Confused already? You're not the only one

Furious Brits can't work out how kids got to 66 in mind-boggling primary school puzzle

A snake-themed maths question created for eight year-olds will make you question your entire existence and make you want to go back to school.

by · The Mirror

A baffling brainteaser designed for Vietnamese primary school children has left Brits scratching their head.

The seriously cryptic question, believed to have been given to eight-year-old pupils in the northern town of Bảo Lộc, requires some serious maths skills. Yes, it may just be basic arithmetic and is designed to look like a snake, but that doesn't mean it will be easy. In fact, according reports, an adult with a doctorate in economics with mathematics couldn't even solve it.

Brainteasers like this aren't just a humiliating way to be defeated by a child. Research has shown they can actually positively impact the central nervous system, leading to improved concentration levels and better attention span. So, let's get to it - and put your calculators away...

Can you fill in the blanks?

The image above shows a bunch of squares in the shape of a snake. Each square contains a number or type of calculation (times, divide, plus, and minus, or is left blank. The last two squares are '= 66' so we already know the answer - but can you fill the rest of the gaps using digits 1-9, and only using them once.

To avoid any confusion, the ':' actually means divide. We'll not set a timer on this one, as that would just be cruel, so grab a pen and paper and get to it! If you're feeling completely stumped, it may help to turn the image into an equation: A + (13b/c) + d + 12e – f – 11 + (gh/i)– 10 = 66.

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If that fiendish puzzle was too much, you might prefer this pub-style quiz. However, these questions are all designed to trick you out - so don't get too cocky. You need to score at least eight out of 10, and only have three seconds to answer each one, to prove you're a genius. Once done, you can check your answers here.

  1. What is the world's most popular social media platform by monthly active users?
  2. What is the smallest country in the world?
  3. How many planets are in our solar system, excluding Pluto?
  4. What is the name of the world's longest river?
  5. How many hearts does an octopus have?
  6. What is the chemical symbol for gold?
  7. What is the largest living organism on earth?
  8. What element forms the majority of the world's atmosphere
  9. In what year was the first iPhone released?
  10. What is scientific name for the name by which plants convert sunlight into energy?

ANSWER: 6, 9, 3, 5, 2, 1, 8, 7, 4.

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