Think You’re Clever? Solve These Mind-Bending Brain Teasers

Updated Oct 29, 2024 | 10:00 PM IST

SummaryIn today’s quiz, challenge yourself with some tricky brain teasers! These questions test your logical reasoning, knowledge of family relations, and number series skills. Give them a shot to see how sharp your brain really is!
Quiz- brain teaser questions

Quiz- brain teaser questions

If you’re a fan of brain teasers, puzzles, and logical riddles, then this quiz is for you. These aren’t just ordinary questions—they’ll require you to carefully analyze each clue and think through your answer. Such puzzles are excellent for enhancing problem-solving skills, boosting memory, and building a keen eye for detail.

Logical reasoning questions train your mind to recognize patterns and think in an organized way. Family relation puzzles make you focus on verbal reasoning and track connections, a skill that’s handy for understanding complex relationships. Number series puzzles, on the other hand, test your mathematical observation skills, helping improve speed and accuracy in pattern recognition.

Answer each question carefully, jot down your ideas, and don’t peek at the answers until you’ve tried them all!

1) A man is looking at a photo of someone. His friend asks him, “Who are you looking at?” The man replies, “Brothers and sisters, I have none. But the father of that person in the photo is my father’s son.” Who is in the photo?

2) John’s mother’s sister’s only brother-in-law is married to Claire’s mother-in-law’s sister’s husband. What is the relationship between John and Claire?

3) Find the next number in the sequence:

2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, ___

4) Three people—Amy, Ben, and Chris—are in a room. They each have a different favorite fruit: apple, banana, and cherry. You know that:

- Amy does not like apples.

- Ben does not like cherries.

- Chris does not like bananas.

Who likes which fruit?

5) What is the next number in this pattern?

4, 9, 19, 39, 79, ___

6) A woman introduces a man to her friends, saying, “He is the son of my mother’s only daughter.” What is the man’s relationship to the woman?

Answers:

1) The person in the photo is the man’s son. Since he has no brothers or sisters, “my father’s son” refers to himself.

2) John and Claire are siblings. The connections point to the same family ties.

3) The next number is 56. Each number adds an incrementally increasing even number (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc.).

4)

- Amy likes bananas.

- Ben likes apples.

- Chris likes cherries.

5) The next number is 159. Each number doubles and subtracts one (4*2-1=9, 9*2-1=19, etc.).

6) The man is the woman’s son, as her “mother’s only daughter” is herself.

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What This Teen Ignored As A Minor Symptom Ended Up Being A Rare Vaginal Cancer Usually Found in Older Women

Updated Sep 24, 2025 | 05:10 PM IST

Summary At 14, Liliana Castaneda began experiencing heavy bleeding that was brushed off as pandemic stress. But her symptoms pointed to something more serious, highlighting why unusual changes should never be ignored. Keep reading for more details.
What This Teen Ignored As A Minor Symptom Ended Up Being A Vaginal Cancer

Credits: Canva

Liliana “Lili” Castaneda thought she was experiencing her first period at the age of 14, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, she was excited, but her monthly bleeding soon turned into daily bleeding. The flow became so heavy that she would soak through pads in just 15 minutes and feel dizzy when standing up. When she first visited her doctor, she was told it was likely stress related to the pandemic.

Teen’s Heavy Bleeding Dismissed As Pandemic Stress

Lili, who is now 19, sensed something more serious was going on. A month before her 15th birthday, after insisting on further evaluation, she was diagnosed with a rare vaginal cancer known as clear cell carcinoma, a type of cancer usually seen in postmenopausal women, according to her physician, Dr. Dario Roque.

Dario Roque, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at the Lurie Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine, said in a statement that in his 15 years of practice, Liliana was the youngest patient he had ever seen with clear cell carcinoma, a disease he typically treats in women in their sixties.

ALSO READ: Ozempic Pill vs Injection: New Study Finds Oral Tablets May Be More Effective

Her radiation oncologist, Jonathan Strauss, MD, explained that the tumour was roughly the size of a golf ball when it was found. “It was too large to remove surgically at the time of diagnosis, so we relied on both external and internal radiation to shrink it. Eliminating the tumour required extensive radiation along with chemotherapy,” he said.

What Is Clear Cell Carcinoma?

Clear cell carcinoma is a type of cancer where the affected cells appear pale or “clear” under a microscope, often due to glycogen and lipid content. While the most common form, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), affects the kidneys in adults, clear cell carcinoma can also develop in other parts of the body, including female reproductive organs.

ALSO READ: 'Nightmare Bacteria' Cases Increase By Nearly 70%, CDC Report Reveals: What Is It And How To Recognize It's First Signs

Symptoms may include pain, blood in the urine, unexplained weight loss, or a lump in the affected area, though sometimes the cancer is discovered incidentally during imaging for unrelated issues. Diagnosis is typically confirmed with imaging scans and a biopsy. The National Cancer Institute describes it as “a rare type of cancer in which the cells look clear when viewed under a microscope.”

Clear Cell Carcinoma Symptoms

Early stages of clear cell renal cell carcinoma often produce no noticeable signs. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include:

  • Blood in the urine (hematuria)
  • Persistent fatigue
  • Fever
  • A lump on the affected kidney
  • Pain in the side or flank
  • Unexplained weight loss

What Causes Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma?Most kidney cancers, including ccRCC, develop without a clear cause. Certain factors, however, may increase risk, such as:

  • Tobacco use, including smoking and vaping
  • Being overweight or having a BMI over 25
  • High blood pressure
  • Chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis
  • Exposure to workplace toxins like trichloroethylene
  • Long-term use of pain relievers such as acetaminophen.
Regardless of the symptoms, it’s crucial to consult a doctor promptly if anything unusual arises.

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Ozempic Pill vs Injection: New Study Finds Oral Tablets May Be More Effective

Updated Sep 24, 2025 | 01:18 PM IST

SummaryWegovy, Ozempic, and now a daily pill version of semaglutide are changing weight loss treatment. A new study finds the Ozempic pill may be more effective than injections, offering a needle-free alternative pending FDA approval. Keep reading to know more details about the same.
ozempic tablet vs injection

Credits: Canva

With obesity now affecting 41.9% of adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), medications like semaglutide have gained enormous attention. Semaglutide belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which help the body release more insulin, lower blood sugar levels, and send signals to the brain to reduce appetite.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several versions of semaglutide for diabetes and weight management. Wegovy and Ozempic are available as injections, while Rybelsus comes in tablet form. A new study now suggests that a daily pill containing semaglutide could be even more effective for weight loss than the injectable versions.

Ozempic Pills For Weight Loss More Effective Than Injections?

A major clinical trial has found that a daily semaglutide pill helped adults with overweight or obesity lose far more weight compared to a placebo over a 64-week period. The findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that an oral version of Ozempic could soon join the list of FDA-approved options for weight management.

Currently, semaglutide injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy are taken weekly, with doses of up to 2.4 milligrams administered under the skin of the stomach, thigh, or arm. While effective, many patients avoid them because of the discomfort of injections. The trial results, part of the OASIS-4 phase 3 study, highlight that a pill form could be a needle-free, more convenient alternative if approved by regulators.

ALSO READ: Ozempic May Not Be Helpful If You Continue Emotional Eating: Study

Researchers also noted other advantages. Pills don’t require refrigeration, unlike injections, which could make treatment more accessible in places where storage and transport of injectable drugs are difficult.

How Ozempic Works

Ozempic helps regulate blood sugar in three main ways: it prompts the pancreas to release more insulin after meals, prevents the liver from releasing stored sugar, and slows down digestion so food moves more gradually through the body.

Ozempic vs. WegovyWhile both Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide, there are key differences:

  • Dosage and delivery: Wegovy is usually prescribed at a slightly higher dose than Ozempic. Both are available as injection pens, but Ozempic pens contain multiple doses, while Wegovy pens are single-use.
  • Conditions treated: Wegovy is FDA-approved specifically for long-term weight management, whether or not a person has diabetes. Ozempic, on the other hand, is officially approved for type 2 diabetes, though doctors often prescribe it “off-label” for weight loss.

Ozempic Pill vs. Injection for Weight Loss: Which Is Better?

The new findings suggest that the oral pill form of semaglutide may be more effective than injections for weight loss. Patients take the pill once daily, typically in the morning at least 30 minutes before eating or taking other medicines, and only with a small amount of water.

ALSO READ: Your Body Makes Its Own Ozempic? Scientists Discover A Blood Sugar Controlling Hormone In The Human Body

Still, there are important points to note. The FDA has approved Wegovy for weight loss in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients, but neither Ozempic nor Rybelsus (the current oral version of semaglutide) has official FDA clearance for this purpose. These drugs are only approved for type 2 diabetes, though doctors can prescribe them off-label for weight management if they see fit.

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'Nightmare Bacteria' Cases Increase By Nearly 70%, CDC Report Reveals: What Is It And How To Recognize It's First Signs

Updated Sep 24, 2025 | 11:48 AM IST

SummaryA new report has revealed the rise of drug-resistant ‘nightmare bacteria’ and the CDC is warning people to be safe. What is nightmare bacteria and how can it be drug-resistant? With a nearly 70% increase in the number of cases in the US, one must know how to prevent it.
'Nightmare Bacteria' Cases Increase By Nearly 70%, CDC Report Reveals: What Is It And How To Recognize It's First Signs

(Credit-Canva)

A recent report revealed that the number of infections from drug-resistant "nightmare bacteria" has jumped significantly in the US. The numbers of cases increased by almost 70% from 2019 to 2023. This information comes from a new report by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US. These bacteria are becoming a major concern because they are harder to treat, making common infections potentially dangerous.

What Is Nightmare Bacteria?

According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), "nightmare bacteria" are extremely dangerous germs because they have become resistant to almost all antibiotics, making them nearly impossible to treat. Some examples include VRSA (Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Candida auris, and CRE (Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales). The CDC also estimates that more than 23,000 Americans die each year from infections that are resistant to antibiotics.

What Makes This Bacteria Immune To Drugs?

A big reason for this increase is a specific type of bacteria that has the NDM (New Delhi metallo beta lactamase) gene. This gene makes the bacteria resistant to most antibiotics. According to the CDC researchers, only two antibiotics can fight these infections, and they are expensive and have to be given through an IV (intravenous drip).

These bacteria with the NDM gene were once very rare in the U.S., usually found only in people who had received medical care in other countries. However, the number of U.S. cases has increased more than five times in recent years. Experts called this rise a "grave danger" and "very worrisome."

The CDC scientists also warned that many people might be carrying these drug-resistant bacteria without even knowing it, which could lead to them spreading easily in communities. This means that infections that have always been simple to treat, like a urinary tract infection (UTI), could become a long-term problem.

How Many Cases of Nightmare Bacteria Have Been Reported?

The researchers gathered data from 29 states that have the necessary systems to test for and report these drug-resistant bacteria. In 2023, they counted 4,341 cases of carbapenem-resistant infections in those states. Out of these, 1,831 were caused by the NDM-type bacteria. The report didn't mention how many people died from these infections.

The rate of carbapenem-resistant infections went from just under 2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to more than 3 per 100,000 in 2023, which is a 69% increase. Even more alarming, the rate of NDM cases shot up from about 0.25 to 1.35 per 100,000, an incredible 460% increase.

Experts believe this rapid increase is likely connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. They noted that there was a huge spike in antibiotic use during the pandemic, which probably led to the rise in drug resistance.

How Do You Contract Nightmare Bacteria?

APIC explains that you can only get sick from nightmare bacteria if you are exposed to them. They are most common in healthcare settings like hospitals and nursing homes. Patients who have devices like catheters, tubes, or drains may be at the highest risk.

Symptoms of these infections can vary.

  • You might have a wound that won't heal or a serious bloodstream infection that leads to sepsis.
  • It's also possible to carry these bacteria without showing any symptoms at all.

How Do You Prevent Getting Infected With Nightmare Bacteria?

Since these infections are so difficult to treat, prevention is key. Since these infections are so difficult to treat, prevention is key.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Ask others to clean their hands before they touch you or your surroundings.
  • Tell your doctor if you have recently been cared for in another country or medical facility.
  • Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can reduce your risk of infection, especially if you have a chronic health condition.
  • Learn about antibiotics so you know when it's appropriate to take them, which helps prevent the spread of resistant germs.

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