculptor molds clay. The brain is susceptible to all we expose it to-people, music, work- and even the physical environments we traverse on a day-to-day basis. Everything we partake in has the potential to subtly shift the wiring of our brain. "
